Photo By Sgt. Robert M. England | Soldiers from the 66th Engineer Company, attached to the 225th Brigade Support...... read more read more
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CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – Even while concentrating a majority of their efforts on advising, training and assisting Iraqi security forces during Operation New Dawn, U.S. forces still focus on safety for U.S. soldiers and Iraqi citizens living on and around military bases across Iraq.
Soldiers of 66th Engineer Company, attached to 225th Brigade Support Battalion, “Task Force 225,” 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, performed a controlled burn along a stretch of perimeter fencing, April 6, at Contingency Operating Base Warhorse in the Diyala province of northern Iraq.
“It contributes to the protection of our forces and the Iraqi people when we clear the overgrown brush causing obscuration so that the force protection barriers, the fence line and the guard towers can provide us with that protection throughout Operation New Dawn,” said 1st Lt. Andrew Schmidt, platoon leader, 66th Eng. Company.
Schmidt, from Sweet Home, Ore., said this need for a clear field of vision brought about the plan to conduct a controlled burn to clear the overgrown brush in order to better protect American troops and contractors at COB Warhorse.
“We do not have a torch or flamethrower as part of our standard-issue equipment to burn the undergrowth, so we had to acquire that from another unit,” said Schmidt.
The 66th Eng. Company soldiers combined resources with 617th Engineer Battalion, based out of Joint Base Balad, to acquire a terra torch—a specialized flamethrower designed for clearing operations.
Schmidt said his soldiers and non-commissioned officers immediately went to work researching the equipment and studying the training manual. Several of Schmidt’s NCOs brought clearing experience from past deployments to help train younger soldiers, he added.
Spc. Matthew Chambers, a combat engineer from Lake Fenton, Mich., said he received a thorough training session before manning the torch.
“My NCOs ran me through the whole process,” he said. “They taught me about the fuel mixtures and how to get the hoses set up for operation.”
In addition to the training, Schmidt explained the amount of planning and preparation that precedes a clearing operation that involves the use of a fire.
Moisture and humidity may hinder the burning process while high winds increase the risk of the fire spreading, he said.
“Before we come out to burn, the first thing we do is check the weather ahead of time,” said Schmidt. “Then we select an area to start the pre-burn process.”
Prior to starting the actual burning process, Schmidt said his engineers established fire breaks to provide a last line of defense by cutting off the flame’s fuel supply in the event that a controlled burn spreads faster than expected.
In this case, Schmidt said his soldiers used bulldozers to clear away patches of vegetation to supplement the natural fire breaks along a creek and nearby roadways.
“This gives us a nice, confined space in which we don’t have to worry about the fire getting out of control,” Schmidt said.
The fuel mixture shot through the open flame, sending a concentrated stream of flaming fuel up to 50 feet away. Chambers moved slowly, allowing the flames to engulf the dry brush, ensuring not to shoot the fire stream into the wind so the controlled burn remained manageable.
Schmidt said his engineers took many precautionary measures to prevent avoidable accidents, especially in the vicinity of the fire.
“When we are operating the equipment, we have a minimum of three personnel,” he said. “We have one pump operator standing by about 50 feet away with a fire blanket, we have our medic present with all his first aid equipment, and of course the [torch] operator.”
Each soldier’s uniform played an important role, Schmidt said. The torch operators wore flame retardant uniforms, hoods and gloves to protect them from the flames while fending off heat exhaustion.
“We wanted the operator to be protected while still maintaining mobility, and the lightweight uniform also allows for ventilation,” he added.
After spending some time operating the torch, Chambers reflected on the importance of the lightweight protective gear.
“It was extremely hot, we’re already in the middle of the desert and on top of that I was just a few feet away from the flames,” said Chambers. “Plus, the [torch] gets really heavy after a while, so the lightest gear possible really helps to prevent heat injuries.”
All the safety precautions paid off as the 66th Eng. Company conducted the controlled burn without incident and cleared overgrown areas around the base perimeter.
Schmidt said force protection remains a critical element to the brigade’s mission to advise, train and assist the ISF while preserving safety for U.S. soldiers and the Iraqi public, and this clearing operation served to raise that protection level.
“It’s important for us as U.S. forces to ensure not only the protection of the forces on this base, but also the Iraqi civilians around the outside of the base,” said Schmidt.
| Date Taken: | 04.06.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 04.14.2011 14:22 |
| Story ID: | 68758 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, IQ |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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