No clime and place too far for PX Marines

Photo By Chief Warrant Officer Bobbie Curtis | A Marine with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, shops at the Sahl Sinjar Airfield Marine Corps Exchange in northern Iraq, Mar. 3. The exchange is run by Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 7, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, and provides services to all personnel on Sahl Sinjar.  

SAHL SINJAR, IRAQ

03.20.2009

Story by Cpl. Bobbie Curtis 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

SAHL SINJAR, Iraq - When Marines find themselves serving far away from the comforts of home, it's the small things that go a long way.

Small comforts such as snacks, energy drinks and magazines can raise Marines' morale and make each day a little easier.

The Marines of the Sahl Sinjar Marine Corps Exchange, commonly referred to as the PX (Post Exchange), are responsible for providing these items to the troops of Sahl Sinjar Airfield in Ninawa Province, Iraq. The PX, ran by the Marines of Combat Logistics Battalion 7, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), is little more than an International Organization for Standardization container, or ISO container, and a canvas tent, but provides Sahl Sinjar with more than just merchandise.

"It greatly affects Marines' motivation and ability to get the job done," explained Staff Sgt. Chamous B. Duhachek, a section leader with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. "The amount of work you get out of the Marines when they are motivated by stuff from home is greater than when they don't have the PX."

The PX makes available more than $16,000 worth of merchandise for purchase on any given day at the small base.

Where other bases in Iraq have coffee shops, Subway and KFC restaurants, the PX is one of the few amenities Marines of Sahl Sinjar have to look forward to while being deployed to such a remote location.

"The whole reason for our presence is to give Marines a feeling of home," said Staff Sgt. Greg D. Woodard, the staff non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the PX. "If they didn't have this, I think they would be more homesick. With these amenities, they can focus more on their mission instead of wishing they were at home."

He explained that managing exchanges in places like Sahl Sinjar, where the Marines live in harsh conditions, is far more rewarding.

"I feel like I'm serving a good purpose here," he said. "We're making a difference in the Marines' morale."

Many of the units on the base, including the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, run 24-hour operations outside of the base and have units out for weeks at a time. The PX provides them with a welcome break and a little piece of the world back home.

"They go so long without having anything and seem happier every time they come [back] in," said Lance Cpl. Justin R. Harris, a disbursing clerk temporarily assigned to the PX.

Sahl Sinjar's isolated location can pose some challenges when it comes to receiving merchandise for the PX.

According to Woodard, the store receives a majority of its items from Al Asad Air Base by delivery in KC-130 Hercules transport aircraft. Since Sahl Sinjar is one of the newest sites in Iraq that receives items from Al Asad, there were some temporary logistical challenges that interrupted the proper flow of merchandise.

"To make the process quicker we are going to start to have things come from Camp Al Taqaddum," he said.

With double the shipments coming from both the main exchanges located on Al Asad and Al Taqaddam, Marines in Sahl Sinjar can now expect to see greater quantities of goods and a larger variety of merchandise at the PX.

"If there wasn't a PX out here, I would have to rely on people back home to send me stuff," said Lance Cpl. Lance C. Kleymann, a rifleman with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. "[Having them here] helps out a lot."

• Date Taken: 03.20.2009
• Date Posted: 03.20.2009 15:26
• Story ID: 31401
• Location: SAHL SINJAR, IQ