Courtesy Photo | Spc. Alvaro Aleman, a native of Fresno, Calif., of Company B, 526th Brigade Support...... read more read more
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By 2nd Lt. Nathaniel Beckett
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division
BAGHDAD - Armed with replacement parts, Arabic technical manuals, and years of experience, Staff Sgt. Dwayne Simpkins, a native of Detroit, and Spc. Alvaro Aleman, a native of Fresno, Calif., step out of their vehicles, March 8, at Joint Security Station Kadhamiyah in northern Baghdad with the intent on training and ensuring the Iraqi army mechanics with the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division keep their fleet of trucks on the road.
Weekly, Soldiers from Company B, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, teach vehicle maintenance classes to Iraqi army mechanics. The topic of this week is ballistic window replacement.
"It is all about not wasting time. We have between a few hours and half day to teach these guys about things that they could not otherwise learn without us," said Simpkins as he briefs the translator for the class.
This is not the first time that Simpkins has taught this group of mechanics. This is class number five for him.
Without missing a beat, the class starts. Gathering in a semi-circle around Aleman, the Iraqi mechanics listen intently to his instruction on the role the manual plays in window replacement. It is slow going as every word is translated, discussed, and clarified.
"This is a step-by-step process. Don't take any short cuts and risk busting the window or even worse installing it wrong," said Aleman as he drives his point home. After a while, all that can be said about procedure and safety has been said. It is now time to move onto the installation phase.
Simpkins watches closely as the students start to disassemble the armor and window frames. "These mechanics are pretty good; they have been working on cars for years," he said.
With two students working in front taking off the bolts and armor, and two inside working on the air-conditioning brackets, the window is out in a matter of minutes.
Then following the steps in reverse order, they reinstall the new window, bringing the exercise to a successful conclusion.
This week it was windows, and next week it might be the transmission or fuel injectors. Whatever it is, Simpkins and Aleman will be ready to teach and help the Iraqi army sustain itself.
| Date Taken: | 03.08.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2008 14:35 |
| Story ID: | 17252 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 136 |
| Downloads: | 121 |
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