Photo By Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Smith | Spc. Jose Rodriguez, a water treatment specialist with Company A, 610th Brigade...... read more read more
By Pfc. Nathaniel Smith
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs
BAGHDAD – When most Soldiers get back off mission, they're thinking about two things: hot chow and a hot shower.
For the latter, they probably never even stop and think about where that water comes from or who processes it for human usage. If that water was not flowing, then they'd be more likely to ask those questions and who was responsible.
Alas, the life of a water treatment specialist.
For Forward Operating Base Falcon, employees of Kellogg-Brown and Root were making the unusable water usable until about June of this year. At that time, the troops' water demands at the base had grown beyond their capabilities.
In comes the "Phoenix" of the 610th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB).
The fuel and water platoon of Company A, 610th BSB has Soldiers trained as water treatment specialists. However, during the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team's rotation at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., they trained as fuelers, adapting to what the expected mission's demands were going to be.
Despite having spent the last year and a half training for one job and not even expecting to serve as "Water Dogs," as they're good-naturedly called, Co. A has been providing Falcon and Dragon Brigade elements in Baghdad at the joint security stations and coalition outposts with water for everything from laundry to showers to the dining facility.
1st Lt. Robby Gabehart, the platoon leader for the fuel and water platoon of Co. A, 610th BSB from Moscow, Idaho, said his Soldiers' ability to react and adapt quickly reflected highly on the unit.
"It makes me proud, there's no other way to describe it," he said. "We got here for one mission, and at the drop of a hat, they changed focus and got the job done.
"Pride's the only way to describe it."
The Soldiers use a Tactical Water Purification System to purify water that is pumped from a tank of unusable water owned by KBR. The water typically undergoes between four to seven purification processes, depending on the level of contamination.
The TWPS is capable of pumping out 1,500 gallons of water every hour, operating 20 hours a day with four hours of maintenance. The water 610th is pumping out is for non-drinking purposes only, but is capable of producing drinking waters.
Spc. Jose Rodriguez, a water treatment specialist with Co. A, 610th BSB from Rosemont, Calif., is one of those Soldiers, working in the shadows in his little corner of the FOB while everybody else enjoys the fruits of his labor, most not even realizing where it's coming from.
"I don't mind most Soldiers not knowing I'm here," the father of two said. "Rodriguez said he doesn't mind most Soldiers not knowing he's there, and he finds it more rewarding just knowing his work helps his fellow troops live in relative comfort.
The commander and sergeant major of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Col. Ricky Gibbs and Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, have noticed the hard work the platoon does, but Rodriguez doesn't let that go to his head.
Instead, he's quick to pass along any praise he receives to his platoon leader.
Company A, 610th BSB was given a muddy, uneven plot of land to use for their water purification point. Gabehart was responsible for providing gravel to even out the ground, camouflage netting to keep the Soldiers cool, and force protection measures to keep them safe from indirect fire.
Gabehart does not point that out when asked about what his platoon has accomplished, but he does talk about his Soldiers. He praises them for shifting their focus, quickly and effectively. His Soldiers handle themselves professionally, with or without receiving attention for their work, he said.
Gabehart added that the fuel and water platoon had surpassed his expectations.
"They have gone above and beyond," he said. "The hours they've put in, the improvements they've made with no prior guidance from me, it's simply amazing."
Talking to the troops, it becomes clear nobody's going to take credit for anything they accomplish, but the entire platoon is responsible for helping to make this summer a whole lot more comfortable for all the residents of Camp Falcon.
| Date Taken: | 08.14.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2007 11:32 |
| Story ID: | 11808 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 196 |
| Downloads: | 162 |
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