15th Brigade Support Battalion Soldiers keep the wheels rollin'

Photo By 1st Sgt. Justin A. Naylor | Pvt. Michael Gray, a Houston native and a wheeled vehicle mechanic for Company B, 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, works on the underside of a vehicle at 15th BSB's maintenance bay on Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq, May 1. Gray, and his fellow maintenance Soldiers, keep 15th BSB's vehicles operational and mission ready.  

KIRKUK, IRAQ

05.11.2009

Story by Spc. Justin A. Naylor 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, Iraq - The day before a platoon of Soldiers are slated to go on a mission into Kirkuk city, they find out the fire suppression system in their mine resistant ambush protected vehicle is not working. Without it, a fire could rage uncontrolled through the entire vehicle. Their leadership is relying on this platoon to go on the mission.

That is where the Soldiers of the maintenance section of Company B, 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry, come in.

"We can fix anything with wheels on it," said Spc. Tony Archer, a Porterville, Calif., native and a wheeled vehicle mechanic with Co. B.

The mechanics have to check over all the vehicles before they get dispatched each week, explained Archer.

Considering how many vehicles there are, this is no small task.

"We change out everything from engines to axles," said Archer. "Anything that's broke, we fix it."

There are a lot of big vehicles and big missions that come into the maintenance bay for these mechanics.

"I participated in changing an engine for a palletized load system," explained Archer referring to 27.5 ton vehicle that is used to carry combat configured loads of ammunition, all classes of supply, shelters and containers. "It only took about a week."

"The majority of our maintenance is on bigger vehicles," said Spc. Jason Taylor, a San Antonio, Texas, native, also a mechanic with Co. B.

15th BSB relies on their big vehicles to be up in running; without them, there are no missions "outside the wire."

"Knowing that our troops - the ones we see and live with - are able to take these vehicles out on missions is a big reward," said Archer. "I am supporting my family and friends. I want to make them as safe as possible."

For Soldiers who routinely venture beyond Forward Operating Base Warrior, knowing they can depend on the mechanics to keep their vehicles in good condition is critical.

"We wouldn't have trucks up and running without them," said Pfc. Steven Violette, a Park Forest, Ill., native and a truck driver for Company B. "They are putting their all in it [maintenance] to ensure that we don't get stuck out there."

"It is great knowing that these trucks go out on a mission, and I made them work and made their missions possible," explained Taylor.

Each Soldiers has his own reason for choosing this job.

"I've always liked doing mechanical work," explained Archer. "This has helped me work on my own vehicles. It has taught me to troubleshoot and be more clear-minded when I am presented with a problem."

"It's awesome to take things apart and put them back together," said Taylor. "I would recommend this job to anyone interested in vehicles."

With hot weather fast approaching, being under a big metal vehicle is not where most people would want to be, but the mission of the maintenance Soldiers won't stop.

"I wouldn't want to do anything else in the Army," said Taylor.

• Date Taken: 05.11.2009
• Date Posted: 05.11.2009 19:13
• Story ID: 33491
• Location: KIRKUK, IQ