Photo By Master Sgt. Andrew Lee | Staff Sgt. Jedidiah Brown, 321st Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintainer,...... read more read more
CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq - Noticing someone’s ongoing need for help and volunteering to lend a hand is an open-hearted and noble act. Two deployed units at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Iraq, did just that.
As the Iraqi military continuously brought in vehicles asking for help or to have them repaired by U.S. forces, members of the 321st Expeditionary Logistical Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance flight and the base transition team opted to create training classes to improve the Iraqi forces’ ability to work on their own vehicles.
Both units knew they couldn’t do it alone, they chose to combine their efforts and maximize their support to get the classes going.
The Iraqis have many U.S. purchased tools to fix any mechanical problem. Supplies alone will not fix a broken vehicle, but paired with the knowledge of how to restore it will.
“They would keep coming to us with problems with their vehicles and would need help,” said 1st Lt Derrick Holton, a BTT adviser. “We knew if our units worked together, we could get this started and give these guys the preventative maintenance training they deserve to help them in the future.”
In less than a month, the team has conducted more than 80 hours of training. They’ve taught mechanics on various types of vehicles ranging from normal passenger vehicles to humvees and crane trucks.
“The time we’ve spent with them has been something new and a great experience for me,” Staff Sgt. Jedidiha Brown, vehicle maintenance customer servicenon-commissioned officer in-charge. “Any way we can help our Iraqi partners and enable them is an excellent way.”
The team has taught basic and advanced mechanics some of the skills needed to expand their range of familiarity.
“We taught the essential trouble shooting and equipment safety to overall humvee mechanics and transmission training,” said Sgt. Brown, who is deployed from F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. “They’re really picking all this up and picking our brains at the same time too.”
Working a busy schedule while still having time to care, vehicle maintenance and the BTT don’t regret the decision they made a couple months ago when they started the process to make the teaching official.
“If we see somebody that needs help, we’re going to try and help them,” said Lieutenant Holton, who is deployed from Grand Forks AFB, N.D. “At the same time it is nice to help build a credible and self-sufficient air force for the government of Iraq.”
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2011 04:08 |
| Story ID: | 70014 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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