ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Making the world a better place might seem impossible to some, however, for 2nd Lt. Jack Berg, 316th Civil Engineer Squadron construction management chief, that goal is within reach.
Early next week, Lieutenant Berg is scheduled to make his way to La Garrucha, a small rural village in central Guatemala, to volunteer with Engineers Without Borders.
Lieutenant Berg became involved with this organization when he was an engineering student at Marquette University. In the past five years, Lieutenant Berg has completed six trips with the organization - five to Guatemala and one to the hurricane-ravaged town of Kiln, Miss.
This year, on his eight-day trip, Lieutenant Berg hopes to make a difference in a small indigenous Mayan village. He will be joining one other American engineer, a Peace Corps member, and 20 villagers in constructing a water treatment and distribution system. The project will consist of installing 26 kilometers of piping to provide fresh drinking water to the townspeople. "La Garrucha has about 2,000 people living over a large span of mountainous farmland," Lieutenant Berg said.
The lieutenant is fluent in Spanish, and will live with one of the local families during his time there.
"This particular region of Guatemala is called Chimaltenango, and the people speak a mix of Spanish and Kaqkchikel, the Mayan dialect," he said.
Though a veteran in traveling to Guatemala, the trips still leave a lasting impression.
"Every trip to rural Guatemala strikes me in two ways. First, their lifestyle, diet and languages are so different," Lieutenant Berg said. "Secondly, the Mayan descendants are also very similar to us - they cherish their family, they look out for their neighbors and they work hard for a happy and free life. I've realized that circumstances are different all over, but the core person remains the same, and it makes it hard to say goodbye to my Guatemalan friends every time I go."
Lieutenant Berg said the Air Force has prepared him in many ways - both professionally and personally.
"So much of Air Force training is problem solving and adaptation," Lieutenant Berg said. "As a young officer and engineer, Air Force training has prepared me to assess a situation and analyze a problem, identify and adapt to changes and make quick, responsible decisions."
In his training, Lieutenant Berg has also learned about leadership.
"Every role in the Air Force requires leadership in action; no Airman is working alone, and in most cases, there are others looking to you to make leadership decisions," he explained. "Just like being a young officer at Andrews, in Guatemala, my teammates and I have to take a critical situation, like getting clean water to thirsty villagers, and find a feasible solution to the challenge. The Air Force has given me the tools and confidence to work with the Guatemalans and lead them towards an accomplished mission."
For more information on EWB, visit ewb-usa.org.