PAYNESVILLE, Liberia - Members of the 615th Engineer Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, out of Fort Carson, Colorado, are paving the way for military equipment to depart Liberia, near the port in Buchanan, Jan. 8, in support of Operation United Assistance.
The Soldiers are currently repairing a staging area to export and import military equipment. The staging area, known as the Defense Distribution Expeditionary Yard, was damaged from the rainy season, making it unfit to stage military vehicles.
"We came out here to build an equipment staging yard for Task Force Rugged and all the Task Forces out here to sustain movement back and forth to maintain operations," said Staff Sgt. David Fuqua, a Warner Robins, Georgia, native and a platoon sergeant for the 615th Eng. Co.
Safety is a priority when moving equipment.
"We are prepping the staging area so that the vehicles can safely come in to be washed and be ready to ship [to the U.S.]," said Sgt. Freddy Fuentes, a Nampa, Idaho, native and the noncommissioned officer in charge of the staging area for the 615th Eng. Co. "When we first started, the drainage was bad due to the rainy season. There were puddles of water everywhere."
The Soldiers improved the drainage so water can flow downward, and vehicles wouldn't get stuck, said Fuentes He said this will make it easier for vehicles to move containers to the port.
"Normally when we build projects, it's sloped one way," said Fuentes. "In this case it's sloped to the middle. When we usually build something that's a road, and it just has a crown in the middle, it peaks off in the middle and slopes off to the side. This is opposite."
He said this project will help ease the transition of vehicles coming in, being staged, and moving to the port.
"It's also a good thing to have because we still have missions going on and fixing roads where Ebola treatment units are," said Fuentes. "This helps mitigate possible damages to equipment."
The staging area is also a midpoint to distribute equipment to different locations throughout Liberia, he said.
"Right now we are almost done with the staging area," said Fuentes. "We just need to make a couple more grades, add more water for compaction. That way, when it does rain, it won't wash away all of our work."
Fuqua said they moved 2,200 cubic meters of dirt into a 150-by-450 feet area for the staging pad.
"The Soldiers had enough time to get proficient on their equipment," said Fuqua. "They're pretty excited to be a part of the mission and helping out the Liberians."
Fuentes said they want to make the staging area sustainable as well. The road can last up to a year with some maintenance, such as occasional grading and unclogging the drainage.
So this won't just help the Soldiers transition out but will also help the Liberians.
"This project facilitates safety all around for everyone," said Fuentes.
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