A soldier that builds

1Lt. Alejandro Buniag has proven that war is not always all about wanton death and destruction.

In fact, as platoon leader of the U.S. Army’s Company C, 411th Engineer Combat Batallion (Heavy) stationed in Camp Liberty, Iraq, the 24-year-old native son of Saipan has been front and center in the rebuilding efforts for that country.

For starters, Buniag has had a hand in reconstructing Baghdad’s Nawas Park, the city’s version of New York City’s Central Park, forever endearing himself to the citizens of the ancient metropolis.

During the 1980s, the park, located in Baghdad’s Karada district, was a popular mingling place for inhabitants of the city, with its beautiful landscape and ritzy restaurants. But that changed in the aftermath of the Second Gulf War, when coalition forces captured Baghdad. The installation of protective barriers around the nearby Palestine and Sheraton hotels nearly cut off all traffic on the two-lane road and, over time, the area surrounding it became overgrown with brush and debris.

Then came Buniag and his men. Working with the mayor of Karada, representatives from the two hotels and the Engineer Brigade Command of the 1st Cavalry Division, he and his men cleared debris, rebuilt an old coffee shop, laid the foundations for a new pedestrian walkway along the Tigris River, and provided quality assurance over a local Iraqi asphalt contractor.

Aside from restoring the once-forgotten district, Buniag and his men also built the roadway, which put an end to cars and trucks traveling in dust that caused health hazards to inhabitants traveling by foot.

Besides leading the reconstruction phase of the war, Buniag and his men also played key roles in protecting coalition troops with their timely completion of force protection upgrades for major entry/exit checkpoints leading into the International Zone.

According to the U.S. Army, his efforts ensured the survivability for the soldiers manning the checkpoints and multinational forces traveling the International Zone, as well as safety of Iraqis passing through the checkpoints.

Buniag’s spearheading the construction of protection upgrades in the International Zone didn’t go unnoticed and he was awarded a certificate of appreciation by the brigade commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

That would not be the last recognition heaped on Buniag by the service. In 2004, he was nominated for the “Grizzly Award” in recognition of his outstanding contributions to military engineering by demonstrating technical competence and leadership ability.

“His dedication to his soldiers, the safety of others and his expertise in military engineering, reflect a great credit upon himself, Company C, the 411th Engineer Combat Batallion, the 1st Division, the Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Army as a whole,” reads part of his nomination.

According to the U.S. Army website, the annual Grizzly Award recognizes the outstanding Engineer Lieutenant Platoon Leader from each component: Active, Reserve and National Guard. United Defense L.P. provides financial support to this program.

Buniag has not only shown his excellent engineering and leadership skills while serving in the U.S. Army but he also exhibited a softer side when he acceded to a request made by a terminally ill boy made through the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Joseph Salas’ lifelong wish was to ride a military Humvee and Buniag gave him much, much more than that when he not only toured the boy aboard a U.S. Army-issued Humvee, but asked the U.S. Army chain-of-command to approve a convoy of three M998 Humvees, five M920 tractor trailers, and four Light Medium Tactical Vehicles to accompany it on a side trip to Guam’s Smokin’ Wheels Race Track.

And that was not all. Before parting ways Buniag presented Salas with a number of U.S. Army memorabilia and gifts, the most special of which was a certificate making him an honorary member of the Company C411th Engineer Combat Battalion.

Anyone who’s been around Buniag knows that such gestures are common from the man. In fact, while serving in Iraq, a lot of Iraqi children became recipients of Buniag’s kindheartedness as he always gave them candies and softdrinks.

Buniag was born on July 13, 1980 to proud parents Alex and Angelita Buniag. He finished elementary at 7th Day Adventist and high school at the Grace Christian Academy.

He took up college at the University of Guam and graduated with a degree in education. While studying in UoG, Buniag became involved with the Reserve Officers Training Course and soon after joined the Guam National Guard.