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A job well done: Djibouti, U.S. Army repair village’s water supply
Djiboutians and U.S. Soldiers dig out a broken pipe during a well leak repair at Chabelley Village, Djibouti, Dec. 22, 2021. CJTF-HOA and 712th ESC engineers worked alongside villagers to restore the village’s source of drinking water. CJTF-HOA personnel, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, regularly work with government leaders and citizens on a variety of projects to promote stability in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Photo by: Spc. Gauret Stearns
Photo 2 of 10
A job well done: Djibouti, U.S. Army repair village’s water supply
U.S. Army Soldiers from the 712th Engineer Support Company (712th ESC), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), unload a truck before repairing a leaking well in Chabelley Village, Djibouti, Dec. 22, 2021. CJTF-HOA and 712th ESC engineers worked alongside villagers to restore the village’s source of drinking water. CJTF-HOA personnel, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, regularly work with government leaders and citizens on a variety of projects to promote stability in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Photo by: Spc. Gauret Stearns
Photo 3 of 10
A job well done: Djibouti, U.S. Army repair village’s water supply
U.S. Soldiers dig a water drainage trench during a well leak repair project at Chabelley Village, Djibouti, Dec. 22, 2021. CJTF-HOA and 712th ESC engineers worked alongside villagers to restore the village’s source of drinking water. CJTF-HOA personnel, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, regularly work with government leaders and citizens on a variety of projects to promote stability in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Photo by: Spc. Gauret Stearns
Photo 4 of 10
A job well done: Djibouti, U.S. Army repair village’s water supply
U.S. Army Spc. Joshua Walsh, engineer specialist, 712th Engineer Support Company (712th ESC), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), digs a trench during a well leak repair at Chabelley Village, Djibouti, Dec. 22, 2021. CJTF-HOA and 712th ESC engineers worked alongside villagers to restore the village’s source of drinking water. CJTF-HOA personnel, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, regularly work with government leaders and citizens on a variety of projects to promote stability in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Photo by: Spc. Gauret Stearns
Photo 5 of 10
A job well done: Djibouti, U.S. Army repair village’s water supply
U.S. Army Sgt. Beau Heithoff, engineer specialist, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), installs a pipe coupling during a well leak repair project at Chabelley Village, Djibouti, Dec. 22, 2021. CJTF-HOA and 712th ESC engineers worked alongside villagers to restore the village’s source of drinking water. CJTF-HOA personnel, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, regularly work with government leaders and citizens on a variety of projects to promote stability in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Photo by: Spc. Gauret Stearns
Photo 6 of 10
A job well done: Djibouti, U.S. Army repair village’s water supply
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Troy Bear, construction engineer technician, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), assists a village resident sealing a leak during a well repair project at Chabelley Village, Djibouti, Dec. 29, 2021. CJTF-HOA and 712th ESC engineers worked alongside villagers to restore the village’s source of drinking water. CJTF-HOA personnel, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, regularly work with government leaders and citizens on a variety of projects to promote stability in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Photo by: Spc. Gauret Stearns
Photo 7 of 10
A job well done: Djibouti, U.S. Army repair village’s water supply
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Troy Bear, construction engineer technician, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), shows Djiboutians pump shutoff procedures before helping them repair a leaking well at Chabelley Village, Djibouti, Dec. 22, 2021. CJTF-HOA and 712th ESC engineers worked alongside villagers to restore the village’s source of drinking water. CJTF-HOA personnel, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, regularly work with government leaders and citizens on a variety of projects to promote stability in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Photo by: Spc. Gauret Stearns
Photo 8 of 10
A job well done: Djibouti, U.S. Army repair village’s water supply
U.S. Army Sgt. Beau Heithoff, engineer specialist, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), installs a pipe coupling during a well leak repair project at Chabelley Village, Djibouti, Dec. 22, 2021. CJTF-HOA and 712th ESC engineers worked alongside villagers to restore the village’s source of drinking water. CJTF-HOA personnel, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, regularly work with government leaders and citizens on a variety of projects to promote stability in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Photo by: Spc. Gauret Stearns
Photo 9 of 10
A job well done: Djibouti, U.S. Army repair village’s water supply
U.S. Army Spc. Hailey McGrew, engineer specialist, 712th Engineer Support Company (712th ESC), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), caulks an exterior cistern crack during a well leak repair project at Chabelley Village, Djibouti, Dec. 29, 2021. CJTF-HOA and 712th ESC engineers worked alongside villagers to restore the village’s source of drinking water. CJTF-HOA personnel, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, regularly work with government leaders and citizens on a variety of projects to promote stability in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Photo by: Spc. Gauret Stearns
Photo 10 of 10
A job well done: Djibouti, U.S. Army repair village’s water supply
U.S. Army Sgt. Beau Heithoff, engineer specialist, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), caulks a crack inside a cistern to repair a leaking well in Chabelley Village, Djibouti, Dec. 29, 2021. CJTF-HOA and 712th ESC engineers worked alongside villagers to restore the village’s source of drinking water. CJTF-HOA personnel, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, regularly work with government leaders and citizens on a variety of projects to promote stability in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Photo by: Spc. Gauret Stearns
Living in a water-scarce environment is a reality for millions of people around the globe. In Djibouti, the average annual rainfall is 4.7 inches. With so little precipitation each year, a reliable water source is critical, and in Chabelley Village the well – a critical lifeline for the village – needed repairs to ensure it remains a stable water supply.
In December 2021, U.S. Army Soldiers and Chabelley villagers worked hand-in-hand moving large rocks, digging trenches and replacing a damaged coupling. Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) engineers, including Soldiers from the 712th Engineer Support Company (712th ESC), helped village residents fix a leak in their only source of drinking water.
“We are here to fix a drinking water supply pipe,” said 1st Lt. James Fortson, construction management officer, 712th ESC. “A mismatched coupling caused a leak, and the people are losing water from their well.”
Chabelley is in the Arta region of Djibouti and is home to roughly 1,000 inhabitants. Rain is infrequent in the semi-arid environment. Losing any amount of water is devastating to the community.
“This well is the only water source for quite a few miles,” Fortson said. “Outside the rainy season, water is hard to come by out here.”
CJTF-HOA tracked the well leak for several months. In late-October 2021, the 712th ESC arrived at Camp Lemonnier, bringing the required skill sets to build a plan to assist the people of Chabelley to fix the leaking well.
Sgt. Beau Heithoff, a CJTF-HOA engineer specialist, with the 67th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade headquarters, supervised much of the repair work. Heithoff is a combat engineer for the Nebraska Army National Guard, and a plumber in his civilian career. He shared his extensive plumbing experience with the village residents and Soldiers as they dug up the old pipe, cut away the old coupling and fit the new pieces in place.
“With the right supplies and the skills, everyone was able to do their part,” Heithoff said. “It was a team effort.”
The villagers and Soldiers tackled the project together and completed the repair in less than a day.
“The relationships we have in Djibouti really matter,” Fortson said. “Our effort is about much more than fixing a well. It is about demonstrating that we care about our partners and we want our relationship to last.”
