Photo By Sgt. Patrick Lair | Members of the 1st Armored Division Communications and Electronics Shop stand before a...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Patrick Lair
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
TIKRIT, Iraq—Communications are an essential part of any unit's operations. That's why the 146th Signal Company stays so busy at their shop on Contingency Operating Base Speicher.
The Communication and Electronics Shop, run by Soldiers from the 1st Armored Division's Special Troops Battalion, is responsible for maintenance of not just the division communications systems, but also the special radio and communications equipment used by 39 different units across northern Iraq.
Since beginning their deployment in Sept. of 2007, the repair shop has processed more than 1,700 job requests with a staff of only 11 Soldiers.
"Our mentality is we support whoever comes through that door," said Chief Warrant Officer Ramphis Alamo. "Sometimes it means longer hours but that's what we're here for."
Alamo, the electronics system maintenance technician, said that prior to the deployment the unit only dealt with division communications systems, such as the Joint Node Network, the SMART-T systems and the High Capacity Line of Sides systems.
But once they arrived in Iraq, they took on additional responsibilities for all communications equipment, such as SINCGAR and SATCOM radios, and other equipment like the DAGR, the DUKE system, the Blue Force Tracker and antenna cables.
"That's something we hit the ground and ran with because we didn't know what the mission was going to be when we got here," Alamo said.
Taking on responsibility for new equipment meant learning on the fly.
"There was a lot of downloading of manuals; a lot of coordinating on how we could support this," said Sgt. 1st Class Jace Studdard, electronics maintenance supervisor. "There's lots of new equipment the military's using that we don't have technical manuals for."
Their increased responsibilities have led the unit to process more than double the repair jobs in seven months than their predecessors completed in 15 months. They average about 100 maintenance requests per week.
"It has its days. It's not like a constant flow," Studdard said. "We may get 75 orders one week and 150 the next."
In addition to electric communications repairs the unit also built part of the building they occupy. After arriving in country, the unit took on the task of building two additional rooms onto the existing structure they inherited, completing the walls, floors and ceilings themselves. They contracted the electrical work.
"The Soldiers are doing really good and keeping the motivation. They built the building they're working in now and made two new offices," Studdard said. "It's been a challenge I never expected."
As a communications repair unit, the 146th is often on call at all hours of the day and night to fix problems whenever they might arise. This means someone always has to jump out of bed when communications equipment go down in the early morning hours.
"Trouble calls come in the middle of the night and we go out to fix it," Studdard said.
The unit also sends teams to forward operating bases across Multi-National Division-North to maintain communications systems in other areas of northern Iraq.
Spc. Travis Hawkins, a cable maintenance repairman, said the job requires the technicians to improvise and adapt.
"The most challenging part of my job is when someone brings in a cable that looks like it's from outer space and you have to make it fit into something from scratch," he said.
One of his proudest accomplishments has been fabricating a radio embedder cable that weaves through the IBA for more mobility and comfort.
"That's probably my most popular cable," he said. "I've probably fabricated 40 of them for the Special Troops Battalion."
As for the future, Alamo said he hopes to turn over a larger, better-equipped facility to the unit that replaces his.
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2008 15:02 |
| Story ID: | 18230 |
| Location: | TIKRIT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 361 |
| Downloads: | 299 |
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