Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel

    Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Tennessee general visits Volunteer well drillers By Staff Sgt. Joseph Swafford
                Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa
 DIKHIL, Djibouti - Soldiers of the Tennessee National Guard's 775th Engineering Detachment welcomed a friendly face to the Horn of Africa when their commander, Brig. Gen. Robert A. Harris, visited to see the living and working conditions of his troops on Feb. 20. Harris spent the day touring the Dikhil region of Djibouti, where his Guardsmen have lived and worked since September. He saw first hand how his Soldiers are making an impact. The 775th EN is a well-drilling unit and part of the 194th Engineering Battalion, which falls under the Tennessee Army National Guard from Jackson, Tenn. The detachments primary goal is to drill six wells for Djiboutian villages. "Water is a valuable resource here in the Horn of Africa," said Staff Sgt. Timothy Michael, a driller assigned to the 775th EN. "The Djiboutian people live simple lives, just trying to survive from day to day. The surface wells often carry contaminants that cause sickness and they dry up in the summer. They know that if we can drill a well that produces water year round, their lives will be more stable and water will be safer for their families to drink. They will be able to grow crops, feed their families and live where they want to. Without water, they are forced to move somewhere if they want to survive" Harris told his Guardsmen how important this mission is and how important it is to help the people of Africa. "In Africa, water is everything. It equals life. They hold it very dear and precious. How blessed we are as Americans, and in turn, we should honor that by doing something positive over here." On the one-day trip, he visited one well site that produces salt water. Michael, using his education to help solve the problem, began troubleshooting the well and called back to engineers in the U.S. for opinions. Michael has been with the 775th since 1988. This is his third deployment, and his experiences have taught him how it's possible for an inland well to produce salt water. "Most of the ground aquifers here produce salt water. This is unusable, so we have to find fresh water. There isn't much that we can do other than drill another well, more shallow and closer to the Wadi - a dry riverbed that is only wet during periods of rainfall," Michael said. "At this point, the community is using the well for washing clothes and bathing. "We also have to finish the well and make it as easily maintainable as possible. Africans cannot just run down to the local market to get a replacement part if something breaks," Michael said. 775th EN is deployed in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. The service members of CJTF-HOA, headquartered in Djibouti Africa, employ an "indirect approach" to counter extremism. Through a strategy of cooperative conflict prevention the task force builds security capacity, promotes regional cooperation and protects coalition interests to prevail against violent extremist activities. The 775th is scheduled to return to Tennessee in September.
 SHARE
 PRINT
 
 Pennsylvania Army Guardsmen Complete Combat Lifesaver Course
 By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Smith,
  38th Infantry Division Soldiers Conduct Warfighter Exercise
 By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry,
  Puerto Rico Air National Guard Trains at Red Flag-Alaska
 By 156th Wing
  More
 Pennsylvania Army Guardsmen Complete Combat Lifesaver Course Guard News • 5 hours ago
 38th Infantry Division Soldiers Conduct Warfighter Exercise Guard News • 12 hours ago
 Puerto Rico Air National Guard Trains at Red Flag-Alaska Guard News • 13 hours ago
 Air National Guard Conducts Sentry Savannah Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 2024 (196)  2023 (427)  2022 (526)  2021 (697)  2020 (936)  2019 (387)  2018 (323)  2017 (346)  2016 (245)  2015 (356)  2014 (399)  2013 (469)  2012 (556)  2011 (533)  2010 (1071)  2009 (357)  2008 (638)  2007 (295)  2006 (188)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil