Soldiers adapt to changing missions

Photo By Staff Sgt. Engels Tejeda | Spc. Carol-Ann Harvey, a fuel specialist with the 254th Quartermaster Company, presents a gift to a local woman during a community development mission in southern Iraq.  

CAMP CEDAR II, IRAQ

11.18.2005

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP CEDAR II, Iraq " For members of Pennsylvania's 254th Quartermaster Company, "flexibility" has become a watchword.

They were flexible when their deployment was canceled in the spring of 2003 after they had done two months of pre-deployment training. They were flexible when they arrived in Iraq earlier this year only to find that their mission in theater had little to do with their specific military skills. And they were flexible when half way through their deployment two of their teams were moved to the forefront of the war in Iraq, having to build two bases from scratch. Though it has been a bumpy road, the Reservists said they had to adapt and overcome.

"When we deployed we thought we were going to be a gun truck unit, and when we got here, bang, it was just a quick change," said the 254th's 1st Sgt. David A. Ritter.

The 254th is a textile, shower and clothing repair unit, consisting of six teams capable of providing independent base support for satellite camps. Like many elements deployed to Iraq, the Soldiers expected to do a mission slightly different than their original job.

During the first few months of their deployment, the Reservists provided security details at a third country national truck stop, running round-the-clock guard towers at a facility that hosts between 350 and 1,250 truck drivers daily.

"This is the lifeline for everything for theater operations. Everything going north comes through Cedar," Ritter said.

Cedar is located between the Iraq border with Kuwait and Baghdad. Most deliveries for the coalition arrive through Kuwait so the camp filters virtually all the supplies for the war effort.

The Soldiers also staffed a water pump mission that supplies water for Cedar and Camp Adder, one of the largest coalition installations in southern Iraq. The 254th shared, with a sister unit, the responsibility of patrolling and fueling the water pumps, which filter water from the Euphrates River and surrounding canals for the two bases.

While these missions provided the 254th the opportunity to contribute greatly to the war effort, they were outside the primary skills that the unit had been trained for. Thus, when a wave of Soldiers required patches to be sewn onto their uniforms, the unit volunteered to run a sewing center. Since opening early this year, the Reservists have sewn over 5,300 items including combat patches, ranks, flags, and even small laundry bags, said Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Pluck, a platoon sergeant with the 254th.

Moreover, the Reservists welcomed two arduous but essential missions. In the summer, two teams were tasked to support operations near Tal Afar and Rawah, both military hot spots from which coalition troops are battling insurgents coming into Iraq.

By early fall, both teams had set up shower and laundry facilities worthy of recognition. The Soldiers had washed over 146,000 pounds of laundry, sewn at least 6,100 renovations, and provided showers to at least 12,200 servicemembers.

The success that the unit has had as a whole is a credit to a strong noncommissioned officer corps that was already in place when he took command of the unit about two years ago, said the unit's commander Capt. Michael "Mic" Drulis. He said that although 70 percent of the unit is cross leveled from other organizations, key players were originally in the 254th and have brought unity to the company.

Though successful, the unit has had its share of challenges. Ritter noted that nearly 65 percent of the Soldiers are between 18 and 21 years of age and have no prior military experience, besides initial training. Moreover, the unit's diversity has challenged the Soldiers to work with different personalities.

"We had so many people from so many different areas and so many different backgrounds," said Sgt. Maria Rodriguez, a renovations NCOIC who runs a youth program in Lancaster, Pa. "You had to learn how to get along with them. You had to learn to be patient."

Additionally, the Soldiers faced significant security threats. Both Tal Afar and Rawah are often attacked by mortars and even Cedar, which is relatively calm by Iraqi standards, has recently seen increased activity. In early November, for example, one Soldier of the 254th received minor injuries from an attack.

Still, the unit has been able to do every mission thrown its way and has done so safely.
"Overall I think the Soldiers did exceptionally well, we've had no serious injuries, no loss of life," Ritter said.

Drulis added that his Soldiers should be proud of 'their flexibility to perform the mission, whatever it is. They adapted and overcame, and I'm proud of them for that." The unit expects to return home early next year. USAR

• Date Taken: 11.18.2005
• Date Posted: 11.18.2005 10:50
• Story ID: 3777
• Location: CAMP CEDAR II, IQ