Civil Engineers deploy to Bosnia-Herzegovina

By Capt. Tony Vincelli, 124th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Officer / Published July 22, 2010

Idaho Air Guard leaders shake hands with members of the 124th Civil Engineer Squadron and 124th Communications Flight board a KC-135 bound at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho for Vares, Bosnia-Herzegovina for a two-week deployment that will upgrade a local school's electricity and Internet connectivity.

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Idaho Air Guard leaders shake hands with members of the 124th Civil Engineer Squadron and 124th Communications Flight who board a KC-135 at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho bound for Vares, Bosnia-Herzegovina for a two-week deployment that will upgrade a local school's electricity and Internet connectivity.

GOWEN FIELD, Boise, Idaho -- Idaho Air Guardsmen depart here today to begin a two-week deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina that will help rebuild a school in a small town there.

More than 40 civil engineers and communications specialists will stand up a new electrical infrastructure and communications capabilities that will allow the school in the town of Vares to access the Internet via a high-speed digital subscriber line (DSL) for the first time.

The 124th Civil Engineer Squadron will continue work from the 136th Civil Engineers from Fort Worth, Texas.

Maj. Ken Williams, deployment commander, said this deployment is similar to CES deployments in years past that have sent unit members to Puerto Rico, England and other countries around the globe.

Members boarded a military aircraft from Gowen Field. They will fly to England Thursday before arriving at their deployed location. They are expected home the first week in August.

This project is being funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.