Photo By Staff Sgt. Melissa Bright | In this image released by the Texas Army National Guard, Lt. Cmdr. Ethan Proper...... read more read more
BAGHDAD -- Lt. Commander Ethan Proper, engineering planning officer for the Camp Prosperity Department of Public Works, received a commission into the Texas Navy by order of Governor Rick Perry and was presented the formal document by Joint Area Support Group Commander Col. Mark Campsey, (72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team), during a short outdoor ceremony Thursday, April 2, on the grounds of the As Salaam Palace.
Proper, an individual augmentee to the Army from the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington D.C., came to Baghdad in October of 2009 to work with the JASG, commanded at that time by the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Wisconsin National Guard.
As the EPO for Camp Prosperity, Proper was entrusted to provide engineering services, technical evaluations, repair and replacement cost estimates, work with local contractors and oversee a variety of other related tasks.
When the 72nd IBCT arrived two months later, Proper was able to share the knowledge he had gained during the short time he spent with the 32nd to make the transition from the Wisconsin DPW team to the Texas folks easier and set the tone for a continuing in a successful mission.
"It was his dedication to the continuity of the team and his commitment to the mission that inspired me," said Master Sgt. Dwayne Reeves, of Irving, Texas.
Reeves had used the nick-name 'Admiral' on Proper since day one in the office, sure that the Lt. Cmdr. would attain that rank in the near future, so it came as a surprise that when Proper told Reeves he would be retiring upon returning to the states.
"He has just done such a good job working with us and I couldn't stand the thought that he wouldn't make Admiral before retirement," said Reeves. "It's the least we could do to thank him for the tremendous amount of work he accomplished."
"So I wrote a letter to the office of Congressman Leo Berman in search of something to honor Proper at the end of his mission."
"Once we did that, a request was sent to Gov. Perry's office and the next thing you know, we have a beautiful certificate to present and a legal commission into the Texas Navy as an Honorary Admiral," said Reeves, JASG DPW project manager non-commissioned officer in charge, 72nd IBCT.
Many challenges marked Proper's time in Iraq, from getting used to the dust storms that would blot out the sun for days to overcoming the language barriers necessary to describe the exact electrical component that would be needed to make vital repairs to indispensable equipment.
But the success in the role of EPO means that very few people will ever know about the crisis you averted or the headaches the most recent project has created, but they will enjoy the benefits of the end result.
"In early February, we were experiencing a water shortage due to unforeseen circumstances with our primary water supply. Within hours, we were able to work with KBR to perform a site survey on the backup water line and get a repair team working. Water was restored within a day and we got out of a potential emergency," said Proper In addition to being in the back ground, coming up with SOPs that suit the environment and make life easier are part and parcel to getting things accomplished in a timely manner.
"When I got here, it was not unusual to take 50 to 60 days to get repair work started in the International Zone, due to a combination of the funding process and the contracting process. In March, we put an innovative contract in place that allows us to work directly with a single local company for general repairs. It's cut down the response time to 5 to 10 days and is making a big impact on our ability to quickly respond to issues on the FOB," he continued.
"To receive this honor, it fills me with pride that a senior NCO in my office took the time to notice and recognize the hardwork the members of his team do every day, I just want them to know how much I appreciate this," said Proper.
Proper will be missed when he returns to Washington D.C., but the 72nd IBCT JASG DPW team is better for the time and guidance he was able to share.
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.05.2010 06:02 |
| Story ID: | 47694 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 1,582 |
| Downloads: | 371 |
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