By Tech. Sgt. Emily F. Alley, 442nd Fighter Wing public affairs / Published June 16, 2015

WHITEMAN AFB, Mo. -- The Navajo Reservation near Gallup, New Mexico, lives with extraordinary poverty.



The Southwest Indian Foundation estimates nearly 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty level- with average per capita income of about $6,000.



Civil Engineers from the 442d Fighter Wing spent two weeks helping the Reservation's poorest residents by building homes.



"We did more than they could do on their own," said Airman 1st Class Ashley Cole, an operations manager with CE. "It was a small house, but a big impact."



In 1998 the Air Force Academy began a partnership with the Southwest Indian Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to improve the lives and the dignity of Native American families, which used housing designs created by the cadets as school projects.



"The cadets wanted to see someone live in the house, instead of tearing it down at the end," said Joseph G. Esparza, director of the project office for the Foundation.



Materials are now paid for by the Navajo Housing Authority. The relationship between the Air Force and foundation continue as a training opportunity for CE Airmen.



"We're not an assembly line," said Esparza, who estimates he gets about 50 requests for housing every year. He can only fill about 20 of those requests, due to staffing limitations. "We struggle to keep up."



Requests can only be placed by residents who live in poverty; for example, a family of four cannot earn more than $33,000 annually. Additionally, the requestor must be elderly, handicapped, or have dependents.



"They have to be interviewed and they have to prove their low income," Esparza added. "We're pretty strict."



Senior Master Sgt. Nathan Hooton, 442nd Fighter Wing Civil Engineering Squadron superintendent, commended the hard work and attitudes of his civil engineers. The first day they arrived, the Airmen toured a completed home on the reservation. Several interacted with Navajo families.



"They saw the impact," Hooton said. "It's rewarding when they get to see the benefit from their work."



The project was the first trip of Cole's Air Force career and was an opportunity for her to try new skills. She painted and caulked the houses.



"As a reservist, I don't usually get to do that sort of thing, but they were so welcoming. So many people were appreciative of what we were doing. We met a code talker's daughter," said Cole. "It made me glad I made the decision to join. And I got a really good farmer's tan."



"We wanted everything to look perfect," she added. "Even the siding. We made sure it wasn't even an inch off."



Hooton took advantage of the geography of Gallup and spent one day of physical training hiking with his team. The rest of the time, they worked.



"We spent ten full days building homes," said Senior Master Sgt. Nathan Hooton, 442nd Fighter Wing Civil Engineering Squadron superintendent. "I was really proud of them."