Soldiers of the 2225th Multi Role Bridge Company, 205th Engineer Brigade, prepare to load a five-panel improved ribbon bridge raft with all-terrain vehicles in Grand Isle, La., July 2. The 2225th has been assisting civilian contractors with transporting personnel and equipment to the Grand Terre Islands off the coast of Louisiana in support of oil spill operations. Photo by Sgt. Michael Owens

Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard’s 2225th Multi-Role Bridge Company, 205th Engineer Battalion, have been performing transport duties off the coast of Louisiana near Grand Isle, La., and the Grand Terre Islands to assist civilian workers with the oil clean-up effort along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.

For the past two weeks, the 25-member team has been using portions of an improved ribbon bridge to make a five-panel raft with ramps on each end to transport civilian personnel, equipment and oil-containment materials to and from areas along Grand Isle and the Grand Terre Islands.

“We usually haul civilians and oil-containment items, but at any given time we can be asked to transport equipment and other heavy items,” said Sgt. 1st Class Maris M. Pichon, of the 2225th.

Soldiers of the 2225th Multi Role Bridge Company, 205th Engineer Brigade, load all-terrain vehicles onto a five-panel improved ribbon bridge raft in Grand Isle, La., July 2. Photo by Sgt. Michael Owens

The civilian contractors use the raft as a means of transportation for themselves and as a way to transport equipment and oil-contaminated boom to the decontamination site in Grand Isle.

The panel raft’s ability to push onshore and lay down its ramps without the need for a dock makes it the preferred method of transportation for the contractors loading and unloading equipment. The nearly 100-foot long platform can haul upwards of 80 tons of cargo and is pulled with two bridge erection boats.

“Unlike the shrimping boats that we were using, the raft can actually dock onshore and the ramps make it easier to load and offload personnel and equipment,” said Pablo Hernandez, a contractor working in Grand Isle. “We are appreciative of the Guardsmen helping us out.”

The Soldiers can use the improved ribbon bridge in several different ways, depending on what the mission requires.

“This is what we train to do,” said 1st Sgt. Kevin M. Giroir, the 2225th’s senior enlisted advisor. “A part of our unit’s mission is to get equipment and personnel across bodies of water and we are always prepared to make it happen.”

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Story by Sgt. Michael Owens

A Louisiana National Guard soldier from the 225th Engineer Brigade fills a Hesco basket with sand on Holly Beach in Cameron Parish, July 3. Approximately 100 soldiers from the 225th Engineer Brigade are working to emplace barriers along a low-laying stretch of coast to close gaps and protect the land from possible oil intrusion. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sara Piazza

Despite adverse weather brought in by Hurricane Alex earlier this week, Louisiana National Guard soldiers from the 225th Engineer Brigade continue to emplace and repair Hesco barriers along the coast in Cameron Parish, La.

The crew finished a two-and-a-half mile stretch of protective wall along the lowest portions of Highway 82 between the Cameron ferry and Holly Beach just 24 hours before Hurricane Alex hit the Gulf Coast.

Hesco baskets filled and emplaced by approximately 100 soldiers from the 225th Engineer Brigade line the coast of Holly Beach in Cameron Parish, July 3. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sara Piazza

“Every time the tide rises more than two feet above normal, it pushes water out over this highway. If these barriers wouldn’t have been in place, we would have had to close the street, wait for the floodwater to go down and then clean up all the debris,” said Clifton Hebert, director of the Cameron Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. “Thanks to the National Guard, the water never touched the road.”

Although the barriers were not emplaced to ward off high tides brought in by hurricanes, Hebert said he was reassured after seeing their reaction to Alex that they will hold up well under normal conditions.

Hesco baskets filled and emplaced by approximately 100 soldiers from the 225th Engineer Brigade line the coast of Holly Beach in Cameron Parish, July 3. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sara Piazza

Capt. Ingram M. Scott, logistics officer for the 769th Engineer Battalion, 225th Eng. Bde., is overseeing the Cameron Parish project and said despite the hurricane, their efforts have not slowed on the coast. He said they will take the lessons learned and use them to prepare for similar weather in the future.

“We’ve learned when the Hesco baskets are closer to the water, they don’t withstand the tide as well,” Scott said. “We are now building a second wall to act as a reinforcement barrier behind the sections most damaged by the hurricane, and we plan to build the walls farther from the coastline in the future.”

Scott says his Soldiers are motivated and morale remains high. His crew plans to continue working 12-hour days until their project is complete.

