Courtesy Photo | Lt. Col. Phil Appleton, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd...... read more read more
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By Staff Sgt. Pat Caldwell
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - One might call it déjà vu.
Lt. Col. Phil Appleton, the commander of eastern Oregon’s 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), is no stranger to Joint Base Balad.
The battalion, consisting of National Guard units from across eastern Oregon, arrived here in late November as part of a yearlong deployment process.
Appleton, who grew up in La Grande, Ore., spent his first tour of duty in Iraq at the former Iraq Air Force base. Back then, though, the facility was in shambles. Pounded by American air power during the invasion of Iraq, the base was basically closed down.
“It was dusty, tore up,” he said. Appleton’s unit from Lake Oswego, Ore., was essentially tasked with helping the U.S. Army rebuild the base.
“We were able to get a lot repaired,” he said. “Many of the things we started or completed are still in place. There is running water, a second sewer treatment plant. All the dining facilities we planned are in place and completed.”
One of the biggest challenges early on at Balad was repairing and sometimes creating the base communication system.
Appleton, who worked at a telecom company in civilian life before his deployment in 2003, toiled with another officer to help create a new communication blueprint for the base.
As the Army developed a plan to link the base with fiber optics, it encountered a number of hurdles, each one seemingly more complex than the one before. Eventually, Appleton enlisted the assistance of network engineers at his former company and developed a project analysis for the Army.
“I knew the base was going to be a substantial presence,” he said.
The crucial issue to building a strong communication network was initial planning and viable expectations. Appleton said placing the right amount of “wire” for a communication system as the lines are dug was pivotal.
“If you put a shovel in the ground, you have to lay enough wire so you never have to dig it up,” he said.
Appleton said he takes pride from the fact his Guard unit played such a key role in JBB’s early history. He also conceded that the situation in Iraq is far different than the one he encountered in 2003.
“It is good to see the Iraqis take more control of their own country,” he said.
He admitted, however, that while a transformation is evident, it will not arrive overnight.
“No, [Iraq] will never be America,” said Appleton. “It will take generations to change.”
Appleton said knowing the base before his arrival delivered many advantages, including one big one.
“I don’t have the same ‘have to get used to everything on the base’ [attitude],” he said. “I already know where everything is.”
| Date Taken: | 12.15.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.19.2010 07:44 |
| Story ID: | 62265 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 97 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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