Soldiers renovate group headquarters

Photo By Staff Sgt. Ty Stafford | Pvt. Shawn Rounds, 64th Corps Support Group, saws the plywood floor to the new entry control point at the main entrance to the group headquarters.  

12.08.2005

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

Many Soldiers are seen inside a large gazebo seeking a reprieve from the hot sun under its wood and rafter enclosure. This gazebo and other facility improvements make life a little easier for the Soldiers using them.

With more than 150 projects under their belt, Sgt. Mark Kinder, Pvt. Bryce Lyons and Pvt. Shawn Rounds use their skills to help build the 64th Corps Support Group's headquarters facility at Logistical Support Area Al Asad into a small utopia.

All the Soldiers working on the projects are using civilian-acquired skills to accomplish the mission.

"We are both 88Ms [truck driver]," Rounds said of himself and Lyons, "and Sgt. Kinder is a mechanic."

Both Rounds and Lyons recently graduated from Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Miss.

"We both got to Fort Hood and were reassigned to the 64th and now we are working here," Lyons said.

"We're jacks-of-all trades," Lyons added.

Arriving in September, the Soldiers began creating shelves, tables and chairs to improve the working conditions. But after completing those tasks, the Soldiers were asked to stay on to help area beautification.

Given the green light from the command, the Soldiers went to work creating gazebos, foot stools and cubicles for the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Room and privacy screens for showers, to name a few items.

"Some of the projects we come up with on our own, but most of them are on a need basis, like the door lock installations for the offices and shelving units," Rounds said.

Usually, working without plans of any type, the Soldiers create the structures using equipment and lumber supplied by the 64th CSG.

"So far our biggest project is the large gazebo, which took us about two weeks to build," Rounds said.

The gazebo, located behind the main headquarters is not only used for a break area, but also for meetings for larger groups.

"The gazebo was put up pretty quickly and each project seems to be an improvement on the last one built," said Sgt. Matthew Nelson, chaplain assistant for the 64th CSG. Nelson along with Maj. Richard Graves, chaplain, use the gazebo often.

"These guys are dedicated to their job, they're always working." Graves said. "I think they are giving the Seabees a run for their money."

The detail doesn't foresee any changes to their mission while they are stationed at Al Asad, but they enjoy what they're doing.

"It's nice to see what we've done and how the Soldiers and the command respond to what we've made," Rounds said. The detail is currently working on a new Entry Control Point at the main entrance to the group headquarters and is slated for another project to begin in December.

• Date Taken: 12.08.2005
• Date Posted: 12.08.2005 07:58
• Story ID: 3988