The 'Truck Stop' waits for drivers in Al Anbar province

Photo By Master Sgt. Keith Milks | Marines from Truck Company, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group (Forward) and other units use computers with internet access inside the Convoy Support Center aboard Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, March 12, 2009, as they wait to launch on a combat logistics convoy. The CSC, or Truck Stop as it is commonly known, provides convoy operators a place to sleep, shower, and grab a bite to eat while transiting Multi-National Force-West.  

AL TAQADDUM, IRAQ

03.21.2009

Courtesy Story

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

By Multi-National Force - West Public Affairs

CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq – According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in early 2009 there were approximately 5,000 truck stops throughout the continental United States that provided a host of services to road weary, long-haul drivers. Men and women can pull into these large facilities and grab a quick shower, sack out for a few hours, or scarf down a quick meal before hitting the road once again.

Thousands of miles away from these roadside businesses, a nondescript building in Iraq's Al Anbar province stands ready to provide similar services to drivers dressed not in blue jeans and ball caps, but desert uniforms and body armor.

The Convoy Support Center aboard Camp Al Taqaddum provides service members on the move through Iraq's western province of Al Anbar with a place to temporarily call home.

"We provide transient housing for Army, Marine, Air Force and contractor convoys that stop off in Al Taqaddum," said Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Christy, a food service specialist with the Army's 81st Brigade Combat Team who currently serves as the military manager of the CSC. "It gives the drivers and crews a break from a long convoy."

Christy, a former Navy petty officer who resides on the premises to support visitors 24 hours a day, says his primary function is to serve as a liaison between the visitors and the small staff of civilian workers who work at the CSC and to ensure the facility's visitors are well cared for.

According to Christy, in years past, convoy personnel stopping at TQ were thrown into whatever accommodations were available, which often sacrificed unit integrity for expedience.

"The CSC can house up to 400 people at a time in living areas segregated for men and women," Christy said, adding that an average day can bring anywhere from 80 to 150 people into the facility.

The irregular hours at which convoys pulled into the base also meant that the dining facility would often be closed, posing a problem with getting the Marines fed. Christy counters this by keeping the CSC fully stocked with snacks, drinks and prepackaged meals for consumption by convoy crewmembers.

Although the CSC sits within a stone's throw of Camp Al Taqaddum's main living, work and recreation areas, the individuals visiting the CSC have little cause to go elsewhere.

"We offer our visitors a bunk, food, shower and day room with TVs, games and books," Christy added. "By far the most popular thing we have is the Internet connections and phones. If someone is here, even when they should be sleeping, people are online or calling home."

"It gives the Marines a nice place to stay," said Cpl. Wiliam Coash, a motor transport operator with Truck Company, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group (Forward). "It allows us to stay together as a unit so if our schedule changes we can all be found quickly. The Internet lets us to tell our families we're okay and this keeps up our morale."

Affectionately called "the barn," but more commonly referred to as "the truck stop," the CSC aboard TQ exists through government funding and donations from private citizens, who have enabled Christy and his predesscors to accumulate a stockpile of DVDs, games, televisions and books that helps visiting service members and DoD contractors whittle away the hours as they wait to hit the road once again.

Although other CSCs exist throughout Iraq, Christy is exceptionally proud of what his 'customers,' who are mainly Marines assigned to Multi-National Force - West, find when they visit the TQ truck stop.

"These guys are out there working hard and it's good to know that I'm helping them out and maybe giving them a small reason to look forward to coming to TQ."

• Date Taken: 03.21.2009
• Date Posted: 03.21.2009 02:24
• Story ID: 31417
• Location: AL TAQADDUM, IQ