Hudson Valley National Guard Soldiers in Hawaii for Community Development Training Project

LATHAM, NY (07/31/2019) (readMedia)-- Twenty-three Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard's 1156th Engineer Company, which is based at Camp Smith Training Site in Cortlandt Manor and Kingston are in Hawaii constructing facilities for a Girl Scout Camp as part of the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training program.

The Soldiers deployed to Hawaii on Sunday, July 28 and will depart on August 10. A second team of 22 Soldiers from the 1156th will replace them from August 11 to 24.

The Soldiers of the 1156th Engineer Company specialize in the skills needed to build and repair buildings.

The unit is part of the 204th Engineer Battalion which is headquartered in Binghamton and has elements in Horseheads, the Hudson Valley, Walton and Buffalo.

The Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program deploys military personnel with specialized skills to locations throughout the United States in support of communities which need assistance.

IRT training projects must provide valid military training opportunities and cannot compete with civilian businesses. Typical projects include building, sewage and road construction work and medical assistance visits.

The New York Army National Guard Soldiers are in Hawaii on the Island of Oahu working at Camp Paumalu a camp operated by Girl Scouts Hawaii.

Engineers from the Air Force, Air National Guard and the Marine Corps have been working at the Girl Scout Camp since May. The New York Soldiers are the latest service members to work on this joint project.