SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico-- Delta Company, a unit under the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power), deployed to Puerto Rico October 13, on what they call their largest mission to date.
Their job is to support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in coordinating efforts with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to execute repairs to the distribution feeder lines within the greater San Juan area initially, then move on to substation repairs outside of San Juan once the transmission lines are energized.
Twenty-one personnel from Delta Company are currently on the ground in Puerto Rico repairing distribution lines. The Company is known for being the only Army unit solely comprised of linemen. Their experience and expertise will help in efforts to restore power to Puerto Rico after hurricane María, which left 100 percent of the island without power and a collapsed electric grid.
In order to repair distribution lines, Delta Company first receives new poles from PREPA, which are then firmly secured in place. Fallen distribution lines, usually tangled and covered in debris, are then "fished" from the ground, and placed in the power pole. The lines are not yet energized when in place, that will happen once transmission lines come online. The Delta Company places an average of 10 power poles per day, and so far has repaired more than 2,600 feet of distribution lines.
Delta Company deployed to Puerto Rico for 90 days, but will not leave until their mission is complete. "We want people to get home and turn the light switch on," says Jitu Whitehead, the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC). "We want to bring the comfort back."
It is rare for Delta Company to deploy in double-digit numbers. During its last deployment in 2015, in response to Typhoon Soudelor in Saipan, nine linemen were deployed on what was considered one of their toughest missions. Their efforts in Puerto Rico, however, have already proven more challenging.
The Delta Company has faced hurdles when it comes to the scale of the damage. The unit has never been deployed to an area where the entire power grid has collapsed, which has put a strain on their capabilities. The unit only has the resources to repair distribution lines. Utility trucks being used have a weight limit of 9,000 pounds, but the power poles that need to be set can weigh up to 12,000 pounds. Transmission lines, which are bigger and heavier, can weigh 115,000 pounds, beyond the Delta Company's capacity to repair.
Despite the long road ahead, Delta Company is grateful to be part the efforts to restore power in Puerto Rico. The unit says they are motived by the Puerto Rican people, who often wave and honk at them as they repair power lines along the street. "When they see us, they know good things are happening," says Whitehead. "It gives them hope."
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