Photo By Staff Sgt. Matthew Cooley | Spc. Akeem Koonce, a laundry and textile specialist with 157th Quartermaster uses the...... read more read more
By Sgt. Matthew C. Cooley
15th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs
FORT HOOD, Texas – "We've got the dirtiest job in the Army!" said acting First Sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Finley, 157th Quartermaster Company, 15th Special Troops Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command.
"You'll be surprised what comes through in a laundry bag," said the Dallas native.
157th QM was reenergized upon receipt of the Army's newest Laundry Advanced System in July, making their Shower, Laundry, Clothing Repair teams once again able to provide full services to Fort Hood units while deployed or in the field.
The 157th is currently the only unit in the Army with the new touch screen, full service, 250 gallon field washer-drier combos.
"It's an outstanding piece of equipment because of the morale it brings to the units who are allowed to enjoy our services," said Cpl. Renata Franklin, a New York native and laundry and textile specialist with the 157th.
The new system operates in the field using a large water bladder known as a blivet or "onion tank." The two-drum system is capable of laundering 60 bundles of clothing in 70 minutes.
"It pretty much makes it easy," said Spc. Akeem Koonce, originally from Newbern, N.C. another 157th laundry and textile specialist.
But the unit's 6 SLCR teams are capable of more than just washing clothes.
One SLCR team can support a battalion sized element of up to 900 Soldiers, Finley explained. Each team has one LADS, one shower system, and one renovation system for clothing repair.
"It's just all around customer service," Franklin said.
Spc. Mike Fulkersin, of Abilene, Texas, also a 157th laundry and textile specialist, explained how good it made his team feel during his last deployment to serve fellow Soldiers. He also explained that it wasn't always easy.
"We did about 3 to 5 thousand loads of laundry," Fulkersin said.
"[And] every now and then we'd get a couple of mortars in there."
157th QM is the only unit on Fort Hood with these capabilities, Finley commented.
If a unit on Fort Hood needs the support of a SLCR team while in the field, they need only call 15th STB and request it.
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2008 15:46 |
| Story ID: | 21933 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 871 |
| Downloads: | 400 |
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