El Campo National Guard focusing on building bridges

L-N Photo by Shannon Crabtree Piling On The Presents Staff Sgt. Chris Srubar adds a gift to the pile on the El Campo National Guard Armory's Humvee Saturday. The gifts were given to children of the soldiers attending the annual event.

By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

Soldiers in the El Campo National Guard have a new mission - building bridges rather then making tracks in tanks.

The Roy P. Benavidez National Guard Army is now home of the 551st Engineering MRBC which stands for Multi-Role Bridge Company. The MRBC is part of the 36th Infantry Division, the famous fighting T-Patchers from Texas who immortalized the unit number with distinguished service during World War II.

Previously, an armored company complete with a tank had garrisoned the Armory named for the late Benavidez, an El Campo recipient of the Medal of Honor.

The 551st is under the command of Capt. Rich Ghinelli, who most days is a Katy school teacher and football coach.

"They wanted a force that was lighter, more mobile than the armored unit (in this part of Texas)," he said.

FALL IN: Members of the El Campo National Guard Armory underwent an inspection before Saturday's celebration

Authorized 127 soldiers at the El Campo Armory and an additional 58 in a Brenham platoon, the company's main missions are literally building bridges as well as supporting troop movements and transporting supplies as needed.

Currently the El Campo post is 67 strong with 20 of their soldiers either in Basic or Advanced Infantry Training or deployed as part of Operation Jump Start, the southern border patrol and protecting mission.

One of those men deployed to the border is 34-year-veteran Sgt. Gilbert Fuentes, the company's executive of- ficer.

"We help out the border patrol, apprehending illegals and helping with drug interdiction," he said, adding when not deployed he works at the post office. An additional 38 to 40 soldiers are currently undergoing the enlistment process, Sgt. First Class Andre Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez, an 18-year veteran, is a full-time soldier activated to garrison the El Campo armory. Both he and Fuentes have done combat tours in Bosnia and Iraq.

Ghinelli, a 13-year-veteran, has previous stateside deployment.

Although the company offi- cially transferred to El Campo this summer, it has yet to receive its heavy equipment.

Expected at the start of the new year, the company will then be able to do anything from construct a pontoon bridge, to create a ferry system or convert its heavy transport vehicles to flat beds for the carrying of supplies.

A cadre of the company - probably about 24 - are set to receive training at Fort Hood before instructing the rest.

The armored unit previously stationed in El Campo became a scout company in Taylor.

"It was a strategic move considering the amount of rainfall in this area," Ghinelli said.

The guard company can be deployed to other areas or work right in Wharton County if conditions merit emergency assistance, Rodriguez said.

"El Campo is prone to flooding, so it's nice to know we have the bridging aspect," Rodriguez said, adding the company will also have boats to be utilized if needed.

The company will be ready as soon as possible once the equipment is issued out, the company commander added.

The new mission means simply that the Guardsmen will be ready and trained to help - part of the governor's readiness directive. Texas will not have a Katrina style disaster where help was delayed days, officials have said.

This unit, Ghinelli said, trains to ensure that response to any disaster is proactive.

During the Hurricane Dean concern this year, the local unit was part of the thousands of Guardsmen, policing and medical personnel activated and deployed just in case.

Dean missed Texas, however, and the citizen soldiers returned to their regular lives.

Under new military expectations, the Guardsmen are expected to operate as a unit or individually when called upon.

A company member trained as a mechanic, for example, may be asked to work in another company's motor pool or a medic could be stationed anywhere needed.

"Citizen soldiers is who we are, and it is imperative that all soldiers feel like they are a productive part of the United States Armed Forces," Ghinelli said.