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Becker and other Soldiers of the Minnesota Army National Guard 851st Vertical Engineer Company, Airmen from the Minnesota Air National Guard 148th and 133rd Civil Support Squadrons along with the Croatian Army Engineering Horizontal Construction Company are working side-by-side to repair and to rebuild parts of a primary school in Karlovac, Croatia. The project is made possible by the US European Command in partnership with the US Embassy in Zagreb, Croatia.
“I would say working with three different organizations: Army, Air Force and Croatian military is good for everyone,” said Becker. “It’s getting out of our drill weekend style…it’s getting us out of our element.”
Becker, a plumber for the Minnesota Army National Guard has a family background with plumbing. Helping his fathers business, Central Home Comfort Plumbing and Heating, for years before joining.
“As for the project, I am a plumber but I have learned how to plaster and title and paint,” said Becker, a native of St. Cloud, Minn. “The job itself has been good, we went from complete destruction to a complete remodel…we have done a lot in just a month’s time.”
In a months time, the three groups of engineers have over came many obstacles to include language barriers and a different way things measure up.
“Some of the ways Croatians construct things is much different on how we do it, to include our measurement system,” said Becker. “It challenges us our skill mindset., but in the end we always translate it how we do it and then get it done.”
All the members of the project have gotten a little down time to experience the town and country of Croatia.
“Trying to pick up and experience the culture how they do things here verse how things at home has been very neat,” said Becker.
All the members did the project in lue of their Annual Training, in conjunction with the Minnesota State Partnership Program in Croatia.
“I liked being apart of something from start to completion, said Becker “Annual trainings with our unit at home are good, they aren’t really challenging in the way this project has.”
| Date Taken: | 06.29.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2016 11:03 |
| Story ID: | 202841 |
| Location: | KARLOVAC, HR |
| Hometown: | LONG PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA, US |
| Hometown: | ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldier Story - SGT Becker, by MSgt Lynette Hoke, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
