Photo By Staff Sgt. James Bunn | Sgt. Kelly W. Childers from Clarksville, Tenn. and Pfc. Cody A. Ray from Tampa, Fla.,...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Waking up every morning for physical training, putting on a uniform and performing personal hygiene is a regular part of most soldiers’ daily routine. After PT they go to work and train, fight or provide support. Regardless of what the soldier’s job, it is important to the success of the Army mission.
One job that is crucial to the success of the Army is that of the mechanic and as with all Soldiers mechanics come from many different backgrounds and have different goals in life.
Sgt. Alan R. Robinson a mechanic from Round Rock, Texas, stationed here at Fort Bragg, with the 188th Brigade Support Battalion, 18th Fires Brigade (Airborne) has been in the Army for 15 years and has been deployed more than once.
“I’ve deployed three times,” said Robinson. “I’ve spent 38 months in Iraq total.”
Robinson has been married for five years and has four stepchildren, two of which have already moved out. He said right now he does not do too many extracurricular activities because he is waiting for his family to arrive from Texas. But he said he enjoys fishing, and would like to get out and fish soon.
“All my fishing stuff is in Texas right now, but I want to get some rods and go fishing,” said Robinson.
Before joining the Army, Robinson worked in a grocery store in the produce department and as a construction worker.
“I worked in the grocery store for five years, and I worked construction for about six months,” said Robinson.
Robinson said with a warm smile on his face and with laughter in his voice, the most rewarding part of his job is working outside and training young soldiers.
“You get to be outside around the soldiers, and you get to work on trucks,” said Robinson. “You get to teach the new guys what you know.”
Sgt. Kelly W. Childers a mechanic from Clarksville, Tenn., said mechanics work on all types of wheeled vehicles. He said they work on engines, transmissions and every other mechanical thing in vehicles ranging from Humvee’s to five-tons.
“Anything that has to do with a wheeled vehicle we fix,” said Childers.
Childers said when a mechanical problem arises they go through and try to figure out what is causing the problem. Childers said the problems that arise differ from truck to truck.
“The truck I got in the bay now has water in the fuel system,” said Childers. "So now we have to try to get all that water out of the system and hope the engines not messed up. If we can’t, then we have to replace the engine. There’s a lot more to it than just replacing the engine. We have to try to figure out why and how it’s getting there.”
As is the case with many soldiers, in addition to being in the Army Childers has a Family and said he likes to spend his free time with them.
“In my free time I stay at home with my family,” said Childers.
Childers like most military members has deployed. He said he has deployed three times in the nine years that he has been in the Army.
Childers said the most rewarding part of his job is there is always something to do.
“It keeps me busy,” said Childers. “There’s always something to do, there’s always something broken.”
Whether fixing the engine of a Humvee or repairing the transmission of a five-ton Army mechanics are making sure the vehicles that soldiers rely on work. They are Soldiers that have ordinary lives like any other soldier and like any other soldier their job is a vital part of the Army mission.
| Date Taken: | 07.22.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 07.22.2010 10:06 |
| Story ID: | 53219 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 281 |
| Downloads: | 219 |
This work, Mechanics keep fires brigade rolling, by SSG James Bunn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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