Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Gabriel Faulkner, of Blackfoot, Idaho, senior power plant operator of 249th...... read more read more
Sgt. Rice, Ashly 101st Sustainment Brigade
13 December 2005
Q-WEST BASE COMPLEX, Iraq " Armed with hard hats, interacting with local villages or inspecting the buildings of Q-West Base Complex, Soldiers of Facility Engineer Team 22 are happy to lend a helping hand.
FET Team 22 is a Reserve unit out of Fort Devens, Mass., comprised of 35 teams of seven personnel from different states across the United States. Two noncommissioned officers and five officers with expertise in environmental, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering use their skills to construct a better quality of life at Q-West and surrounding towns.
Located in what the team refers to as 'the nicest building on post," Lt. Col. Dan Gregory, of Lowell, Mass., team commander, oversees environmental, horizontal construction, electrical, utilities and vertical construction sections.
"[We] touch every piece of engineering on base when we do something. It has been enjoyable to be able to interact with local villages and the kids," said Gregory.
Since arriving in Q-West in July 2005, master planning for all logistics and support buildings serves is FET 22's main mission. The unit's services bring improvements to the area.
"The work is rewarding," said Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Stepp, of Harrisburg, Pa., FET 22 construction inspector.
"We are providing jobs for half a dozen contractors on base, upgrading skill levels [to] how things are done in this industry in the states," said Capt. Richard Long, of Sellersville, Pa., FET 22 utilities and vertical construction OIC.
"Environmental baseline studies are conducted through every building on base to ensure when we leave, nothing left behind is our fault, saving taxpayers potentially millions," said Gregory.
FET 22 reviews all construction on Q-West and developed construction codes based on international standards with the 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron, a unit of Air Force engineers.
"[We] develop statements of work to oversee the water tower, pumps and storage, [and] we're designing water storage lagoons for 9 million gallons of water for the base," said Long. "We oversee base infrastructure and fiber-optic installation, prime power, water and sewer systems."
Twice a month, FET 22 travels to Qayyarah, a town outside of the base, where the Tigris River Pump Station is located. This pump station supplies local villages and the base with water.
During the utilities and vertical construction section visits, the engineers fix damage to the pumps and find and stop illegal taps into the water system.
"The biggest issue is the water situation between here and the pumping station," said Stepp.
The team looks forward to helping out, but not only in the field of engineering. Stacks of boxes with supplies and toys fill the team commander's office.
"Whoever needs help, come on over," said Gregory. "Anyone who wants to distribute boxes, come on by and grab some."
USAR
| Date Taken: | 12.31.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2005 12:19 |
| Story ID: | 4244 |
| Location: | QAYYARAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 274 |
| Downloads: | 58 |
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