Posted: 6/14/06
NB man chooses road less traveled
 For his exceptional service in support of Task Force Hope ñ Mississippi, Jonathan Hanson was awarded the Civilianís Award for Civilian Service. |
By Patrick Tepoorten
Youíre fresh out of college, wrapping up an internship with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). Youíre 23 years old and youíve got a steady girlfriend. While most might look at the situation and see a chance for a little ìR and R,î North Branch resident Jonathan Hanson decided to go the other way and volunteered for duty in an area of Mississippi ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. For his over eight months of service on the front lines of hurricane cleanup, Hanson has been awarded the Commanderís Award for Civilian Service.
Hanson arrived in the sweltering heat of Hancock County, Mississippi on Sept. 17, less than a month after Katrina devastated the gulf coast and for the better part of a year put in 12 to 15 hour days, seven days a week as part of Task Force Hope. ìIt was 90 degrees at midnight,î Hanson said of the weather, ìand the smell was of raw sewage.î
He spent his first two weeks working as a Quality Assurance Representative, which, though a fancy name, amounted to standing in a tower all day estimating the amount of debris held by individual semi-trucks so private contractors could be paid accurately for their cleanup services.
Not what would normally be thought of as trash, Hanson described the debris as household items. ìThere were refrigerators with pictures still on them, photo albums, childrenís toys, clothes,î etc.
After two weeks Hanson was able to descend his perch and spent the next month or so ìon the roadî monitoring individual clean-up crews. Not only was he in charge of safety issues, he was also tasked with making sure contractors collected only the things that fell within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). For example, Hanson had to determine if individual trees qualified for removal. If the tree was uprooted or was missing its crown, off it went. If it was dead but relatively intact, it stayed.
When areas that needed clearing were private property, Hanson had to make sure property owners had signed a ìright of entryî form and that contractors cleared no more than the 125 feet immediately surrounding the primary structure.
In December, having re-volunteered every 30 days like clockwork, Hanson became a Quality Assurance Supervisor, still responsible for making sure clean-ups were performed within FEMA guidelines, but in the larger sense. By March he was responsible for delegating responsibility for 20 to 30 supervisors who were in turn in charge of about 300 contractors. He continued in that position, volunteering to stay on every 30 days, until he finally returned home on May 25.
Last Tuesday, Hanson reflected on the duty. ìThe amount of work that had to be done was astronomical,î he said. He estimated that, by the end of his time in Mississippi, he had been involved in the removal of debris from about 11,000 private properties. That amounts to over 1,000 properties a month, a pace that Hanson is quick to point out was not achieved alone.
ìEverybody worked together. The National Park service was there, FEMA was there, the Corps of Engineers was there. We would also work with homeowners who decided to do the work themselves.î
Looking back, Hanson said, ìit all gelled together pretty good,î and described it as ìa job well done.î
THE DESTRUCTION
Contrary to the common belief, the hurricane itself only amounted to a portion of the debris created by Katrina, albeit a substantial one. Tornadoes were a side affect of the hurricane and caused substantial damage well inland of the shoreline. ìThere was damage to the coastline and inland for about 90 to 100 miles,î Hanson recalled.
Even homes that looked fine were oftentimes victims of mother nature through flooding. Hanson estimated that 2,500 homes had to be bulldozed despite having no other damage than that done by flooding.
TIME OFF
Hanson and his contemporaries were allowed some time off. Every 30 days ACOE workers received two days off. Hanson flew home for the weekend six times over the duration but didnít get much done. ìI did a lot of sleeping,î he noted, although he did find some time to visit with friends and family.
On one occasion, Hanson and some friends trekked to Florida to see Jimmy Buffet in concert. He was also able to visit some of the areas of New Orleans not devastated by Katrina, including the French Quarter.
Hanson admitted to developing a taste for the regional cuisine while in Mississippi, including a lot of seafood and gumbo. His favorite were Crawfish Poboys, a sandwich on French bread with lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, and of course, crawfish.
Early on in his time in Mississippi, most of his food came from catering trucks, but as time passed more and more restaurants opened and Hanson was able to ìget a steak once in a while.î
COMING HOME
Hanson spent an unusually long time in the area. Most of his counterparts were full-time ACOE employees who had to return to regular full-time jobs somewhere along the line. Hanson believes that he was one of only two or three people in his area who volunteered for extended duty.
He returned home on May 25 and, looking back, described the experience as ìenjoyable and rewarding.î
Throughout his adventure, Hanson added, he had the support of his parents, Mike and Judy Hanson, and his girlfriend Sarah Nelson. Of Nelson, Hanson said the long absence was hard, and was frustrating for both at times. Thanks to cell phones though, the distance was lessened by the ability to talk every day.
EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE
Hansonís exceptional service in support of Task Force Hope did not go unnoticed. Resident Engineer for Emergency Field Office West, Brenda Meeks, wrote a lengthy letter is support of Hanson being awarded the Commanderís Award for Civilian Service. The commendation is the fourth highest Department of the Army honorary award and is reserved for civilian employees of the Army.
In highlighting his service, Meeks noted, ìMr. Hanson assumed the awesome responsibility for private property debris removal activities even though he had only been with Corps a very short period of time and had not previously been on a debris mission. His actions reflect the highest levels of credit toward Task Force Hope Mississippi and the Corps of Engineers.î
Hansonís citation letter included more glowing praise, ìHis professional approach to organization and problem resolution facilitated removal of over 2 million cubic yards of debris.î
WHAT NOW?
When asked what he planned to do now, Hanson replied ìIíve got to get a job.î Although he hasnít ruled out a job with the ACOE, he is interested in just about anything in the natural resources field. ìIíd rather be outdoors than inside,î he stated.
For a person like Hanson, whose idea of an adventure is Task Force Hope, who braved ì90 degrees at midnightî temperatures, removed 2 million cubic yards of debris, ate crawfish on a regular basis, and is a recipient of such high honors, he may again be in need of a semi, if only to haul around his resume.
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