Story by Spc. Cesar Salazar Jr., 200th Public Affairs Detachment ROSWELL, N.M., February 9, 2020 — The engine of a hydraulic excavator (HYEX) sputters as it’s turned off. Spc. Roberto Veledias Jr., an engineer assigned to the 920th Engineer Co., New Mexico Army National Guard (NMARNG), steps out of the HYEX cabin and looks at the work he’s done. In the distance, a Soldier observing his work gives him a “thumbs up.” Moving earth may not seem like much, but Veledias takes pride in the work he does for his unit, and the engineers do important work for both the Army and the NMARNG. Veledias has been with the 920th Engineer Co. as a horizontal construction engineer since 2016. He enjoys the nature of the work and being able to work with heavy equipment. “I’ve always wanted to play with heavy equipment,” said Veledias. “I played with them when I was a little kid in the sandbox.” Veledias joined the NMARNG after getting out of high school, following in the footsteps of a fellow friend also in the Guard. He graduated Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. then returned to New Mexico where he is currently assigned to the 920th Engineer Co. “Now I’m playing with dirt,” said Veledias. “I’m playing with big toys finally and it’s a very good profession […] you’re camping and playing with Tonka toys basically,” he said with a laugh. With the experiences he’s had in the field, Veledias knows the nature of his job very well. During drill, he trains in the tactics and techniques that he would be using in a combat environment. “You got your little buckets that [make holes] small enough to where troops can go in,” said Veledias. “We don’t do trench warfare much anymore but it’s just something we still practice.” Recently, the 920th Engineer Co. acquired the HYEX, which is relatively new to the Army. As new equipment, few of the Soldiers in the engineer company are trained on the HYEX, but Veledias is one of those who are eager to learn. “Basically, you go through training just like any other initial job training,” explained Veledias. “This one right here since it’s a new piece of equipment that is different than the other ones we had. I went to a school for it. Me and another Soldier are the only ones trained on it so far as operators, and we’re going to be teaching classes eventually.” Veledias spoke highly of the new machinery, knowing the ins and outs of his machine and its capabilities. “This piece of equipment is very reliable, it’s amazing,” said Veledias. “It helps out a lot with our job and does a lot more. It makes life easier for an engineer—it’s perfect!” Veledias recommends military engineering to anyone who enjoys working with machinery. He says that the Army’s training can also be transferred to the civilian sector. “What I would tell anybody is if you love playing with dirt, you like to actually get down and work and don’t mind getting dirty, this is a good job” said Veledias. “It helps you out on the civilian side, especially in our region here in New Mexico. Being an engineer—you got your dozer, HYEX, grater, scraper, dump trucks—it’ll get you a good job out there.” Veledias also takes pride in being a Soldier in the New Mexico Army National Guard. “New Mexico National Guard is where to go,” said Veledias proudly. “There’s several jobs and if someone feels they want to do their part, be that one percent [who joins the military]. It’s good for you and helps out a lot.” After finishing his part of the project, he moved his HYEX so others could come to do their work. As he sat back in the cabin of his HYEX, Veledias took in the work that he and his team had done. He eagerly waits to use his machinery again, whether it be the next day or the next drill. [gallery ids="4391,4393,4396,4397,4394,4395,4392"]
