Where there's heavy metal, there's Company B

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt | Spc. Keith Jennings, metal worker with Company B, 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, welds a bracket to the front of an M1114 humvee here May 4.  

TAJI, IRAQ

05.10.2006

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt 

1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

CAMP TAJI, Iraq When most think of heavy metal, their first thoughts are of long-haired guys playing in bands such as Metallica, Iron Maiden or AC/DC, but on Camp Taji, the first thoughts many have are the Soldiers of the Service and Recovery Company.

The Service and Recovery Co., or Co. B, 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, specializes in anything made of metal. From making a clearing barrel, to fabricating a specialized tool, to pulling a broken-down tracked vehicle into Camp Taji from outside the camp, the Soldiers stay busy all the time.

"We can build anything made of metal," said Chief Warrant Officer Mark Davis, allied trades technician with the company. "Any kind of fabrication that's needed in support of the mission, we do it here. We make the big round bumpers for the front of the humvee, so when they (Soldiers of units who patrol outside the camp) have to push something out of the way, they can do it without damaging the vehicle."

Since the three-man shop arrived in Taji, the Soldiers have conducted a vast array of metal welding missions in addition to conducting 20 recovery missions. They even constructed the protective glass surrounding some of the 1st BCT gunners, who somewhat resemble what Pope John Paul II looked like when he rode in his protected vehicle.

"The best part of my job is I get to play with fire and be creative," said Sgt. Brian Kilough, a Corpus Christi, Texas, native, and also the senior welder. "Creativity is the key and welding is an art."

Even though the Soldiers are behind the scenes of the 1st BCT mission, they feel they are making a real contribution in the war on terror.

"We are helping Soldiers do what they have to do to get the job done," Davis added. "If we do our job right, they have less to worry about and it's a help to the guys who go outside the fence."

"If something breaks and I fix it, I feel proud that I'm helping others out," said Spc. Keith Jennings, a metal worker with Co. B, who is in Iraq for the second time. "The best part of my job is we are always busy, and when you are busy, time goes by faster. I love this job."

• Date Taken: 05.10.2006
• Date Posted: 05.10.2006 10:09
• Story ID: 6339
• Location: TAJI, IQ