Courtesy Photo | Army Pfc. Jason Vails, an engineer with the 76th Engineer Co., cuts plywood as part of...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Amber Robinson
Task Force Spartan Public Affairs
JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — Expansion efforts continue throughout the northeast section of Regional Command-East, as May approaches, accommodating the influx of troops into a new brigade-sized area of responsibility.
Throughout the northeast, engineers work frantically to expand and improve base facilities.
The Soldiers of the 76th Engineer Company, based in Fort Knox, Ky., and attached to the 864th Engineer Battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash., are contributing enormously to the expansion efforts with their current labours centered around the construction of a new medical facility on Jalalabad Airfield. This keeps the Soldiers of the 76th heavily engaged as they work to complete projects for use by the 173rd Airborne Brigade by June.
"We are taking an old building and remodelling it for the new clinic," said Army Cpl. Michael Parker, who is heading up the clinic project. "We are knocking out walls, creating doorways and building an operating room."
The efforts of the 76th will leave the clinic in position to handle more traumatic medical situations.
"When we finish, it should be a fully functional field hospital," said Parker.
Currently, the hospital is nothing more than a gutted building, but within the week the wreckage of torn down walls, ripped out wires and splintered doorways will emerge into a fully functional medical clinic.
Although the project is slated to be finished in one week, obstacles are unavoidable. The team is poised for such setbacks, adapting any way necessary, said Parker.
"We run into obstacles constantly," said Parker. "Plywood is hard to get out here, so we are faced with making do with what we have. We are currently using recycled wood to finish the clinic project."
All plywood the unit currently has is set aside for B-hut construction. Parker and his team are responsible for the smaller projects on post, so their ability to adapt and make do with the resources they have is essential.
"I would say we use recycled wood on 96 percent of our projects," said Parker.
A large sum of money is saved with the use of the recycled wood. The resourceful nature of the team allows the base to grow and become more combat ready at lower cost.
The team remodelling the clinic is small, consisting of several Soldiers and several Afghans trained in carpentry.
| Date Taken: | 04.26.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 04.26.2007 07:53 |
| Story ID: | 10127 |
| Location: | JALALABAD, AF |
| Web Views: | 117 |
| Downloads: | 71 |
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