|
Blackanthem Military News
|
Last Updated:
Nov 19, 2008 - 9:15:26 PM |
|
|
Blackanthem Military News
 |
| Sgt. Casey Tucker (left), a Portland, Tenn., native, and Staff Sgt. Douglas Darden (right) a Fayetteville, Texas, native, stand in front of a 10k forklift May 9. Tucker and Darden are assigned to 297th Inland Cargo Transport Company, a Fort Hood, Texas, unit attached to 41st Transportation Company, 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, in support of Multi-National Division-Baghdad. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michele Meadows, 1st Sust. Bde, PAO, in support of MND-B) |
CAMP TAJI, Iraq - If you've been in Iraq for more than a day you've noticed you can't look anywhere without seeing some sort of moving vehicle; It's a giant truck stop in the desert.
When the maintenance crew of the 297th Inland Cargo Transfer Company, a unit attached to the 41st Transportation Company, 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, arrived to Camp Taji seven months ago, they fell in on a large group of vehicles and equipment, many of which were broken.
Not ones to cry over spilled milk, the crew rolled up its sleeves and went to work fixing the non-functional vehicles and equipment.
"My guys have put in a lot of hours at the shop and have done an excellent job as far as keeping our overall readiness rating above 95 percent," stated Sgt. Casey Tucker, a Portland, Tenn., native, and shop foreman for the 297th ICTC, a Fort Hood, Texas, unit deployed in support of Multi-National Division - Baghdad.
Since the small maintenance crew has been together, they have repaired every piece of equipment that has come their way, making sure it runs the way it's supposed to. They double check one another's work, ensuring it's done right.
"It's better to have at least 18 eyes instead of two ... We all check behind each other to do the job right the first time," said Staff Sgt. Douglas Darden a Fayetteville, Texas, native, and motor sergeant for the 297th ICTC.
With 100- to 120-degree temperatures quickly approaching, a new set of challenges is on the mind of the maintenance crew - equipment overheating.
One piece of equipment that's critical to the 297th ICTC's mission is the Kalmar, a large crane-like device used to move conexes. Without the Kalmar, their mission would suffer.
"The Kalmars are an electrical nightmare when it comes to the heat," stated Spc. James Meadows, a Fort Walton Beach, Fla., native, and Kalmar expert for the 297th ICTC.
Meadows has proven himself as a reliable mechanic as he works on the Kalmar and has transferred that knowledge and experience to other types of equipment as well.
Because their company is one of the only cargo companies on post, if the vehicles aren't running, they would not able to complete their mission successfully. Keeping equipment like the Kalmar running is a main focus for the maintenance team.
There are eight Soldiers who make up the maintenance team and they perform the same mission a company-sized platoon would normally do.
"I haven't seen any maintenance section that can do what we can do. We have the knowledge; we have the experience. There may be some late hours, but we get the job done," Darden said.
"The team does not understand the meaning of 'can't' nor do they ever give up. These guys, they come up with outside-the-box stuff just to keep the mission running, and it's truly a sight to see. They just find a way to make it happen," Tucker concluded.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
 |
| (From left to right) Spc. Jimmy Reffitt, a Parkville, Ky., native, and Spc. James Meadows, a native of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., look on as Sgt. Casey Tucker a native of Portland, Tenn., shows them how to change a transmission control valve on a M10,000 (10K) May 9. Reffitt, Meadows and Tucker are assigned to 297th Inland Cargo Transfer Company, attached to 41st Maintenance Company, 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, in support of Multi-National Division-Baghdad.
(U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Michele Meadows, 1st Sust. Bde, PAO, in support of MND-B) |
|
 |
| top row left to right) Spc. Derrick Williamson, a New Orleans, La., native, Spc. James Meadows, a Fort Walton Beach, Fla., native, and Spc. James (Jimmy) Reffitt a Parksville, K.Y., native, along with (bottom left to right) Spc. Joseph Smith a New Boston, Texas, native, Spc. Jamaal Johnson, a Olean, N.Y., native and Spc. Dreher a Gainesville, Fla. Native, are a small crew of maintenance Soldiers assigned to 297th Inland Cargo Transportation Company, attached to 41st Transportation Company, 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, in support of Multi-National Division-Baghdad. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Michele Meadows, 1st Sust., Bde., PAO, in support of MND-B) |
|
|
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
