NEWS RELEASE U.S. AIR FORCE RESERVE
HQ Air Force Reserve Command Office of Public Affairs
255 Richard Ray Blvd, Robins AFB, GA 31098-1637
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Built in 1926, the East Machias dam in southeastern Maine had been out of commission since the 1960s. Air Force Reserve Command civil engineers spent the summer of 2000 dismantling the town's dam and hydroelectric station. (Air Force Photo by Bo Joyner)

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. - A demolition project, designed to train Air Force Reserve Command civil engineers as well as eliminate a safety hazard and restore a river as a path for migrating fish, is netting the command a national award.

Seventeen Air Force reservists, some working for two weeks and others throughout the summer of 2000, removed the East Machias dam and hydroelectric station in southeastern Maine as part of the command's Innovative Readiness training program. In addition to helping the community by dismantling the abandoned dam, the IRT program provided a training opportunity for reservists to practice their skills.

From left to right, Chief Master Sgt. Gil Taylor, Master Sgt. Ray Riel and Tech. Sgt. George Guilliams talk over ways to remove the hydrocone from the East Machias hydroelectric station. The reservists had hoped to remove intact the large, bell-shaped hydrocone from the bottom of the station's turbine house. (Air Force Photo by Bo Joyner)

Coastal America Partnership will recognize their assistance during an awards ceremony at the Reserve Officers Association's annual convention in Washington D.C., Jan. 22. Nelson Gibbs, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics, will present the award to Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III, AFRC commander.

The Coastal America Partnership is a collection of organizations established in 1992 to protect, preserve and restore coastal watersheds by integrating federal actions with state and local government and non-government efforts. In addition to other military services in the Department of Defense, the partnership works with other departments and agencies of the federal government's executive branch.

"(The East Machias dam removal team) is a striking example where desire and opportunity resulted in the melding of mission accomplishment, environmental stewardship and community involvement - a win-win across the board and an example for others to emulate," Gibbs said. "I am particularly proud of the efforts of the Air Force Reserve troops who participated in the project."

Tech. Sgt. George Guilliams uses a torch to cut through a steel reinforcement bar during demolition of the old East Machias (Maine) hydroelectric station. The station produced electricity in the southeastern Maine region for about 40 years. (Air Force Photo by Bo Joyner)

Other project participants include members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and state and local agencies.

Each award recipient will receive a letter of congratulations from President Bush.

In the letter, the president wrote, "The issues you are addressing cannot be solved by any one entity alone, and I am pleased to see that Partnerships such as this are proving the value of collaboration. My Administration strongly supports such efforts to bring together collective resources to meet common goals and address our challenging environmental and economic needs." (AFRC News Service)