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Story by Sgt. 1st Class Sara Piazza

Spc. John W. Peterson, of Fargo, N.D., spends time with a local boy in Haiti before posing for a photo with the Haiti flag the boy was carrying. Peterson was part of a group of 21 Soldiers with the North Dakota Army National Guard's 191st Military Police Company who volunteered for a three-and-a-half week humanitarian mission to Haiti. They provided force protection as part of U.S. Southern Command's New Horizons program while assisting in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake there.

Soldiers working in Haiti returned home yesterday after spending more than three weeks there on a humanitarian mission. The Soldiers, who serve with the 191st Military Police Company, left May 19 to take part in the U.S. Southern Command’s New Horizons mission.

“The North Dakota National Guard does an outstanding job of serving our state and nation, and these Soldiers have proven that the Guard’s dedication and preparedness extends far beyond the borders of North Dakota,” said Gov. John Hoeven. “The important work they have completed in Haiti will have a beneficial impact on the people of that country as they continue to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.”

The North Dakota Army National Guardsmen provided force protection at four locations in Haiti, primarily to facilitate the construction of a base camp near Gonaives, about 95 miles north of Port au Prince. That construction is wrapping up this week, said Sgt. 1st Class Troy Skelton, of Bismarck, the noncommissioned officer in charge of 20 other North Dakota Soldiers in Haiti. The group also provided some convoy security for medical personnel assisting in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake.

“These Soldiers embody the characteristics that make the North Dakota National Guard great,” said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general. “Despite the primitive conditions and long work days, they all volunteered to go on this mission. They realize that what they did there will have lasting impacts on the people of Haiti, as well as on their own abilities since they were able to refine their skills while operating as part of our global environment.”

During the 26-day mission, Soldiers subsisted entirely on meals ready to eat and bottled water. The bottled water also was their only means of bathing while in Haiti, where the temperature regularly pushed 100 degrees.

Spc. Lindsay A. Suko, of Mandan, N.D., and Spc. Amanda G. Weninger, of Grand Forks, N.D., pose for a photo at the sea port in Haiti. The sea port was one of four locations where Soldiers with the 191st Military Police Company provided security during the past few weeks as they took part in a U.S. Southern Command New Horizons humanitarian mission there.

“I see the mission as a success,” Skelton said. “The Soldiers completed the mission with professionalism and no complaining. The Soldiers who went down to Haiti were up for the challenges we faced, and they all did an incredible job.”

Skelton’s group worked under the guidance of the Louisiana National Guard and side-by-side with Soldiers from Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, South Dakota, Texas and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Together, they focused on construction projects and humanitarian and medical assistance as part of New Horizons, which gives participating military personnel the opportunity to help communities and individuals with humanitarian needs while enhancing their ability to deploy overseas in support of military operations.

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Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard's 527th and 769th Engineer Battalions put together a wall of sand-filled Hesco Concertainer units in Port Fouchon, La., to help keep oil-tainted water from reaching Bay Champagne, May 21. Photo by Senior Airman Jeffrey Barone

Members of the 527th and 769th Engineer Battalions of the Louisiana National Guard began constructing a barrier wall, May 21, along the coast of Port Fourchon, La., in an effort to keep oil-tainted water from reaching Bay Champagne, a coastal lake critical to Louisiana’s fishing industry.

“The units arrived around 7 a.m., and we immediately began doing everything we could to get this project started,” said Capt. Jeffrey L. Giering of Watson, La., commander of the 928th Sapper Company. “Just like every other project, we want to work hard and fast to get this done for Louisiana.”

“This project is extremely important because these waters have several different purposes,” said Tim Osborn of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We really appreciate the Guard’s work and efforts out here.”

Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard's 527th and 769th Engineer Battalions put together a wall of sand-filled Hesco Concertainer units in Port Fouchon, La., to help keep oil-tainted water from reaching Bay Champagne, May 21. Photo by Senior Airman Jeffrey Barone

The wall will consist of about 1,000 Hesco Concertainer units that will be constructed along two miles of shoreline. These units are multi-cellular wall systems, composed of linked Hesco baskets, which are manufactured from welded coated steel wire mesh.

Each five-basket unit will be joined together with vertical coil joints, and then the entire wall will be filled with approximately 7,500 cubic yards of sand. Project engineers predict that the wall will take a few days to complete.

“These units are being used because they have been proven durable in many situations,” said Dennis Barkemeyer, a senior technical representative with Hesco.

