Staff Writer
Maine Army National Guard’s 133rd Engineer Battalion put its skills to good use during June, spending two weeks in Aroostook County communities from Houlton to Caribou as part of its annual training program.
“The 133rd Engineer Battalion had a visible presence in the Presque Isle and Caribou areas. For the two-week annual training period, they chose to provide engineer support to the eastern region of Aroostook County. In addition to enhancing their individual soldier skills, the unit supported local municipalities, schools and other organizations with a variety of engineer support missions,” said Captain Shanon Cotta, director of public affairs, Maine National Guard.
The 185th Engineer Support Company (formerly Battery B of the 152nd Field Artillery Battalion) is one of many units within the 133rd Engineer Battalion, explained Cotta.
“The unit, with armories in Caribou and Fort Kent, has the mission to complete construction projects using light- and medium-sized earth-moving equipment to facilitate rapid movement of air and ground forces. Not only will this engineer unit prove to be an important asset to the state of Maine and the Army, but also for the communities of Aroostook County,” said Cotta.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle was one location that benefited from the unit’s presence.
“We came to build a rock base for the crane to sit (that will be used to erect the University’s wind generator) and build a 1,300 foot road,” said Sgt. First Class Trevor Bennett, the platoon sergeant.
Bennett said such projects require the proper paperwork be in place before work can begin.
“To prevent glitches, we made sure permits, dig-safe plans and everything were going the way the PUC wanted,” said Bennett. “The military is big on safety. We wear ear protection and hard hats, no matter what the job is. It’s not worth someone getting hurt.”
The project, according to Bennett, was expected to only take about a week to complete.
Sgt. David Carpenter said it was the 1st Platoon, of Houlton, from the 185th doing the work at UMPI.
“We have 16 crew in all,” said Carpenter.
Bennett said other crews were on site at Northern Maine Community College and the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club, as well as a crew working on a project in the Houlton area.
“We had a crew doing the road at the Fish and Game Club and worked on its parking lot; another tore up a concrete block at NMCC; and a third worked on the parking lot at the Houlton Armory,” said Bennett. “We had a whole battalion – four or five companies – most of the engineers in the state of Maine were up here for AT (Annual Training).”
Bennett said working with the heavy equipment has taken some getting used to.
“The 1st Engineering Battalion used to be a field artillery unit. We’re used to blowing stuff up; now we’re building things,” said Bennett, with a laugh.
Unlike some training sessions where Guard members have had to “rough it,” sleeping in tents during the two weeks of training, Bennett said members had things a bit easier this year.
“Merriman Hall, here on campus, served as our base camp. We got to use the dorm to stay in, complete with showers. Those working in the area also got to use facilities at NMCC as well,” said Bennett.
Bennett said the work is done as an annual training program, with work donated. Organizations benefiting need only provide materials.
“Non-profit organizations submit bids, provide the materials and the Maine National Guard provide the equipment and personnel,” said Bennett, noting that the Guard had to make alternate plans when the project they’d come up to do for the Aroostook Football League fell through on short notice.
“We had to scramble when that happened to find projects for members to do over the two-week period,” said Bennett.
For Sgt. Joseph Bourgoine, training took place on his home turf.
“I was born in Caribou, raised in New Sweden and currently live in Presque Isle. This is home for me,” said Bourgoine, who was with the crew performing work at the Fish and Game Club.
“Our job was to put in a parking lot, grade the road in and build up a berm for the firing range,” said Bourgoine, who said the project took less than a week to complete.
As with the UMPI project, measures were taken to ensure safety at the Fish and Game Club site.
“Dig Safe was contacted, Maine Public Service, FairPoint, prior to tearing up the ground,” said Bourgoine.
During training, Guard members get the opportunity to learn how to operate the various pieces of equipment.
“We’re on a rotation basis, training people on various equipment,” said Bourgoine.
When asked what it was like having to spend time away from home during training, Bourgoine said he was one of the lucky ones.
“They let the local boys go home in the evenings, once work was done for the day. Then we had to return the next day by a certain time,” said Bourgoine.
Bourgoine said the Fish and Game Club project came up when another planned project fell through.
“We’d planned to work on the youth football field but when that got cancelled, we had to come up with an alternative. We contacted the Fish and Game Club and made arrangements to do this project,” said Bourgoine.
Members of the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club expressed their gratitude to the Guard for work performed at their facility off the Parsons Road during the club’s monthly meeting, held Tuesday, June 24.
“We appreciate all the work the Guard did for us. It’s unfortunate the Aroostook Football League project got cancelled, but we’re grateful to have benefited from the Guard’s training program,” said Barry Flood, president of the club’s Board of Directors, noting the Guard anticipates returning later in the summer to put some finishing touches on the parking lot and road into the club.
Although the Guardsmen weren’t able to work on the AFL project, the football organization wished to thank members for lending their time and energy to improving other areas of the community and the County.
“We worked with the National Guard to get them up here to work on our football field. When plans for that fell apart, that left the Guard scrambling for alternative projects. I’d like to express gratitude, on behalf of the AFL, for the Guard’s presence in the County and for all the free labor they provided on a number of projects. Their hard work saved taxpayers money. Projects that could have cost many thousands of dollars were done for the cost of materials,” said Stu Wyckoff, one of the founders of the AFL. “My hat’s off to the Guard and their dedication to making Maine a better place.”
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
ON THE MOVE – Sgt. Calvin Bishop, of Old Town, directs a dump truck driver to move forward after dumping its load during construction at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Members of the Maine National Guard’s 133rd Engineer Battalion were at UMPI to build a road and gravel pad in preparation for the construction of the university’s wind generator. Guard members worked at various locations in Aroostook County as part of their annual training program.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
MEMBERS of the Maine National Guard were at the Northern Maine Community College recently as part of their annual training program. Here, a crew works to level a section of ground at the campus.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
SGT. JOSEPH BOURGOINE marks the ground with spray paint, providing a guide for crews creating a parking lot and widening the road leading into the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club. Members of the Maine National Guard spent about two weeks in the area working on various projects as part of their annual training program.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
TAKING A BREAK from giving orders, Sgts. Calvin Bishop and Trevor Bennett discuss work being done at the University of Maine at Presque Isle by the Maine National Guard’s 133rd Engineer Battalion – one of several projects members of the Guard performed in Aroostook County as part of their annual training program.
