TN ANG lends hand at US Coast Guard Academy

by Staff Sgt. Ben Mellon
134th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

8/25/2014 - NEW LONDON, Conn. -- More than 30 Airmen from the 134th Civil Engineer Squadron in Knoxville, Tennessee, traveled to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London Jun 1 to assist the Coast Guard in a joint effort to complete multiple projects on the USCGA campus.

The projects completed included building a large restroom facility, installation of street signs around the campus, rebuild of the home dugout on the baseball field, and resurfacing of the officers' quarters decking.

"We're trying to get all of the projects done by the end of the month," said Lt. Cmdr. Joseph A. Comar, the USCGA public works commander. "So it's a pretty busy month of June, but we are looking to get done as much as we can by the end of this month."

The 134th CES is made up of multiple career fields including plumbing, structures journeymen, electricians and heavy equipment operators.

Although Airmen from different Civil Engineer career fields came on this trip not all of them were doing work specific to their career field.

"When we come out on a job you may not be doing your career field," said Senior Master Sgt. Garfield Hedgecoth, 134th CES superintendent. "You may be an electrician laying block 9structures journeyman). Whatever we have to do, we all jump in and do it. We've got Lt. Col. Wilson (134 ARW chaplain) and Col. Houser (134 ARW Mission Support Group commander) with us and they are laying block with the others. It's just amazing that we can all work together as a team and do a fine job."

This trip had special significance as it was the first time an Air National Guard unit had come to work for the USCGA, and both the 134th CES and the USCGA worked together to make this mission possible.

From my knowledge this is the first time an Air National Guard unit has come to the Coast Guard Academy, which is pretty significant," said Comar. "Having a different military component here working at our site is something we wouldn't normally be able to do. Having the Guard come out and do some things we wouldn't normally be able to do, provides a great opportunity for our staff. It's a win, win for both of us. I think this is something we can continue in the future and realize the benefits for both services."