Photo By Sgt. Robert Adams | CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (Oct. 1, 2005) - Soldiers from Headquarters Support Company,...... read more read more
Spc. Robert Adams
11th PAD
Soldiers from the 844th Engineer Battalion, an Army Reserve unit headquartered out of Knoxville, Tenn., have completed a total of 398 missions so far on military installations in Kuwait.
The combat heavy engineer battalion is in charge of working on all construction projects in Kuwait to include forming and paving roads, building berms, portable living areas and maintenance shelters, installing plumbing and electricity and leveling land.
Around the clock, their work never stops. These Soldiers sweat so future servicemembers can live under better conditions and move faster to complete their missions.
Soldiers from the 844th Engineer Battalion, an Army Reserve unit headquartered out of Knoxville, Tenn., have completed a total of 398 missions so far on military installations in Kuwait.
The combat heavy engineer battalion is in charge of working on all construction projects in Kuwait to include forming and paving roads, building berms, portable living areas and maintenance shelters, installing plumbing and electricity and leveling land.
"Our job is to support the infrastructure of Kuwait and do what needs to be done to move troops north," said Maj. Erik S. Taylor, 844th Eng. Bn. executive officer.
"Soldiers are sleeping in tents we constructed and driving on roads we built. We've been instrumental in providing life support for Soldiers."
Some of the major projects completed have been at Camp Buehring, the final site for Soldiers to test equipment and receive training before they roll north into Iraq.
The unit added 30 to 50 percent more acreage to Buehring by extending the outside berms, built the new 210-acre ammunition supply point, and paved the roads of the convoy live fire portion of the Udairi Range.
"This has really made an impact for units deploying to Iraq," said Maj. Jim Daffron, 844th Eng. Bn. operations officer.
The unit has even built bench seating in Bradley Fighting Vehicles and frames under the vehicles to store bags for units heading into battle.
"We might not be the ones fighting up north â?¦ but it feels good to help the troops before they do," said Spc. James Robinson, Bravo Company, 844th Eng. Bn. equipment operator.
The unit has also transformed much of Camp Arifjan. Soldiers built a loading dock and put up pre-engineered buildings all over camp, and in Zone 6 they added a sewer system, formed gravel parking areas, and are finishing up paving roads and building a new sports-field complex there.
"It's nice to see that the camp can grow due to our work," said Sgt. Sean Watson, Headquarters Support Company, 844th Eng. Bn. equipment operator.
"It makes me feel good to improve this place," added Spc. Jarrett White, HSC, 844th Eng. Bn. heavy equipment operator. "They keep us busy."
The unit has also gotten the chance to send troops to southern Iraq for force protection engineer missions and to Egypt where they participated in Operation Bright Star by providing electrical, plumbing and construction support.
The Soldiers have put in many hours under the sun helping transform each camp.
"About 95 percent of the work we do is physically strenuous and dangerous," said Staff Sgt. Richard Blair, Co. B, 844th Eng. Bn. construction site supervisor.
"There is a lot of grunt work â?¦ which can be a physically demanding aspect."
To deploy here, the battalion, which is made up of a headquarters company and three line units, had to add many cross-level and Individual Ready Reserve Soldiers to its ranks. The unit deployed with Soldiers from 38 states.
"I consider it a cross-section of America," Taylor said.
It's hard coming into a unit already established â?¦ but after awhile you become apart of the team, said Sgt. Timothy Ney, B Co., 844th Eng. Bn., who cross-leveled from a reserve unit in Idaho.
This is also many Soldiers" first time in the field, so they have gotten the opportunity to learn many different engineering job fields.
"Since this is many Soldiers" first deployment â?¦ they have to think on their feet and take what they have learned at one site to the next," Blair said.
"I have gotten the chance to learn a lot about engineering and construction," said Robinson, who deployed to Kuwait right after basic and advanced training. "I have enjoyed the experience and want to come back as a civilian contractor."
The unit arrived here in December and hopes to be home before Christmas.
"We started running the day we got off the plane â?¦ started building 15 kilometers of berms," Taylor said.
When the unit is at home it is preparing to go to war. It did this by building bridges and park projects in Tennessee and through real-world missions out of the country in Central America and Europe.
"We are performing a war-time mission now â?¦ but even if they weren't deployed they would be performing real-world missions abroad," Taylor said.
In the past three years, the battalion has been deployed to Germany to build an urban-warfare training site, to Romania to build one school and refurbish another, and to Guatemala to build two schools and help with a third.
"As an engineer construction asset â?¦ we get a lot of opportunities to go overseas and build things," said Capt. Marty Lepak, Headquarters Support Company, 844th Eng. Bn. battle captain. "We have something to show what we've done after we are finished."
The unit is on the last stretch of its deployment and the Soldiers are proud of their work.
Ney said, "It's nice to be able to help out and know you accomplished something."
| Date Taken: | 10.04.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2005 12:15 |
| Story ID: | 3162 |
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| Web Views: | 308 |
| Downloads: | 71 |
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