Photo By Sgt. Brian Johnson | Staff Sgt. Thomas Dwyer from Cumberland, R.I., assigned to 101st Engineer Battalion...... read more read more
BAGHDAD — Like much of Iraq, Anbar province experiences scorching summers making air conditioning critical to the Soldiers of the 7th Iraqi Army, based at Camp Yassir. Air conditioning allows Iraqi soldiers to focus on the mission during working hours and rest more comfortably during downtime.
Soldiers from 101st Engineer Battalion, 16th Eng. Brigade, spent a few days training IA engineers to ensure that they have the skills necessary to install and maintain their own air conditioning units.
According to the officer in charge of the training, Warrant Officer Jennifer Summers, assigned to 1434th Eng. Co., a native of Grayling, Mich., there are two parts to this partnership training mission.
"We are doing classroom training to teach the fundamentals of air conditioning work to the Iraqi soldiers. After the training, we are working with the Soldiers to help them fix many of the issues that they have," explained Summers.
Pfc. Nicholas Rocca from Watertown, Mass., and Staff Sgt. Thomas Dwyer from Cumberland, R.I., both assigned to Headquarters Support Company, 101st Eng. Bn., assisted with the training of basic air conditioner maintenance as well as to troubleshoot for their Iraqi counterparts.
Many of the air conditioning units were not functioning properly or at all. For Rocca, a certified heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technician, teaching the basics is key.
"Staff Sgt. Dwyer and I have taught the Iraqis how to troubleshoot the problems on their air conditioners. They have learned not only how to check for leaks in the system, but also how to repair the unit itself," said Rocca.
According to the trainers, the Iraqi soldiers are fast learners.
"After we have shown the Iraqi soldiers how to make the repairs and do general unit maintenance, they don't have to be shown again," explained Rocca.
Rocca is particularly impressed by the motivation of one Iraqi Soldier, Pvt. Hamzed. According to Rocca, Hamzed has learned how to troubleshoot with a high level of accuracy.
"Hamzed is highly motivated. He is able to fix everything on his own," explained Rocca.
Hamzed was initially placed in a different training course that covered the basics of electrical work. An electrician by trade, he left the electrical training after the first day and joined the HVAC class.
"I explained to the U.S. Soldiers that I already had the basic knowledge for being an electrician," said Hamzed.
Hamzed shared the story of another Soldier in the HVAC training who did not want to participate. With a little coaching, Hamzed and some of the other Iraqi Soldiers were able to convince the Soldier to stay, by telling him that if he was willing to learn this skill, and work hard at it, one day he could get a big house and drive a nice car. But if he wasn't, he would be watching his friends with the big house and nice car while he still had the same lifestyle.
"We told him that it would be a good skill for when he gets out of the Army and can help him make money when gets back home," explained Hamzed.
The next day, the Soldier had a new excitement and wanted to learn everything that he could because he realized that he could apply these skills to his life outside of the Army.
This training ensures that the Iraqi army engineers have the basic skills to maintain their facilities and equipment when U.S. forces are no longer readily available.
It is particularly valuable to these Iraqi soldiers because they understand the skills they learn as engineers can help them get jobs and improve their quality of life when they are no longer serving in the military.
Perhaps the most striking quality of the training is that there is no noticeable separation between the U.S. Soldiers and the Iraqi soldiers. They treat each other as equals and friends, paving the way for a peaceful future between our two nations as brothers.
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2010 18:38 |
| Story ID: | 48294 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 356 |
| Downloads: | 309 |
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