The 1413th’s
distinctive
castle logo
is used to designate many of its projects.
On the dog tags of the 1413th, Joshua 1:9 is inscribed:
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
CONSTRUCTING A CAMP
1413th Tackles Variety of Projects at Atterbury
Pvt. 1st Class Clinton Macy nails a roof truss on one of the
new Camp Atterbury concession buildings,
while Sgt R. Michael
Dodds holds the piece in place. The 1413th Engineer
Detachment (Utility) has helped build and remodel
a number of
projects at Atterbury over the past several years.
BY SPC. DARIN HUBBLE
If you’ve noticed new construction around Camp Atterbury in the last several years, chances are the 1413th Engineer Detachment had a hand in it.
The majority of the men and women of this unit have multiple
skills in the construction trade — everything from drywall
hanging to plumbing — and Camp Atterbury is the biggest
beneficiary of their skills. If something needs remodeled or
constructed, the 1413th is on hand to do at least of portion
of the work, saving the National Guard and Camp Atterbury the
expense of hiring someone.
“Obviously, we’ve got a military mission, but the governor
recognized
that he’s got an asset here. There’s a lot of things we can do
and they didn’t need to go to an outside contractor,” said
Capt. Jim Liwski, the unit’s commander. “As long as the
schedules fit, we’re more than happy to help out.”
Sgt. George Moore, for example, was supervising a group of men
as
they laid concrete blocks for one of two new concession stands
at the
camp. The small buildings, both brand new, will have a serving
window and an outdoor eating area. One is across from the Post
Exchange and the other is near the camp chapel. After the
buildings are complete, the camp administration will accept
bids from companies
that want to provide food at the stands. Liwski said about
half the troops in the 1413th, which is a basic utility unit,
are professionals who do this type of work in their civilian
jobs. “The rest are young people who want to learn and serve
their country,” he said.
The company has done so much work at Atterbury that Moore has
to struggle to remember it all. “I’ve got photo albums that
date back to the 1960s. I’ve lost track of all we do,” he
said.
Recent projects include an office for the NCO Club, the Public Affairs office, Whitaker Campground, new bathrooms for the laundry, additional showers in the gym and the Camp Atterbury Museum. The unit often works with surplus building materials used around the camp, but Moore said they occasionally insist on newer or higher-quality items, such as paneling or door frames. “If we’re going to put our name on it, we want it to be right,” he said.
Although Moore was on Active Duty Special Work status, many of the
soldiers in the unit do their work during their weekend drill or
two-week annual training so they often don’t get the opportunity to
see a project from start to finish.
“With two days of a weekend, by the time you come back, (the
project’s) done. The concession stand is the first thing we’ve done
from the ground up,” Moore said. Often, the 1413th will start a
project and Installation Support Unit workers will take over after
the unit leaves, he added.
This year, Moore said they sought to make the two-week annual
training a real training mission. Spc. Stump was the only
member who had training in laying block, so he taught the others.
“This was a real training mission for block,” Moore said. He added
that Stump also carved the minuteman sculpture in front of the Area
Support Group armory and they buried a time capsule beneath the
statue to explain who built it and why. Moore said the 1413th always
leaves some type of signature
on its work. It could be the statue or a carved concrete block. He
said Stump even made a painting when they were in Italy on a
project.
The Minuteman statue in front
of the Area
Support Group Armory was
carved by a member of the
1413th
Engineer
Detachment. A
capsule is buried beneath
the statue that
explains who built it.
PHOTO BY SPC. DARIN HUBBLE
“We’ve got a lot of hugely talented people in our unit. We’re quite a team,” Moore said. “A lot of them cross-train — most people can do multiple jobs. Pretty much anything you throw at us, we can do.” Engineering units fulfill a variety of functions for the military. Moore explained that there are “horizontal” engineers, who build roads, tarmacs and bridges, and “vertical” engineers, who build structures.
If the 1413th were called to combat duty, for example, they would serve as a rear support unit, setting up tent cities for soldiers or refugees or building temporary bridges to assist with troop movement.
After the war, the engineers could be called in to help
rebuild the country. For example, they could rebuild or
modernize schools, hospitals and other public
buildings.
Liwski added that the combat engineers are usually one of the
first ones in. Typically, they are used to ensure there are
usable lanes so the troops and equipment can proceed.
“They’re more on the front line. We’re not so much out there
with a rifle and pick axe,” Liwski said. The 1413th for
example, would go after the area is secured to supervise the
construction of a command building or a road needed for troop
movement. Iraq is not secure enough at this time for the
1413th to be used, but Afghanistan probably is, he said.
Moore went on a mission for NATO to Romania in 1995 for his first annual training, along with members of the Alabama National Guard. “I actually plumbed three floors of a hospital. We were the first military to set foot in that country unarmed,” he said. “Our main objective was to go over there and make friends and we did. We got the job done.” In Italy, they helped build an amphitheater for a church. “We actually taught them something,” Moore said. He explained that most of the buildings in Italy are stucco. The Italian contractor they worked with had a method for making stucco, but ended up liking the Americans’ method better.
In Germany, the soldiers did a lot of work with “dogbones,” a type
of brickwork where the pieces are shaped like dog bones. They also
built gazebos — lots and lots of them, said Moore. In Indiana, the
1413th built an amphitheater at a Girl Scout camp in Brown County.
This year, they had planned to do their training period in
California, building some homes on an Indian reservation, but that
was scrubbed, said Liwski. They plan their missions three to five
years in advance, but they also have to be flexible. As are most
units, they need to be ready for deployment at a moment’s notice.
Moore said he likes the variety of the work in the 1413th.
“Doing this, it’s always different. You never fail to have a soldier
want to help with a new project. They always learn something new,”
he said.
Liwski added that the 1413th is one of only 15 engineer utility
detachments in the armed forces, and all of them are National
Guard. The most well-known unit of military builders and planners is
the Army Corps of Engineers, but Liwski explained that that Corps
takes on large-scale projects, such as building an entire city or
planning the Tennessee Valley project.
For smaller projects, such as building a road or getting the power
back on, the Army looks to units such as the 1413th.
“The 1413th: earning the title of world class engineers every day,”
said Liwski, only half-joking.
STORY BY AMY MAY, CRIER STAFF REPORT
This is an unofficial page and does not necessarily represent the official positions of the Department of Defense, U.S. Army or any of the Web pages it provides links to. Its purpose is to provide information about the activities of Camp Atterbury, Indiana
Most of the unit's 57 members
are from the Columbus, Indianapolis, Franklin and Seymour areas.
The unit will provide construction, utilities and electrical power teams for
specialized engineer support.
The unit is made up mostly of professional builders who can build temporary
bridges or other structures
to assist with troop movements. They also can be called upon to rebuild or
modernize schools and hospitals.
The National Guard serves in both a state and federal
capacity.
Governors may call upon Soldiers and Airmen to assist in community support,
disaster relief
and other local emergencies. During national emergencies, these same units are
called upon
to support their active counterparts in the Army and Air Force.
I am an American Soldier.
I am a Warrior and a member of a team.
I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained
and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.
I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy
the enemies of the Unites States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier.