'Lions of Babylon' will roar again

Photo By Christina Bhatti | An Iraqi army soldier from the 2nd tank Battalion, 34th Armor Brigade gives a "thumbs up" after completing a portion of a diagnostic check for a T-72 Main Battle Tank, "Lion of Babylon," at the unit's motorpool on Camp Taji, northwest of Baghdad, Oct. 4, 2008. The Czech Republic army contingent soldiers help the IA soldiers fix, maintain and train on the tanks.  

TAJI, IRAQ

10.07.2008

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Christina Bhatti 

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

By Sgt. 1st Class Christina Bhatti
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The lion's roar hasn't been heard in years. Their gun systems are silent. All that remains of Saddam Hussein's ambitious attempt to develop tank production in Iraq are broken down, barely running vehicles.

Approximately 20 T-72 Main Battle Tanks, nicknamed "Lions of Babylon," have lain dormant for years on Camp Taji, northwest of Baghdad – until now.

Soldiers from the Czech Republic army contingent in Iraq have offered their expertise to Iraqi army soldiers from the 2nd Tank Battalion, 34th Armor Brigade, 9th IA Division to help repair the tank's gunnery systems and get the engines roaring again.

"Our task here is to help the Iraqi army fix their T-72 tanks," said Czech Maj. Frank Gramela, commander of the Czech Republic army contingent in Iraq. "We were asked to help get these tanks ready to shoot."

The Czech Republic has recently upgraded their tank systems to a newer model, but used the T-72 MBT as their primary fighting vehicle for years.

These Czech soldiers were selected because of their expertise on the systems. Knowledge of these battle systems is something U.S. Soldiers do not have, said Maj. Augustus Tutu, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y. and chief of operations of the 34th Military Transition Team.

"Our role was to link the Czech Republic army with the IA," he said. "We have taken a backseat in this operation and are here just to provide advice and assistance if needed."

Gramela said his soldiers are experts in the tanks systems, and this partnership is a give-and-take relationship.

"We share experiences," Gramela said. "We can learn something from them because of their experiences of war and we can share our experience of maintenance with them."

Camp Taji was the building place for the modified T-72 MBT for Iraq's army under Saddam Hussein's regime. Originally a Soviet design, the army assembled their tanks from spare parts sold to them by the Russians. It wasn't until in 1989 that the first Iraqi built T-72 came off the production line at Camp Taji.

But after the U.S. led invasion in 2003 and the fall of Baghdad, many of the tanks were destroyed or abandoned.

Even though the tanks were manufactured at Camp Taji, the soldiers who are fixing the systems have limited spare parts and are forced to work with what they can find in the tank bone yards on the camp, due to no local spare parts depots.

"We are doing the best we can and trying to get spare parts from where ever we can," Gramela said. "It's hard when we are told we can't get any new spare parts."

Even though the soldiers are having difficulty, Gramela said their proficiency and creativity makes up for it.

"They are working hard to get these tanks ready," he said. "They will be ready soon."

Gramela and Tutu say the hope is to repair vehicles for their first firing in years at a range in Besmayah, south of Baghdad later this month.

• Date Taken: 10.07.2008
• Date Posted: 10.07.2008 11:57
• Story ID: 24623
• Location: TAJI, IQ