Iraqi, U.S. Army Engineers join forces, build Tactical Operations Center

Photo By Chief Warrant Officer Jennifer Keefer | Pfc. Jason Steffes (right) of 46th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, stabilizes plywood for a work station while Pvt. Ali Addan Jassem (left) and Pfc. Amir Hamzaa Alwa (right front), of 6th Iraqi Army Division, joins the pieces together. The U.S. and Iraqi engineers are working together at the Baghdad Command Center to construct a Baghdad Operations Center Advisory Team Command Information Center.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

01.12.2009

Story by Chief Warrant Officer Jennifer Keefer 

926th Engineer Brigade

By Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jennifer Keefer
926th Engineer Brigade

CAMP PROSPERITY, Iraq – As the new year begins and the new security agreement is taking affect, causing changes across Iraq, Soldiers from the 46th Engineer Combat Battalion and Iraqi Soldiers from the 6th Iraqi Army Division are conducting business as usual by hammering, sawing, and building at a construction site. This time these Soldiers are working side by side, not just as Iraqis and U.S. but as partners constructing a Tactical Operations Center at the Baghdad Command Center.

Staff Sgt. Ian Jones, the project non-commissioned officer in charge from Newport, N.Y., who has never worked with Iraqi engineers, felt this was "very good for joint relations and assistance to the newly developed Iraqi engineer corps."

The U.S. Soldiers, who consisted mostly of carpenters, plumbers and electricians began the project, Dec. 20, 2008, by stripping the room of its steel dividers. This team was led by 1st. Lt. Virginia Brickner a Van Wert, Ohio native. Brickner, who has never worked with Iraqi engineers before felt this [joint construction] was a "great experience because this is what the engineers are here to do and the improvements are seen immediately." Iraqi army's 2nd Lt. Ibrahem Abel Kathem, a 6th IA engineer officer from Baghdad, on the other hand has worked with U.S. Forces before in Kalsu and Al Hilla to the southeast and was eager to be having this opportunity again. Iraqi Sgt. Fwad Abd Alae, also from Baghdad, has been a carpenter since 1994 and was also happy to be working with the U.S. Soldiers again.

The 6th IA already has been working joint operations in route clearance and route sanitation with the 926 Engineer Brigade, now they will jointly work on construction sites. This site, in particular will be used for the Baghdad Operations Center Advisory Team Command Information Center which consisted of both U.S. and Iraqis working together as well.

This project was initiated two months ago by BOCAT leaders to provide a much more combined operations center, according to Lt. Col. Timothy Lethers, the deputy for BOCAT.

"The original floor plan was not conducive for a TOC, so the walls were removed so that the Iraqis and U.S. could work next to their counterparts," said Lethers. The Ney, Ohio native was very impressed with how fast the project has been going the past several weeks with a projected completion date of Jan. 20.

Capt. Al Lehmann, one of the TOC chief planners, who works in the Construction Effects Operations Center of the 926th Engineer Brigade said, the TOC was based off of U.S. examples that "provided a common operation picture that Iraqis can utilize for command and control."

"This will provide seamless integration for the command at BCC," Lehmann added.

Even though the U.S. and Iraqi soldiers could not speak each other's languages, the use of engineering and carpentry tools and plans are basically universal. The mind of an engineer knows no boundaries.

• Date Taken: 01.12.2009
• Date Posted: 01.12.2009 10:52
• Story ID: 28744
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