JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska  –   The Alaska Army National Guard’s 910th Engineer Support Company utilized their skills during annual training to complete several construction projects July 20 – Aug. 20, 2023.

The engineers mission at Bryant Army Airfield is an ongoing project that started in August 2020, with the intent of clearing the airfield to give better lines of sight and eliminate hazardous bird strike areas.

The initial phases of the project involved the Guardsmen conducting an analysis of what they could do to the land to meet their objective with the equipment and machinery they had at their disposal said 2nd Lt. Jake Brownlee, a horizonal engineer platoon leader assigned to the 910th ESC.

“Last year we left the project at a really good state to where we could easily plan out what needed to get done and quickly get our Soldiers familiarized with the heavy equipment that they’d be operating,” said Brownlee. “This is their job, and they love to do it.”
 
As Brownlee watched his platoon continue the mission, he stated that he is proud to see them happily work together as they show up each morning eager for the next set of tasks.
 
“You have to create a type of rhythm and flow with your squad in order to really get production going,” said Sgt. Brodie Smith, a horizontal engineer and squad leader assigned to the 910th ESC, who explained that oftentimes squads and platoons are given missions that require everyone to pull together to complete the work. “Once everyone starts to get their timing down and get familiar with their tasks, it becomes easy to get lost in a steady flow of work.”
 
Smith noted that having unit cohesion allows everyone a better understanding of how each Soldier operates.
 
“Everyone gets the opportunity to do something to help out with this construction project in some way no matter their rank,” said Smith. “We have privates using heavy machinery to assist our noncommissioned officers who have been working on this project since 2020.”
 
Furthermore, Brownlee said that Soldiers new to the unit can ease their way into the project as noncommissioned officers and other seasoned leaders who have worked on the project since its inception can assist them when needed.
 
“Soldiers are spending as much time as they can to get familiarized with the equipment and are putting in the hours so they can become licensed,” said Brownlee.  
 
The construction project is expected to be completed as early as the end of this month.
 
“I’m proud of my Soldiers and the work that they’re putting in. I’m inspired to see their work ethic on display, to the point where I’m having to pull them off site because of how late we all want to stay and continue,” said Brownlee. “This project is something they can look back on and be proud of.”