Laundry service keeps Soldiers clean

Photo By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky | Sgt. Lucas Anderson, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division personal security detail, smiles after dropping off his laundry on April 10 at the Forward Operating Base Kalsu laundry facility. The laundry facility does anywhere from 700 to 1,000 loads of laundry a day.  

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

04.18.2008

Story by Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – It is not easy being a Soldier. This is motivation for Nagendra Bangera, Forward Operating Base Kalsu laundry facility administration assistant, whenever he finds himself in a "stinky" situation. And with an average of 1,000 loads of laundry a day, it isn't an uncommon occurrence.

Knowing how difficult it can be for Soldiers motivates him to ensure that despite any hardship, at least Soldiers can count on clean clothes and bedding while on base.

Bangera, originally from India, has been working as a laundry facility specialist for 28 months, managing the daily routines of 41 other workers, including three maintenance technicians to repair washers and dryers. His work also includes keeping track of supplies like laundry detergent, loads cleaned daily and tracking the storage of Soldiers' laundry.

Although much of his work goes on behind the counter, obscured from the eyes of his customers, the results can be seen in every clean uniform on the post.

In addition to cleaning for Soldiers, Kellogg Brown and Root Inc. laundry foreman, Alma Imamovic, also said the facility cleans for contractors, bedding for the Kalsu billeting office, the aid station and towels for the Morale, Welfare and Recreation gym.

To handle the load, which at a minimum is about 700 bags a day, Imamovic, a native of Zivinice, Bosnia, said, the facility has 144 washers and 144 commercial-size dryers. Six additional industrial size dryers are used to handle large loads such as the gym's towels and billeting linen.

Even with all the hardware, sometimes the crew is forced to run a night shift, Imamovic said, especially when generator maintenance shuts down the washing machines during the day. Such shut-downs usually occur once a month, she added.

While a nightshift can be a strain on the workforce, it is a sacrifice that the crew is willing to take to ensure that Soldiers get their laundry quickly, on average 48 hours after turn-in.

"We're professionals," Bangera said. "We know how important our job is with Soldiers as our customers."

• Date Taken: 04.18.2008
• Date Posted: 04.18.2008 14:54
• Story ID: 18568
• Location: ISKANDARIYAH, IQ