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Mechanics spread out to better serve

Photo By Staff Sgt. Engels Tejeda | Spc. Anthony Pak, a generator mechanic turned light wheeled vehicle mechanic with the...... read more read more

12.01.2005

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

Staff Sgt. Engels Tejeda
207th MPAD Journalist

When Spc. Anthony Pak deployed to Iraq late last year, he knew he would not be doing his primary military occupation. The 21-year-old Columbus, Ohio resident joined the Army as a generator mechanic, but his unit, the 211th Maintenance Company, sent him to Camp Charlie, where there are no Army-maintained generators. Pak realized he would simply have to adapt and overcome. He was in for an adventure.

"I've learned Spanish. I've learned to say hi in Polish, Mongolian, I've learned a lot," Pak said.

Camp Charlie is a Coalition hub about 100 miles south of Baghdad where only about 40 out of some 1,500 coalition troops are Americans. The Polish and Salvadoran armies lead the camp, with Mongolian, Latvian, Slovakian, Lithuanian, and Romanian troops making up the rest. Pak's group, under the leadership of a team from New York's 145th Maintenance Company, provided crucial support to the coalition forces as the only fully operational mechanic shop on post.

"We had some of the Lithuanians help out," Pak said, noting that a few of the forces brought some mechanics who were able to use the American equipment. "It gets kind of difficult when they say something to you and you reply, then you both have to pull out your Lithuanian or Polish-English dictionary."

The language barrier was a challenge, but the Soldiers adapted, just as they adapted the rest of the mission to its unique needs.

For instance, Soldiers with the 211th had to merge two traditionally separate sections of a maintenance shop into one because of the size of the team, said Sgt. 1st Class Randy Hinkle, the section's NCO.

Normally, a military maintenance shop is split between two sections. The "organizational maintenance" section deals with quick repairs and trouble shooting, as well as with routine checkups. This section deals with periodic checkups, oil changes, and tire switches, among other things.

The "direct support" section, by contrast, makes major vehicular fixes such as engine replacements and transmission removals. Because the two sections use different tools and different human resources, the Army has traditionally separated them. But Hinkle said that recently the Army has been moving toward merging the two sections, giving customers a one-stop shop that can meet all their vehicular maintenance needs.

His team tested the combined system, and reported positive feedback.

"They've been very independent in accomplishing this mission," said 2nd Lt. Brian Smyser, a platoon leader who serves as the direct officer in charge of the team. "There are few Americans there and the Coalition has few trucks. The trucks are constantly on the road and mechanics have to do miracles for some of the trucks."

As of November, the shop had fielded over 650 work orders, aside from conducting daily routine checkups on at least four trucks per day.

"It's been great because the National Guard troops came over here, they applied their civilian skills and a lot of them outperformed the rank they have," Hinkle said of his Soldiers from the 211th. "They did a great job."

Hinkle is not the only one noticing his team's success. Each of the Soldiers received the prestigious Multi-National Division Polish Support Badge for their excellence in service.

Capt. Robert Zizolfo, the commander of the 145th, said that the 211th's team worked seamlessly with his team at Charlie.

"They've been working together very well," Zizolfo said. "They had a cohesion that was critical for success and I was pleased to see that happen. I'm very pleased with their overall performance."

The 211th's command at Logistical Support Area Anaconda echoed Zizolfo's comments.

"The camp Charlie mission has been great for the Soldiers because rarely do mechanics get a chance to work hand in hand with Coalition troops," said Capt. John Frye, the 211th's commander. "It was a very visible type of operation, and they did very well."

The Soldiers are scheduled to return to Newark, Ohio, in late December. As for Pak, he is returning to Ohio State University, where he is a college junior majoring in mechanical engineering.

"It's going to be rough going back to school and getting back into studying," Pak said. "But I'm looking forward to going back and readapting."

And as the deployment showed, adaptation is one of the Soldiers" strengths.