Maintenance shop keeps trucks on road

Photo By Spc. Fabian Ortega | Soldiers from the 109th Quartermaster Company, receive their combat logistics patrol brief prior to a mission start time.  

11.18.2005

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

Lack of proper maintenance procedures can lead to serious issues which may cause military vehicles to be deadlined.
The 109th Quatermaster Company at Al Asad base camp ensures all Soldiers, and most importantly its maintenance section, know how to properly maintain their vehicles before they hit the roads.

Based out of Fort Lee, Va., the petroleum supply unit is assigned to the 64th Corps Support Command.

The maintenance section performs preventive maintenance checks and services for their M915 tractor-trailer trucks and M1062 7,500 gallon tankers.

On the unit level, operations range from troubleshooting mechanical problems to replacing engine parts.

When the unit replaced the 416th Transportation Co. in September, the unit had many problems with the vehicles because of the harsh conditions they were put through over a year on the roads.

"We are doing pretty well considering the conditions the vehicles were in when we arrived here," said Spc. Edgar Gutierrez, a mechanic in the maintenance section.

For the most part, the unit focused on fixing deadline issues which kept the vehicles off the road. But some more in-depth projects were required, added mechanic Sgt. Alford Reed.

A large project the group took on was rebuilding and replacing the whole front end of a M915 truck which had been wrecked, Reed said.

"We basically started from the steering wheel and worked our way forward," he said.

For Gutierrez along with a few other mechanics, this was their first time working on the heavier trucks.

"We are all mechanics and an engine is an engine," he said.

Also, with a shortage of mechanics to fix equipment, the unit added supplemental support to the maintenance techs with Soldiers from the unit. Operations are a lot smoother now because of the added stress on proper maintenance and the work the section has done, said Sgt. Greg Parker, a 109th squad leader.

"There is a big improvement on maintenance. Trucks are not going down as much as before," Parker said. "We have passed the transition phase and I think we are well into the maintaining phase."

The unit continues to improve and will keep enhancing their skills to keep the tankers running daily so other units may continue their missions.

• Date Taken: 11.18.2005
• Date Posted: 11.18.2005 09:28
• Story ID: 3774