Photo By Sgt. Mitch Armbruster | Soldiers with the C Company 84th Engineer Battalion work on clearing a pot hole of old...... read more read more
FORWARD OPERATING BASE ENDURANCE, Iraq - Construction on streets and highways is a common and often aggravating experience for people in cities and towns all over the United States.
It's also a hassle for servicemembers driving on the roads of Iraq, but Soldiers of C Company, 84th Engineer Battalion, from Fort Richardson, Alaska, work hard maintaining the alternate supply routes around Forward Operating Base Endurance to alleviate those problems.
The work the Soldiers do before a mission reflects on the great strides they have made doing rapid pothole repair in the area.
Soldiers prepare gun trucks, trailers and equipment for the night missions outside the FOB. Maintenance and fueling take place on trucks while other Soldiers concentrate on getting supplies such as food and water, ammunition and tools.
They are thorough in their preparation, which leads to a strong performance during missions.
The repair team has fixed approximately 50 potholes and three major road repairs in a month, according to 2nd Lt. Kurtis Schaaf.
On Feb. 14, the Soldiers accomplished their first pothole repair mission and they have been working hard ever since.
"These guys set the battalion record for most holes repaired in a night with 16," Schaaf said.
Although 16 holes may not seem like much, the work they do to fill the potholes or washouts is immense. They cut out asphalt, shovel away debris and stamp the earth before filling the holes with concrete.
"They work hard and are a great group of guys," said Spc. Arjim Auto, a medic with the 84th. "These guys work fast."
Auto supports the Soldiers by lending the Soldiers a hand when he isn't providing medical care.
Pfc. Joshua Sanford, a combat engineer with the 84th, said Soldiers have something to be proud of when the result of their hard work ends in setting a record.
Schaaf stated numerous times: his Soldiers work hard. He explained he couldn't be more proud of the work they've done. Often, these Soldiers will work into the early morning hours and have to be back out the same day.
"The guys love the mission and what they are doing," Schaaf said. "It was slow moving at first, but now we are starting to get missions stacked on top of each other."
The Soldiers fixed 12 holes under a moon lit sky on March 14th. A security team from the 84th kept the Soldiers worry free so they could concentrate on the potholes they were repairing.
The work the 84th has been doing around Endurance eliminates holes for possible improvised explosive devices but it also makes the ride smoother for those Soldiers, civilian contractors and Iraqi citizens in their vehicles.
"We're trying to make a positive impact in the country," Schaaf said.
| Date Taken: | 03.30.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 03.30.2006 09:42 |
| Story ID: | 5905 |
| Location: | QAYYARAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 242 |
| Downloads: | 19 |
This work, Rapid pothole repair team keeps vehicles on Iraq roads, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
