U.S.
troops in Honduras helped provide clean drinking to local communities hurt by
flooding caused by a tropical storm that brought more than a week of rain.
The flooding from the
tropical storm had a devastating impact on the area. Not only were homes
ruined, but well water supplies were affected from the flood waters, making the
water undrinkable, says Air Force Tech. Sgt. Shane Bolles, who deployed from
Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, to serve as part of Joint Task Force Bravo.
Service members assigned to the task force recently completed a 10-day water
filtration project in a community near La Paz. In just a few days time, the
team was able to transform more than 2,500 gallons of undrinkable water into
clean water available for the public in large containers known as “water
buffaloes,” Bolles says.
The machine the team used relies on three filters that take out impurities at
each stage and use a reverse osmosis system to bring the water back to its
purest stage. “For every three gallons of unpotable water the machine pumps in,
we are able to pump out one gallon of potable water,” explains Air Force Staff
Sgt. Nick Luna, who also deployed from Dyess. “The water that was not able to
be transformed into pure water then is released back into the water source.”
The service members instantly saw the impact the water team had on the
community. “After the floods happened, the community had to have water trucked
in at great expense to them,” Bolles says. “I see them coming here with a smile
on their faces, knowing that for many of them their lives were destroyed by
this flood. This small gesture means a lot to them.”
Not only does the clean water mean a lot to the people in the community, but it
holds a special meaning for the team members who came to help. “You see them
come with just about everything imaginable to fill up with water to take back
to their homes,” says Tech. Sgt. Romano Cedillos, deployed from the Phoenix Air
National Guard. “After being able to visit with them and seeing how their
community was affected, I feel as if I have made an impact in their lives.”