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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 14, 2005 Staff Sgt. Eric Schmidt, left, of Riddle and Spc. Arroncq Rabinowitz of Central Point work under battery-powered lights set up for communication with troops on night patrol. The soldiers are headquartered at Delgado Community College during their mission Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Guard digs in for duty Mission Katrina: Southern Oregon troops say they are ready for anything that comes their way By PARIS ACHEN The Mail Tribune EDITOR’S NOTE : Mail Tribune reporter Paris Achen and photographer Jim Craven have been following Southern Oregon soldiers of the Army National Guard deployed in New Orleans. This is their final installment of a four-day series. Today : Though their mission is scheduled to end in 3 ½ weeks, troops say they’re prepared to stay as long as they’re needed. NEW ORLEANS — Showers, laundry, Internet and more portable toilets are expected in the next few days at Delgado Community College, where Army National Guard troops from Southern Oregon are preparing for the long haul. Advertisement Maj. Gregory Day of Grants Pass, second in command of the 1st Battalion of the 186th Infantry, said the battalion’s mission to help restore order to the city is scheduled to end in about 3 ½ weeks. "Like everyone whose home we’ve secured, the sooner we go home, the better, but if we have to stay longer, we are prepared to do so," Day said. Day said he doesn’t foresee the battalion, geared more toward combat and security, taking part in reconstruction. "We hear on the news that residents will come back Oct. 9, and the floodwaters should be mostly gone by Oct. 1," Day said. "If the civilians are coming back, I don’t know how much longer we would stay after that. It seems like we would be tripping over each other." However, if the city is unable to restore water and electric services, residents are likely to continue to stay away, he said. About 60 percent of the battalion’s assigned territory remains under water, Day said. Conditions after the water recedes, including the possibility of more looting and more dead bodies, could help determine the length of the battalion’s stay. So far, soldiers have gone door-to-door in all the neighborhoods on dry ground, about 40 percent of the battalion’s territory. Battalion boats have done reconnaissance missions in the sector under water, but door-to-door patrols have not yet been conducted. Activity at the battalion headquarters suggests longevity. Crews are cleaning up the college kitchen for possible food preparation, and a shower and laundry house is being built to hold 28 showers and several washing machines. But soldiers said such accommodations are normal, even for short deployments. "I’m hoping for 30 days, but anything is possible," said Sgt. Brent Neer of Medford. "The estimates keep changing." Usually on a deployment, infrastructure is already established for soldiers. "Here there is no infrastructure," Day said. "You hear guys talk about this being like an apocalyptic movie because it seems similar to that; it’s an abandoned city." The battalion began setting up house at the community college Saturday after camping for a few days in a zinc warehouse. Members’ skills and professional work experience were immediately put to good use, providing limited electricity drawn from droning generators and setting up radio antennas, among other things. The majority of the campus still lives in darkness. At night, officers and medics work from dim lights set up around their offices while other soldiers use flashlights to eat, find their rooms and visit portable toilets. Reception for cellular phones is limited to the outdoors. After duty, soldiers cluster in the front of the building to call family and friends. Comforts are drifting in slowly. On Monday, the soldiers who have been eating MREs (meals ready to eat) for several days were treated to fresh food when Jason’s Deli and Domino’s donated hundreds of deli sandwiches and hot pizzas. "That kind of broke up the monotony," said Spec. James Cast of Medford. Showers, washing machines and Internet could be online in the next few days. A clean water supply for the showers and washing machines still presents a challenge. The battalion has a limited amount of water left, not enough to shower all the troops. The military would have to provide trucks of purified water to make the setup work, Day said. "We’ve been living on baby wipes and bottled water," Cast said. "I’d rather see showers go up than not." If more electricity becomes available, soldiers could be allowed to use the Internet for personal correspondence. Televisions and movies on overhead projectors could also be offered for soldiers after their exhausting patrols in the heat and humidity. "We are glad to be helping our fellow Americans," Day said. "The soldiers feel good about this mission. From our perspective, there is nothing bad about this mission. Nevertheless, we all have jobs and families back home, so when (New Orleans) doesn’t need us anymore, hopefully, they’ll send us home." Reach reporter Paris Achen at 776-4496 or e-mail Guard digs in for duty ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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