Walker soldier home

Sgt 1st Class Doyle Beckman (right) of Walker, assists a fellow soldier in refueling a generator near San Marcos, Guatemala. Beckman, a water purification supervisor with Company A, 311th Brigade Support Battalion of the Missouri National Guard, recently returned from a humanitarian service exercise in Central America.

Nevada Daily Mail

A Soldier from Walker, Mo., has returned home after assisting the Missouri National Guard on a humanitarian service exercise in Guatemala.

Sgt. 1st Class Doyle Beckman, Company A, 311th Brigade Support Battalion, Nevada, served in the exercise, known as New Horizons '07 Guatemala, as a water purification supervisor during his two-week deployment that ended March 3.

"It's been an interesting assignment with a lot of challenges," Beckman said. "I've never been to Guatemala before, but all the locals are very friendly and are eager to do work."

While in Guatemala, Beckman was part of a task force that is constructing two schools, two clinics, and three wells for citizens in the rural areas of San Marcos province in western Guatemala. In addition, the task force will provide basic medical and dental care to residents as part of a Medical Readiness Training Exercise.

"All the Soldiers have a great attitude," said Lt. Col. John Oberkirsch, commander for Combined Joint Task Force San Marcos. "They're happy to get out of the states for awhile, and they're getting to do what they are trained to do."