“We’ve been all over the coast participating in missions,” said Spc. Timothy Avant of West Monroe, La., a heavy equipment operator. “We are just happy to be working and doing something that will be a great help to our state.”

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Story by Sgt. Michael Owens

Deployed Louisiana National Guardsmen and Saintsations show off their new muscles after a physical training session at Camp Victory in Iraq. The Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints cheerleaders dressed out in an Army physical fitness uniform and joined the group during their routine morning exercise. Mobilized Jan. 5, the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is currently deployed to conduct convoy escort and force protection missions to set the conditions for the responsible draw down of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Tresa L. Allemang, 199th Garrison Command Public Affairs/256th PAO)

The New Orleans Saints’ cheerleading and dance team, the Saintsations, special guests of Operation Catch Fish, provided a little piece of home to the Louisiana National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Victory Base Complex, Iraq, April, 27.

As Soldiers from Louisiana’s Tiger Brigade rose with the sun to conduct their routine physical fitness training, the day started out like any other, but quickly found its own way to imprint a memory that would not be forgotten.

The dancers, Erin Buxton of Houma, La., and Jennifer Thomas of Slidell, La., dressed out in the army physical fitness uniform and literally got down and dirty as they completed various exercises to include push-ups, crunches and flutter kicks in the Iraqi dirt. Erin and Jennifer, joined by Soldiers from the 256th, ended the early morning regimen with a two-mile run.

“They were very energetic and excited about doing PT with the Troops,” said Sgt. Rebecca A. Farmer of Hineston, La., who was part of the group exercising with the cheerleaders.

“They had no issues hitting the dirt like the rest of us. In fact, I think they handled it better than some of the Soldiers did,” the fuel database processer joked. “It was good to see how genuine they were about bringing up the morale.”

After incorporating themselves into one of the morning exercise routines, Jennifer and Erin spoke in amazement of the camaraderie of the group during their morning workout.

“Everyone was so supportive of each other,” Jennifer explained. “They were constantly encouraging each other, and checking on each other during the run. If one person would have stopped, everyone would have. We all started and ended the run together, and that was great.”

Along with conducting the physical fitness training with the Soldiers, Jennifer and Erin toured various places in Iraq and visited as many service members as time would allow while on their tour.

With this being both dancers first trip to Iraq, they took the opportunity to express their appreciation for deployed Soldiers and the sacrifices they make.

“This tour was a huge learning experience for me,” Erin said. “I have a newfound love and respect for people in the military. I feel like I just got here, and I’m not ready to leave.”

“This has been a life-changing experience. I have been truly inspired and humbled,” added Jennifer as she gave her heartfelt appreciation for the armed forces. “Everyone kept thanking us for coming, but we don’t deserve the ‘thank you’; these guys do. Every time I heard it, I wanted to say it back a million times more.”

Erin and Jennifer continued their day’s journey with a visit to Soldiers at the 256th IBCT headquarters on Camp Liberty.

Many 256th Soldiers take their Saints’ loyalty to the extreme. By doing what they do best, the Saintsations cheered on the Tiger Brigade, reminding them that their favorite sports team has not forgotten Louisiana Troops.

Who Dat!

Echoes of “Who Dat!” were repeated across the room by the Louisiana Soldiers, while displaying their own form of team spirit by brandishing a Saints patch on underlying collars of uniforms just for the occasion. “Wow! This is really nice!” expressed Brigade Executive Officer Lt. Col. Scott E. Adams from Hammond, La.

Tiger Brigade Soldier, Spc. Lester P. Broussard from Lafayette, La., logistics, with Headquarters Company 256 IBCT, sported his arm bearing a New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Championship tattoo with the New Orleans Saints' Saintsation Erin. Photo by Spc. Amy Barber

Spc. Lester P. Broussard from Lafayette, La., a logistics specialist with Headquarters and Company, proudly exhibited his Saints tattoo for Erin. “I am the biggest fan ever,” exclaimed Broussard. “It was just too much that the ladies came to visit.”

The visit from the dancers not only brought familiarity to the deployed Soldiers, but also renewed their passion for the upcoming football season.

“They were so much fun, and really brought with them the ‘Who Dat Nation’ attitude,” said Saints fan and logistics operations officer, CW3 Dale D. Poe of Pineville, La. “I can’t wait to watch the first game of the season.”

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By Sgt. Tresa L. Allemang and Spc. Amy Barber