MANGILAO, Guam – Service members and residents of Guam celebrated the 100th temporary, emergency roof install completed by Task Force RISEUP, which is short for Roofing Installation Support Emergency Utilization Program, as part of Typhoon Mawar recovery efforts, June 27.
The U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Territory of Guam, launched RISEUP to help temporarily repair metal roofs damaged by Typhoon Mawar, which made landfall May 24.
“This milestone represents the commitment, hard work and collective efforts of our U.S. service members, Guam partners, and all of the USACE personnel working behind the scenes,” said Lt. Col. Chelsey O’Nan, senior USACE representative assisting with recovery efforts on Guam. “We are proud to be able to assist the residents of Guam during this recovery by providing a quality, temporary roofing solution through RISEUP.”
RISEUP differs from Operation Blue Roof, a similar temporary roofing program that USACE is known to manage for FEMA during disasters, in that the temporary, emergency roofs that are being installed through RISEUP are metal as opposed to the fiber-reinforced sheeting that is used to cover damaged roofs until permanent repairs can be made in the Operation Blue Roof program. Additionally, RISEUP repairs and installs have been conducted by service members.
Roofing teams are comprised of U.S. service members from the Army Reserve (9th Mission Support Command; 797th Engineer Vertical Construction Company and 368th Military Police Company), Navy SEABEES (Commander, Task Force 75) and Air Force Engineers (554th REDHORSE Squadron).
“Task Force RISEUP and the DOD have a critical mission; to save lives, alleviate suffering, and support the at-risk citizens of Guam directly through FEMA, USACE, and the Guam Government,” said Maj. Benjamin Roberts, Commander Task Force RISEUP, 411th Engineer Battalion U.S. Army Reserve. “As we mark the completion of our 100th roof we’ve replaced, I could not be more proud of the Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Task Force for rising to the occasion, contributing hard work, inter-service cooperation, professionalism, and a great deal of compassion to the relief of their fellow citizens through our effort in supporting the Territory of Guam and our federal partners."
Reserve units deploy for 30-day rotations, work long hours, seven days a week—moving quickly from house to house. These engineering professionals provide the manpower needed to support RISEUP, while USACE experts provide oversight and quality assurance of completed repairs.
To apply for the program, which stops accepting applications on June 30, Guam residents first submit a roof application through their local mayor’s office. Then, USACE teams visit the applicant’s residence to perform an on-site evaluation and assessment. Once approved, DoD roofing crews are authorized to begin the temporary roof installation.
Crews typically finish one roof per day, and there are usually ten roofing crews conducting installations each day. There are approximately 563 homes remaining that are awaiting temporary roof installation.
"The USACE roofing team members are honored to be able to serve along with our village, territory, Department of Defense, and other federal agencies/partners as part of RISEUP and assist the residents of Guam with recovery efforts after Typhoon Mawar,” said Travis Wilson, USACE temporary roofing action officer. “The 100th roof is a great accomplishment, but we will remain focused on repairing all qualifying roofs as quickly as possible. I am very proud to be a small part of this team and this effort.”
The local village mayor, Guam Government officials, FEMA representatives and local media were also present for the temporary, emergency roof install milestone.
Every year, USACE, as part of the federal government’s unified national response to disasters and emergencies, deploys hundreds of personnel to provide technical engineering expertise and to promote capacity development at home and abroad.
To learn more about USACE Emergency Operations visit: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Emergency-Operations/