Army guardsmen with 910th Engineer Support Co. build on skillset in construction with Alcantra project

WASILLA, Alaska (KTUU) - Soldiers assigned to the Alaska Army National Guard’s 910th Engineer Support Company (ESC) are getting hands-on experience in the construction industry, working on the Alcantra Realignment Project near the Alcantra Armory in Wasilla.

The project is designed to improve vehicle access to the facility, located off Bogard Road, while simultaneously providing skills training in horizontal and vertical construction engineering to young soldiers assigned to the ESC.

Horizontal engineering includes the use of heavy equipment — dozers, excavators, rollers, and dump trucks — while vertical engineering refers to carpentry, plumbing, and electrical trades.

Sgt. Dylan Lundquist said the squad will perform clearing and grubbing operations in the area to prepare for road construction.

“We have a lot of younger soldiers who are a little less experienced on the equipment, so they’ve been receiving a lot of really good training,” Lundquist said. “It’s really gratifying to see the privates doing their job and learning how to do it better.”

Lundquist said the annual training helps soldiers interested in engineering grow their skillset in the construction sector, skills they can apply in their civilian lives.

Once completed, the construction project will allow the Guard to bring heavier equipment to the armory by improving the alignment of the road and increasing its radius. The project will also decrease the grade on a particularly steep section of the area to make travel less difficult.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matt Johnson, the construction engineering technician assigned to the ESC, said the project uses skilled laborers to train the newer soldiers.

“We have a lot of folks who — Monday through Friday — work for a construction company and then come and can really teach other soldiers, and put those skills to use out here on any number of job sites,” Johnson said.

Pfc. Vincent Cuenco, a horizontal construction engineer working on Alcantra Road, said the project is a great opportunity to bond with other soldiers assigned to his unit.

“What I’m looking forward to is seeing this road be built, and every time we come out here to Alcantra, we can always say, ‘Hey I built that road,’” Cuenco said.

Lundquist, a squad leader in charge of a horizontal squad with the project, said the training opportunity is unique in that soldiers get to see tangible outcomes.

“You can see what you’re working on, everything that you do is directly affecting the earth,” Lundquist said. “The outcome is visible and you can see yourself get closer and closer to the end goal.”

Johnson echoed Lundquist’s sentiment.

“This kind of training is great because we have an actual stakeholder, you know, we’re not in the middle of a field pushing dirt for no reason,” Johnson said. “We really have a customer here at Alcantra, a customer for the Facilities Management Office, and it’s important work.”

The lead-up to beginning the actual construction of the project, which started up in late July, took 12-24 months, according to Johnson. The project is anticipated to continue for a month.

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