Red Bulls prepare to head home

Courtesy Photo | Before the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division can leave Iraq, supply specialists must account for every piece of equipment and gear. Every item must be cataloged and then packed to correct specifications. (U.S. Army Photo by Pfc. J. Princeville Lawrence)  

BASRA, IRAQ

01.27.2010

Courtesy Story

United States Division-South

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq — Over the past few months, 34th "Red Bull" Infantry Division supply specialists at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, have been working under the cover of night to undo everything they have accomplished in the past year.

After bringing literally tons of equipment to Iraq from Minnesota and Fort Lewis, Wash., the beleaguered supply specialists now have to work overtime to send it all back.

"For two weeks, we worked overnights and then the next day," said Sgt. Jacob Raleigh, 34th Inf. Div. supply sergeant, "just trying to get things packed up and straightened out."

Supply specialists must round up the gear, inventory it, clean it and put it into shipping containers. The 7 to 10 tons of gear is then inspected by customs and shipped to port. This process can take 10 to 12 hours per day, per container.

"It's very labor intensive," Raleigh, a Shakopee, Minn., native, said. "Your mind's gotta be in the game. You gotta know where your equipment is, how to identify it, what it is, when is it going to be packed; so we have accountability for it."

There is no question the supply specialists perform an essential function.

"Logistics," said Spc. Shawn O'Brien, another Red Bull supply specialist, "is one of the most important sections that you can have, and it's one of the hardest to work, because if you screw up, it's going to be major headaches for someone else."

"You gotta be on the ball all the time," said O'Brien, a St. Paul, Minn., native. "You're talking about millions of dollars worth of equipment; hundreds of millions of dollars worth of equipment."

At the very least, the supply specialists have ample experience keeping track of equipment. Over the course of the deployment, more than 17 ships and 25 strategic air missions were required to transport the 27,000 Soldiers and 32,000 tons of equipment to and from Iraq. Of course, this makes undoing a year's worth of work that much harder.

"When you first start undoing things, it's kind of frustrating," said Raleigh, "because you've built all this stuff up to complete the mission, and now when it's over you gotta tear it all back down."

"It's kind of painstaking at first, but as you get closer to the end, it's kind of a good feeling," he said, "because you know the Soldiers got what they need, you know you've done your job the best you can, and, hopefully, the Soldiers that you've been taking care of think so too."

And so Raleigh and O'Brien and the rest of the Red Bull supply specialists continue their work, knowing it helps ease the transition for Soldiers back home.

"When they get home, they can focus on their families," Raleigh said, "and not worry about issues at the armory."

• Date Taken: 01.27.2010
• Date Posted: 01.27.2010 01:39
• Story ID: 44478
• Location: BASRA, IQ