Courtesy Photo | Spc. Carlos Nieves, flight operations specialist for TF Dragon, constructs TF...... read more read more
By Sgt. Richard Carreon
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Before the notice to move from building 329A to 407E, staff officers and NCOs made a floor plan for the new Task Force Dragon tactical operations center.
They knew that new offices, a conference room, and an operations center had to be built.
It was an enormous undertaking that would have taken contractors weeks to complete. It took Task Force Dragon only a few days.
Spc. Carlos Nieves, a native of Fajardo, Puerto Rico, and a flight operations specialist for TF Dragon, (1st Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade), needed much less time, thanks to his skills as a carpenter. He has a talent to build. It used to be his livelihood and now it’s his hobby.
“I didn’t know he was good at building,” said Maj. James Yastrzemsky, the battalion operations officer in charge for TF Dragon. “He just helped me with a couple of small projects, and I noticed that he had a skill. He works fast, and it shows when it only took two days to build office space needed to run operations.”
Unlike the time it took for him to build the TOC, Nieves’ skills did not develop within a few days’ time.
As a young boy, he started as a carpenter’s apprentice, assisting two people very important to him with a number of projects at home building rooms and furniture.
“I started helping my father and grandfather when I was a kid when they built stuff at home,” he said. “I handed them tools, and it went on from there.”
His first major project was building the awning for his father-in-law. Next, he helped his friend build rooms for a clothing store, his first solo project. Then, after learning some tricks of the trade, he worked construction on three major projects.
“I didn’t have a lot of challenges when I was learning how to build,” Nieves said. “I enjoyed working just about everything.”
After some time, he decided to get out of the business.
“I got tired of building all the time and wanted to do something different.” he said “I enjoy doing it now that I do it as a hobby.”
Nieves said even though carpentry comes naturally to him, he looks for new ways to expand his horizons in woodworking.
“I did find it challenging to work with both wood and cement which was a part of the three projects I had worked on (when he worked construction).”
Yastrzemksy was incredibly impressed with the speed the TOC came together. When everything was completed, Yastrzemsky presented Spc. Nieves with a “lunch pail” award to recognize his hard work.
“He is a craftsman and takes pride in his work” said Master Sgt. Reyes, TF Dragon Operations NCO.
“He doesn’t ask for recognition and gets the job done” said Yastrzemsky.
Nieves said he takes pride on every project he has done for the Task Force Dragon and enjoys it.
“I like seeing the end of what I do; it gives me a sense of accomplishment,” Nieves said.
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.24.2011 08:41 |
| Story ID: | 70966 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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