Convoy prep makes a smooth run

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Anita Stratton | Sgt. Raul Llopis, a convoy escort team truck commander with 1055th Transportation Company, Task Force Guardian, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, checks fuel levels on the trucks before heading out. The CET provides security for third country national and American owned trucks. Pre-trip inspections help to alleviate issues further down the road.  

CAMP ADDER, IRAQ

01.24.2010

Story by Spc. Anita Stratton 

41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team

CAMP ADDER, Iraq--Convoys travel up and down the roads in Iraq every day, some with up to 100 tractor/trailers and security vehicles. They bring supplies, food and fuel to all parts of the country. It is generally a smooth running operation. Everything changes when a breakdown occurs. The Soldiers of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team provide security for the trucks on the road.

First, the Convoy Escort Team checks the drivers' necessary paper work, such as border crossing card, visa and/or passport depending on the route and destination and where the driver is from. The trucks escorted by the CET, American owned and third country national, are driven by people from Russia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Before they head out, they also perform basic pre-trip inspections on the trucks.

"We started doing it in the beginning [of the deployment]," said Sgt. Raul Llopis, a Greenville, S.C., native, and CET truck commander for the 1055th attached to the 41st IBCT. "We didn't know how important it was until we noticed some of the trucks were having trouble."

The Soldiers check tires for cracks in the tires and to see if they are properly inflated. They make sure the fuel tanks have enough fuel for the trip.

"Every trip has a different requirement," Llopis said.

Delays on the road can cause issues with schedules and safety.

"We do not want to get stuck in the middle of the road," said Llopis.

• Date Taken: 01.24.2010
• Date Posted: 03.10.2010 09:58
• Story ID: 46444
• Location: CAMP ADDER, IQ