Mechanics battle Taliban, snow, terrain to keep vehicles working

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Aird | Spc. Nathan Bolt-Ray, a mechanic from California in Bravo Troop, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, turns a wrench while fixing a radiator on Forward Operating Base Keating in Nuristan province, Afghanistan, Feb. 28.  

NURISTAN PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

03.12.2008

Courtesy Story

173rd Airborne Brigade

By Staff Sgt. Brandon Aird
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Mechanics from Bravo Troop, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, complete numerous odd jobs beside their average nuts and bolts mechanic work in Nuristan province, Afghanistan.

The mechanics are stationed at Forward Operating Base Keating located in a valley between a junction of two snow-melt fed rivers in the Hindu Kush Mountain Range. Vehicle roll overs, flash floods, road wash outs, rock and snow avalanches are just a few of the hazards that make maintaining vehicles a challenge.

During the winter months, both Taliban extremist and coalition forces are forced to stay near their homes and bases, or face battling the elements.

"One of the things about the snow, when it fell, it made things very difficult around here," said Spc. Larry Gonzales, a 33-year-old construction and vehicle repair mechanic from east Los Angeles, Calif.

During winter more than four feet of snow fell in the valley. Combat Outpost Warheit, which over looks FOB Keating, had over eight feet of snow. The snow made movement extremely difficult.

"Mobile wise, air wise, water wise- everything was freezing up," explained Gonzales. "The fuel even started to gel."

When the snow receded, Soldiers on FOB Keating were able to start on projects, which previously were hindered by the snow.

Gonzales and Spc. Nathan Bolt-Ray, a mechanic in Bravo Troop, worked on a Humvee that was damaged during a previous fire fight, Feb. 22.

"We're replacing the radiator in the Humvee," said Bolt-Ray, who's originally from California. "The radiator took shrapnel from a RPG (rocket propelled grenade) during a fire fight."

Bravo Troop, according to Bolt-Ray, has only taken the Troop's Humvee's out a handful of times. Most of Bravo Troop's patrols are by foot.

"As you can see by the bullet holes in a lot of these vehicles trunks, they've taken quite the beating," explained Bolt-Ray. "The roads... I guess you can call them that also take their turn beating on the vehicles."

The two mechanics worked through the day, and by night fall were able to fix the radiator. Without any more vehicles, to fix the two mechanics went back to their odd jobs around the forward operating base.

A few days later, the fork lift broke down on the landing zone during an air resupply mission. The two mechanics from California grabbed their tools and went back to work.

• Date Taken: 03.12.2008
• Date Posted: 03.19.2008 08:21
• Story ID: 17522
• Location: NURISTAN PROVINCE, AF