Troops keep in focus mission in Iraq

Photo By Sgt. Mitch Armbruster | Pfc. Jordan Stanley, a mechanic with the 109th Transportation Company, works on a humvee to keep the company on the road.  

QAYYARAH, IRAQ

05.05.2006

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

FOB ENDURANCE, Iraq-Soldiers from the 109th Transportation Company from Mannheim, Germany, logged mileage all over the European roadways and those skills helped them with their deployment to Iraq; transporting supplies and Soldiers in northern Iraq from Forward Operating Base Endurance.

With more than 650,000 miles driven and 230 combat logistics patrols accomplished, the 109th is busy with missions in Iraq.

The unit had two difficult months when they arrived in Iraq, explained Capt. Scott Stephenson, company commander.

The 109th replaced a unit with 26-year-old trucks that had level-two armor.

"For two months we were pulling maintenance on these things for 24 hours," Stephenson said. "If we had 15 trucks come in from a combat logistics patrol, those 15 trucks came back and had to be serviced."

Staff Sgt. Tony Lighthizer, the 109th maintenance shop supervisor, had seven mechanics working on the trucks while three more were supporting the company on missions.

When the 109th's new trucks arrived, it alleviated the pressure on the maintenance team. Soldiers also saw an opportunity to help all of the transportation company's maintenance crews by instituting a trailer maintenance shop.

The idea for a separate trailer maintenance shop came from the 109th because they have one at their home station. This allows maintenance teams to focus their efforts on their trucks while another team takes care of trailer work.

"It's turned into a major operation here and the 317th [Maintenance Company] controls the operation," Stephenson explained.

Because they moved their trailer maintenance to another unit, the maintenance team with the 109th can focus on keeping their trucks on the road.

"It's a good mission," said Pfc. Chris Baudoux and Spc. Dustin Rowland, mechanics with the 109th. "We are tired, overwhelmed and excited."

The mechanics worked on trucks and humvees, and in some cases mechanics were fixing vehicles older than they are. The maintenance team even learned how to fix their Polaris Ranger utility vehicles.

Like the mechanics, the drivers for the 109th have put in countless hours to make the mission successful.

"They were on the roads five or six days a week [in Germany] and drive by themselves," said Stephenson. "We had to get them in the mind set that now you are over here [Iraq] and you are driving everyday but you are driving convoys. It took a few weeks for these Soldiers to get that in their mind set."

It was important to Stephenson to make sure his Soldiers were putting safety first.

Stephenson, a new father, looks after his Soldiers as if they are his family. One of the biggest challenges for Stephenson and his first sergeant has been keeping his Soldiers focused in their last months of the deployment.

Soldiers heard three stories of fellow servicemembers injured in accidents before redeploying, which put the serious nature of their job into perspective explained the commander.

"For the first few months we were running two convoys a day," said Stephenson.

Although his Soldiers aren't running as many missions during the day, Stephenson still wants them to know the mission isn't over until they are back in Germany.

• Date Taken: 05.05.2006
• Date Posted: 05.05.2006 04:44
• Story ID: 6287
• Location: QAYYARAH, IQ