Soldiers move beds in support of drawdown

Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Douglas Pardo from Bloomington, Minn., (left) and Spc. Zechariah Bock from Prescott, Wis., (right) both of the Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team watch as the Terex container handler lifts containers onto truck beds for movement. The containers were moved from the container yard at Camp Arifjan to the tents where the bunks and mattresses were being removed from.  

CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT

11.12.2011

Courtesy Story

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division

By: 1st Lt. Aaron Rindahl

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - Due to the large increase in population of soldiers moving from Iraq to Kuwait, the camps that are scheduled to receive these soldiers are running short on bed space. With time running out to provide the supplies necessary, Area Support Group-Kuwait has ordered redistribution of current living space capacity from Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, to Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

“Need to account for and load out 1400 beds with mattresses and… wall lockers” was the order that came from Lt. Col. Gary Mundfrom, battalion commander for the 1/34 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team. This was not going to be an easy task with only five days to find beds that could be given up, find the resources to move all beds, and prepping them for the haul to Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

As soon as the order was received, the Camp Arifjan Zone 6 Camp Command Cell, commanded by Capt. Christopher Lotzow sprung into action. Since Zone 6 did not have the required beds in their excess inventory, the tents that are used for transient personnel would have to be emptied to meet the requirement. Zone 6 Billeting Officer in Charge 1st Lt. Aaron Rindahl, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, was the first from the camp command cell to be engaged with the project deciding where and when the tents could be emptied.

Even though moving all these bunks to Camp Buehring will limit the capabilities of Camp Arifjan Zone 6 in the future, it is nice to know that we are helping a sister battalion in the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.

To move all 1,400 beds, mattresses and wall lockers, the camp command cell used 40 foot containers to package everything. These containers were moved into place by trucks and large Terex container handlers, usually referred to as a Terex. First Lt. Jon Schliesing, Camp Arifjan Zone 6 container officer in charge, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, arranged the movement of the containers to be loaded. Once the containers were full, 1st Lt. Schliesing had the containers moved to Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

Of course nothing can move without the proper paperwork.

Sgt. Douglas Pardo, the camp command cell supply non-commissioned officer in charge, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team tracked the count of pieces as soldiers piled it all in the containers.

After it was all complete and the necessary movement took place, the camp command cell breathed a sigh of relief having completed another successful mission.

• Date Taken: 11.12.2011
• Date Posted: 11.22.2011 07:40
• Story ID: 80382
• Location: CAMP ARIFJAN, KW