Normally, I get fuel pumped into military vehicles; now I’m pumping water out of houses and apartment buildings in the Rockaways.
I’m a lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps, a bulk-fuel specialist with the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics group based out of Camp Lejeune, NC. We’re here to help, for as long as we’re needed.
Ten days ago, as we watched the path Hurricane Sandy was supposed to take, my heart sunk. I was born and raised in Bloomfield, NJ; I knew the storm was going to be bad — but nobody knew how bad.
For the following week, I’d watch the news each night and see the devastation and destruction of places where I had many childhood memories. So when I was given word that within 24 hours I’d be going home to help, there were no words to explain how happy I was.
I just got back in September from Afghanistan, my first deployment, where my job was to supply fuel to the convoys that patrolled the area of operation. I was hoping to get put right on my next deployment — but I never thought that it would be to New York, the city I visited so often with my dad as a kid.
But right after morning formation on Friday, my sergeant pulled me aside and told me I was going on this mission because he trusted my skills and knew that I was the right pick to give back to the community I come from.
That’s what makes this better than a normal deployment to Afghanistan — being able to help and provide support to your friends and family.
I’m used to operating a 600-gallon-a-minute pump in support of supplying fuel from 50,000 gallon bladders and running it through hoses into the trucks that need it. Here, I’m taking my pumps and sucking water from flooded houses and apartments then sending the water through several hundred feet of hose into the storm drains and sewers that are scattered around the area.
Some operation sites contain only a few hundred gallons of water in boiler rooms. But for our first job in Far Rockaway on Sunday, we faced an estimated 1 million gallons underneath the Ocean Bay Apartments complex.
The response from the public has been outstanding. As we drove through the city, people cheered. And as we set up to pump that first day, dozens of people came up to us to thank us. Many stayed to watch in awe at the amount of water we were pumping out.
And several groups of locals brought us food and water throughout the day. We appreciated it: We arrived at Fort Dix about midnight Saturday and started the convoy to the Rockways at 4 a.m. — then got right to work after we arrived and kept on ’til dark. If you can’t get sleep, food’s a big help.
It’s funny: Like most kids growing up, I wanted to be a fireman or police officer, serving the people where I grew up. It was in my teens that I decided I’d rather serve the whole country instead by joining the military. Since I love challenges, it was hands-down contest pick which branch of service I wanted to enlist in — at 19, I walked straight into the recruiting building and made the first right into the Marine Corps office.
But now here I am, helping out not far from where I grew up, after all.
As the size of the mission’s gotten more clear, word is being spread: We’re getting more aid from other Marine units — whatever it takes to get the job done.
Over the next few days, we’ll get a firm handle on the best plan to dewater the areas that need it. Since this isn’t close to what we normally do, we’ll have to adjust as needed — which we Marines do exceptionally well. We always improvise, adapt and overcome.
I am excited about being here and serving my country in a whole new way. I look forward to completing this mission and hopefully being sent on more like this throughout my career in the Marine Corps. As conflicts die down, it would be nice to start seeing more Armed Forces operations providing aid throughout the country where needed.
We plan to stay throughout November, possibly longer. Whatever is needed, we’ll execute and accomplish the task at hand.
And maybe I’ll make it home to Bloomfield for Thanksgiving.