MRT gains new Iraqi workers

Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Valarie Lockridge, the Fixed Mobile Redistribution Team non-commissioned officer-in-charge with the 289th Quartermaster Company, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and a Brooksville, Fla., native, goes through scrap material that was sorted by the Iraqi workers who recently began working at the FMRT.  

JOINT BASE BALAD, IRAQ

12.04.2010

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Rhonda Lawson 

3rd Division Sustainment Brigade

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq — There are a few new faces at Joint Base Balad’s Fixed Mobile Redistribution Team yard, but the mission has remained intact.

Just shortly after bidding farewell to some of their Honduran workers, the 289th Quartermaster Company, 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), welcomed 34 Iraqi employees.

Their primary responsibility is to work alongside the remaining Honduran workers in emptying and sorting equipment from containers sent from throughout the country to the yard, which is one of three in of its kind in Iraq. While this could have potentially been a roadblock due to the language barrier, Staff Sgt. Valarie Lockridge, the FMRT non-commissioned officer-in-charge with the 289th QM Company, and a Brooksville, Fla., native, said communication has flowed very well. Some of the workers speak English; they’ve served as translators for the Iraqi and Spanish-speaking employees.

“It’s funny because some of the guys who do speak English gave themselves nicknames so I could identify them,” said Lockridge. “I’m surprised, but the communication flows. We’re all learning from each other.”

She added that the workers have eagerly picked up on the mission. They work quickly, and have shown a dedication to the job.

“When they first got here, I told them I didn’t care how fast they were, I just wanted safety,” she said. “You would never know these guys just got here; we’re like a team.”

“A lot of them have an extremely hard work ethic,” added 1st Lt. Kyle Sissom, the FMRT officer-in-charge with the 289th QM Company, and a Kansas City, Kan., native. “They’re really eager to please whoever’s in charge.”

Capt. Keith Stutts, the Plans and Operation Cleansweep OIC, explained that the Iraqi workers represent more than just extra help. They have actually become a mission multiplier.

“They gave us the capability to maneuver more MRT teams out to outlying [forward operating bases],” he explained. “It also gives the Iraqi workers a sense of purpose, that they are doing their part. This gives them a chance to earn a living and provide for their families.”

• Date Taken: 12.04.2010
• Date Posted: 12.04.2010 14:45
• Story ID: 61379
• Location: JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