KOROR, Palau — As a member of the Civic Action Team (CAT) Palau 84-09, Spc. Melik Fletcher volunteered to return to Palau as a member of CAT Palau 84-10.
“My first time around, coming here, I put my name on the list, but they didn’t put me on the list to draw for,” Fletcher said. “So, when the project manager last year told me to just show up for the interview, they ended up selecting me.”
The Civic Action Team Palau was designed to provide the Republic of Palau with aid in special developmental needs through their six mission sets: trades apprenticeships, medical action, community outreach, community construction, camp maintenance, and World War II monument maintenance.
After completing his first rotation to Palau with CAT 84-09, Fletcher learned of another opportunity to be a part of the CAT Palau’s next rotation.
“Towards my last bit here, I was telling them how I loved it here and would love to come back,” said Fletcher.
U.S. Army Capt. Jon Furlong, the officer in charge of the Civic Action Team Palau 84-10, conducted interviews with Soldiers in the 84th Engineer Battalion to select the most qualified Soldiers for the mission.
“Myself and my sergeant first class were fortunate enough to be able to conduct our own interviews for who we wanted on the team,” said Furlong. “ Everybody on the team volunteered and we picked a really great team of 12 people.”
As a member of the newly assembled CAT 84-10, Fletcher operates as the electrician and plumber for the team alongside his four apprentices.
Around the island, Fletcher has worked on several different projects for the Republic of Palau, with one of his first projects being the installation of security cameras close to the jail in Koror.
“The main reason [for setting up the cameras] was that when an inmate would escape they would tend to run down the same path,” Fletcher said.” So, we went down there and installed eight security cameras for them (the jail).”
Reflecting on an experience he had with the Palauan kids while he was reading a book to them, Fletcher remembered the reason he returned to Palau as a part of the Civic Action Team Palau.
“The hospitality, the community outreach, working with the kids and just seeing how impactful we are here,” Fletcher said. “What I’ve noticed, being a second time coming back around, is they don’t forget your face, then they don’t forget the work that you do here.”
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