JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
It was worth the wait.
A two-week delay of the original date of the 2025 Basura Bash at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston worked wonders on March 8, as the warm weather brought out 422 volunteers for the annual cleanup of the section of Salado Creek that runs through the installation.
The original date of Feb. 22 date ended up being in the middle of a local cold snap that only saw a high of only 44 degrees Fahrenheit that day, leading to the event being postponed across San Antonio.
After a few introductory remarks from civil engineer and safety officials, Brent Larson, JBSA Installation Management Flight Chief, thanked the volunteers for their time.
“The work you do today really goes a long way towards helping out ecosystem,” he said. “It’s great to see that JBSA-Fort Sam Houston typically has one of the largest numbers of people turning out to volunteer each year.”
Cleanup efforts took place across San Antonio, ranging from Martinez Creek to Zarzamora Creek, with the goal of removing trash to not only remove debris and improve flow, but also to improve water quality.
Last year, volunteers collectively removed more than 76,000 pounds of trash and debris from San Antonio's waterways. The initiative is meant to help improve the local waterways and the health and well-being of the people who live near them.
At least two tons of trash was removed from the portion of Salado Creek that runs through JBSA-Fort Sam Houston this year. Retrieved from the creek were large items like tires and coolers, plus hundreds of plastic bottles and Styrofoam cups. There was even an empty turtle shell found along the banks and turned in.
The comfortable temperatures brought out a wide array of volunteers, from groups of students attending classes at the Medical Education and Training Campus, to Boy Scout troops, to families looking for a project they could share.
“This has been a great experience for our troop today,” said Renee Barber, a Troop 23 leader. “Our kids have never experienced something like this. It’s fascinating to find out more about where we live. My family lives on JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and I never knew this was down here.”
The Basura Bash is a one-day all-volunteer-run event where people all around San Antonio participate in removing accumulated trash and debris from the San Antonio Watershed’s streams and tributaries. In recent years, JBSA volunteers have removed more than 20 tons of waste from Salado Creek.
The Basura Bash was hosted by the 802d Civil Engineer Squadron, and supported by the MWR Outdoor Recreation Staff, the 502d Civil Engineer Squadron’s Heavy Repair Shop, and many other individuals representing their units across JBSA. More than 40 individuals from these units volunteered their time to make the event a success.
As for volunteers, the event welcomed 76 members of the Rogers Airman Leadership School, 39 Soldiers from the 264th Medical Battalion Mustangs, 37 volunteers from Randolph High School, 26 members of the Robert D. Gaylor NCO Academy, 22 Soldiers from Company B of the 232nd Medical Battalion and many other smaller groups.
While the citywide Basura Bash is celebrating its 30th year, the event at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston has been hosting the event for 14 years, according to Heather D. Hansen, JBSA Pollution Prevention Program Manager, 802d Civil Engineer Squadron.
“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who helped plan, organize, and execute Basura Bash, as their selfless gifts of time and energy made this event possible,” Hansen said. “And to everyone who shared information about the event with their units, squadrons, colleagues, family and friends – this was a fabulous turnout! Perhaps we can break our all-time record volunteer number of 448 if we invite even more folks next year!”