Courtesy Photo | Spc. Fernando Colombo, a motor transport operator assigned to Company F, 3rd...... read more read more
BAGHDAD – Spc. Fernando Colombo is ready to roll.
The motor transport operator of Company F, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, is one of many soldiers assigned to the support platoon that has contributed to the successful delivery of supplies throughout the battlefield and to the battalion’s troops for the past six months.
“We are here to do whatever the battalion needs,” Colombo said. “We are ready to accomplish every mission.”
To date, Soldiers with Company F have driven more than 7,500 miles to complete 170 combat logistics patrols, delivering more than 1.2 million gallons of fuel, as well as 150 pallets containing 37 tons of vehicle maintenance parts, 180 40-foot flatbed trucks worth of construction supplies, 2,000 pounds net explosive weight of ammunition, 20 tri-wall boxes of medical supplies, 120,000 gallons of potable water and 1,000 pallets of bottled water.
In addition, the soldiers have provided logistical support for the three bases to Iraqi security forces as part of the responsible drawdown.
“The soldiers [are] where the rubber meets the road,” said Capt. Robert Tremblay, commander of Company F. “They deal with the complexities, they deal with the environment.”
Spc. Jeffrey Weldon, a motor transport operator with Company F, on his first deployment, said the dangers of combat are on his mind all the time, but going on missions has become natural.
“All of the training and all of the briefings kick in,” he said.
Weldon said his main priority on missions is to deliver supplies safely so that soldiers on the battlefield have food and water.
Despite the number of miles the Soldiers in Company F have traveled, the support platoon has been fortunate to have encountered only a few roadside bombs, and those devices were all discovered before detonation.
Tremblay said this is proof the soldiers are well-trained and are maintaining situational awareness in sector. Soldiers often have to travel routes where roadside bombs have recently detonated or been discovered.
“For them to be able to put that beside them is really brave,” Tremblay said.
Colombo said, at times, the combat environment can be difficult.
“Sometimes it snaps in your head,” he said. “You’re scared and you can’t help it. And then we get back and we can all rest and it’s another day in Iraq that’s gone by and we’re safe.”
Colombo said he joined the Army to drive and to help his battle buddies, and will continue to do so.
The combat logisticians of Company F now have a successful first-half of the deployment under their belts, and do not expect the operational tempo to decrease in the near future.
“I, as a commander, could never ask for a better executive officer, a better first sergeant, or a better team,” Tremblay said.
| Date Taken: | 08.10.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2010 08:30 |
| Story ID: | 54269 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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