SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico —
Forty-five soldiers from the New York Army National Guard's 204th Engineer Battalion spent two weeks helping Habitat for Humanity build a three-family home in Puerto Rico, July 30-Aug. 10.
The work was done as part of the Defense Department's Innovative Readiness Training Program, through which soldiers hone military skills while also helping local communities.
The engineer soldiers were among a series of National Guard and Army Reserve engineer units helping to construct the housing, explained Army Maj. Dan. Colomb, the operations officer for the 204th, which is headquartered in Binghamton, New York.
Twenty of the soldiers were members of the battalion's 1156th Engineer Company, which specializes in vertical construction, featuring soldiers with carpentry, masonry, plumbing and electrical skills. The other soldiers came from other companies in the battalion, Colomb said.
Partnership With Habitat for Humanity
The building is designed to resist hurricanes, and is being constructed in the Quintana neighborhood of San Juan. The New York Guardsmen worked with a local contractor hired by Habitat for Humanity, officials who ensured that materials arrived on time and provided construction advice, Colomb explained.
The 204th Engineer soldiers were responsible for building the forms and pouring all of the…
