5th CES Airman lends homeland a hand Published Sept. 16, 2008 By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gina K. Wollman Continuing Promise 2008 Public Affairs LOS ALPES, Colombia -- After working to build a new schoolhouse and playground for the community here during the humanitarian/civic-assistance mission Continuing Promise 2008, Staff Sgt. Richard Monsalve, 5th Civil Engineer Squadron heating, ventilation, air conditioning craftsman currently embarked aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), is proud knowing he had a hand in helping revitalize an area in his home country. Raised in Bogota, Colombia, by his grandmother, Sergeant Monsalve moved to New York City at the age of 19. He joined the Air Force in 1995 to gain an education and also to help pay for the education of his siblings. Over the past 13 years, Sergeant Monsalve has worked in various areas of engineering and enjoyed most of it. However, returning to his homeland with the 5th CES Prime Base Emergency Engineer Force as part of CP 2008 has been one of his most rewarding experiences to date. "It feels great to be here helping in my home country," said Sergeant Monsalve. "Even though I am not actually from Los Alpes, just being back in Colombia and knowing we are helping to build these kids a future makes me so happy." As a child growing up in Colombia, Sergeant Monsalve visited many different cities with his grandmother. However, this was the first time he had visited the small town of Los Alpes. "I think the closest we came to Los Alpes was Santa Marta," he said. "I didn't really have the chance to see the smaller communities, but now I see how much they need our help, and I am so glad to be able to make a difference." When the original school in Los Alpes burned down in December 2007, the children resorted to attending their daily classes in local homes sometimes -- walking more than a mile to get to each other's homes. "Having to walk to different homes for different classes is hard on the kids here," said the sergeant. "Especially on days with bad weather, they've had to walk in the rain some days to get from home to class and from one class to another. We are finally giving them their school back, and they won't have to do that anymore. It just means so much." Returning to Colombia with Kearsarge and partaking in CP 2008 is a lot of work for Sergeant Monsalve and the other 5th CES engineers, but he said seeing the smiles on the children's faces and being able to restore a major part of the community makes all the hard work worthwhile. "We are making dreams come true for these kids," he said. "It makes me feel like I have won the lottery just knowing how much we have helped the children and the rest of the community." CP 2008 is a collaborative effort between the United States and partner militaries, non-governmental organizations, and partner-nation support organizations to build strong partnerships that can be called upon in the event of a regional situation requiring cooperative solutions. Kearsarge's mission exemplifies the U.S.' maritime strategy, which emphasizes deploying forces to build confidence and trust among nations through collective maritime security efforts that focus on common threats and mutual interests. The CP Caribbean Phase is the second of two missions to the Southern Command area of responsibility for 2008. The first mission was conducted by USS Boxer (LHD 4) in the Pacific. For more news on CP, log on to SOUTHCOM's Web site at www.southcom.mil.