The Iraqi Army's 1st Mechanized Brigade; Iraqi Tankers Turn Trash Into Treasure

Courtesy Photo | Iraqi soldiers from the Iraqi army's 1st Mechanized Brigade, 9th Division, head out for a patrol in the village of Al-Tahimah, Iraq, July 9, 2005.  

TAJI, IRAQ

08.16.2005

Courtesy Story

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Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp, MNC -- I PAO

CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- To get a starter for a Russian-made T-55AM2 tank, one would just need to â?¦ well â?¦

That's one of the issues the tank soldiers of the Iraqi army's 1st Mechanized Brigade, 9th Division, face in order to keep their armored vehicles on the move.
However, with a mix of wit, ingenuity and the helping hands of some U.S. Soldiers, these Iraqi troops are finding ways to get the parts they need in order to keep their vehicles in top-notch shape.

The 1st Mech. Bde. is outfitted with 1960s-era T-55 tanks and armored infantry fighting vehicles known as MTLBs and BMPs. To add a vehicle to their fleet, or keep current vehicles on the go, they must either scrounge for parts from Camp Taji's vehicle graveyard or gather parts from the camp's abandoned warehouse district.
"If they need a part for a tank or to rebuild an engine, we'll go get it," said U.S. Army Maj. Paul A. Esmahan, team chief, logistics advisory support team, 1st Mech. Bde. "Once we get the parts or recover a vehicle, they can have things up and running within a day or two."

Vehicles the Iraqis restore may have been sitting for years, rusted and covered with graffiti. It's not a deterrent for the Iraqi soldiers though, because they will paint and refurbish the interior and make sure the tank or personnel carrier is up and running with mission-capable weapons systems, Esmahan said.

"They'll fix up the inside, the outside, paint it, redo the interior -- everything in order to have the vehicle looking good and mission-capable," Esmahan said.
In order for the Iraqis to get parts or cannibalize from broken vehicles, they need their American partners to lend a hand.

The Iraqis occupy one section of Camp Taji, and the Coalition forces occupy another, which includes the section where scrapped vehicles and parts are housed. The Iraqis cannot come over to that side without American escorts.

"Most of the assistance we provide to the Iraqi maintenance crews is escorting them," Esmahan said. "They can't come on to the American-controlled side without American escorts."

Helping the Iraqis convoy the vehicles and parts back and forth from the two sides is about the extent of the American help with the Iraqi vehicles. When it comes to fixing their vehicles, the Iraqis don't need a hand, Esmahan said.

"These vehicles aren't ones our mechanics are even familiar with or know how to work on," Esmahan said.

The Iraqis don't need help from their American mechanic counterparts because 'they know exactly what they are doing," Esmahan said.

"They know what all the parts look like, they know how to put the pieces together to make everything work," Esmahan said. "You will never see them with a manual."

Experience and knowledge play key roles in keeping the Iraqi armored vehicles running at full speed.

"These soldiers have been trained in schools of engineering and mechanics," Esmahan said. "Some are officer graduates with prior service and some may have 20 years or more experience. They know exactly how to put together their maintenance program."

The Iraqis use their tanks and armored personnel carriers to conduct missions in the field day and night, sevens days a week. Therefore, having their vehicles in good working condition is essential explained Esmahan.

"They take a lot of pride in recovering these vehicles," he said. "They would feel mortified to see one of their vehicles break down outside the wire because they look at it as a reflection of themselves and their ability to accomplish their mission."

Recovering and making their vehicles ready for day-to-day use is no easy task for the mechanized soldiers. Adequate working conditions are rare. However, the U.S. Army is working to help the Iraqis get all the tools and systems in place to make things more effective for them, said Esmahan.

"Conditions are pretty rough for these guys," Esmahan said. "They don't have actual bays to work in, and with the combat arms mission taking precedence, we are still working out the logistics to get them everything they need. We still haven't purchased all the tools or everything they need to do their job, but it will get there."

One item not in short supply is paint, and Iraqi 1st Sgt. Bagiv A"bood, a painter with the brigade, uses his skills with a paint gun to turn the rust and graffiti into a fine coat of desert brown.

"It feels good to be able to do this for my country," A"bood said through the use of an interpreter. "It is good to know I had a hand in helping the soldiers that drive and use these vehicles."

Not only are the painters, mechanics and drivers of these vehicles proud to keep their army on the roll, Esmahan said he admires the Iraqi work and takes pride in playing just a little part in the Iraqi army's success.

"They do a very good job. Everybody that's seen their vehicles are pretty impressed," Esmahan said. "It's nice to have a hand in helping them. When they get one of their vehicles to come back to life, everybody gets big smiles on their faces, both the Americans and the Iraqis."

• Date Taken: 08.16.2005
• Date Posted: 08.16.2005 12:47
• Story ID: 2742
• Location: TAJI, IQ