Camp Vance chaplain's assistant constructs forging shop

Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Patrick Patterson carries the ladder to support his weight to later climb up to the newly installed wood roof of the newly built Forging Shop at Camp Vance, Afghanistan. The forging shop will have many tools so that every service member assigned to Camp Vance can build their own bladed weapon. This will give the troops a hobby while deployed while learning a new skill and also fellowship with the chaplain. The entire Forging Shop was built by the hands of the chaplain and Patterson. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt Carmen A. Cheney Combined Joint Special Task Force Afghanistan, Combat Camera Center)  

AFGHANISTAN

04.03.2010

Story by Senior Airman Elliott Sprehe 

NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan

Thanks to some creativity and engineering, a knife-forging shop is now available for use at Camp Vance; an idea from Maj. David Spears, chaplain, and some manual labor from him and Staff Sgt. Patrick Patterson, chaplain assistant.

The idea for the shop originated out of Ft. Bragg, N.C., after a master bladesmith visited the post. The idea stuck with Spears, who thought it would be a therapeutic skill forsoldiers deployed to Afghanistan.

Spears set out to make the shop a reality with the assistance of Patterson.

Patterson, who has been a chaplain assistant for less than two years, has always wanted to go above and beyond the duties required of him as a chaplain assistant and felt this would be a great opportunity to continue to grow as an individual and a non-commissioned officer.

In addition to leading the music program for the chapel here, Patterson has also learned the art of carpentry under the mentorship of Spears; he recently built a 600 square foot deck at his house in North Carolina.

Utilizing those skills in the brand new forging shop, located adjacent to the MWR building, the entire structure was constructed as a "labor of love" by Patterson and Spears, who put up the frame, walls, roof, and built workbenches for the equipment.

"It's all very high-quality stuff," said Spears, who helped to procurer all the equipment, stock and raw materials. "When going through the training classes, everyone will get to spend time with us and get some ministry while learning a new skill."

New skills are what Patterson is constantly striving to acquire. A former field artilleryman, he is always looking for professional growth, as demonstrated by his previous tour to Afghanistan, where he was the first of only five soldiers to receive a battlefield promotion to staff sergeant.

"I like self-fulfillment," said Patterson. "It's not fulfilling to do the bare minimum."

Constructing a forging shop to be used by all the soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen here certainly goes above and beyond the bare minimum.

With the help and hard work of Patterson and Spears, everyone interested in how to create their own knife or blade can now do so. And in doing so, maybe they, too, can go above and beyond the bare minimum.

• Date Taken: 04.03.2010
• Date Posted: 04.19.2010 01:40
• Story ID: 48313
• Location: AF