JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska –
Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 910th Engineer Support Company conducted their annual training by executing horizontal and vertical construction engineering projects in the Anchorage and Matsu areas from July 21 through Aug. 19, 2024.
Annual training provides AKARNG units an extended timeframe to hone job skills and tackle Mission Essential Tasks that are critical to maintaining operational readiness for various state and federal missions.
The 1st and 2nd platoons of 910th ESC comprised of horizontal construction Soldiers were assigned to the Alcantra Armory in Wasilla, where they worked on the Alcantra Road Realignment project aimed at improving vehicle and personnel access to the facility. The project accomplished a MET of building a road or combat trail.
The earthwork operations consisted of clearing, grubbing, excavating, soil compacting, grading, and ultimately the installation of a culvert for water flow control under the road. To complete the project the engineers, employed a variety of heavy equipment including hydraulic excavators, D6 bulldozers, dump trucks, and motorized road graders.
“This is what we can expect in large scale combat operations, as we mobilize to a decentralized environment and empower and trust our young leaders,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matt Johnson, the construction engineering technician for the 910th ESC.
The unit also employed a newly added GPS survey system that provides accurate data and enhances the engineers’ topographic surveying capabilities.
Johnson said the unit has worked hard over the last two years coordinating with the AKARNG’s Construction and Facilities Maintenance Office, completing topographic surveys, implementing design work on drill weekends and coordinating with the Department of Transportation to get the project off the ground.
In Anchorage, the vertical construction section worked on renovating the 910th ESC headquarters building at Camp Carroll on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, giving Soldiers the opportunity to hone vertical skills in a variety of ways.
The Soldiers hung drywall and trim, ran baseboard, installed doors, painted, and accomplished other various tasks to enhance the aesthetics of the headquarter building’s interior.
At a separate site on Camp Carroll, Soldiers practiced their plumbing, electrical and carpentry trades inside of a compact wooden structure called a “Sea Hut” designed by the engineers in 2017 as a multifunctional site for training.
“The National Guard brings people with a range of skillsets to the table, and we really rely on our guys who have been doing this for a long time to be mentors to our new folks,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan Hickcock, the vertical construction supervisor and platoon sergeant for 3rd PLT.
The Sea Hut holds multiple rooms that allow Soldiers to view open wiring configurations to put their electrician knowledge of circuits to the test, as well as room to install plumbing, hang drywall and more.
“It’s critical for our Soldiers to be able to utilize this facility to practice their vertical construction skills and we’ve had a lot of good hands-on training during this AT,” Hickcock said. “When we’re able to hone our skills here, we’re able to ensure that we can take what we’ve learned and provide a quality product to our future customers and build what we need to.”
There was a mix of experience among the engineers ranging from new graduates fresh out of their Advanced Individual Training to those who have full times civilian jobs in construction.
“One of the things that I find rewarding about being in the engineers, is you have a tangible goal that you’re working toward,” said Sgt. Dylan Lundquist, a horizontal construction engineer with the 910th ESC. “You can see what you’re working on. Everything that you do is directly affecting the earth. The outcome is visible, and you can see yourself get closer to the end goal.”
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