Alpha Company tank mechanics maintain 70–ton armored beasts

Photo By Sgt. Marco Mancha | COMBAT OUTPOST SHIR GHAZAY, Helmand province, Afghanistan -- A M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicle rolls through the COP after a recovery mission. A V-12 twin turbo diesel engine, main winch, and pulley on the vehicle allow them to confidently retrieve any tank or other combat vehicle that may go down in the combat zone.  

COMBAT OUTPOST SHIR GHAZAY, AFGHANISTAN

08.19.2011

Story by Cpl. Marco Mancha 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

COMBAT OUTPOST SHIR GHAZAY, Helmand province, Afghanistan -- Some days seem endless for them. They’re in the dirt each and every day under the unforgiving Afghan sun, tightening loose screws and working on 70-tons of armored gun power. Black and brown grease marks cover their faces as moon dust dances in the wind, sticking to their hair like coated chicken breasts. Their second choice of weapon, behind their M16A4 rifles, is a socket wrench and some elbow grease.

Tank mechanics with Alpha Company, 2nd Tank Battalion hammer, chisel, and wrench away any difficulties a tank may encounter on the crater-encompassed terrain of Afghanistan.

The dusty roads and hot weather keep the mechanics engaged in tank maintenance for nearly 18 hours a day. Although the tank crewmen conduct much of the preventative maintenance, Mechanics are always on standby in case any of the 1,500 horsepower tank engines go down.

If parts break or need to be fixed, a metal worker with the unit is there to assist with any welding or cutting. He works alongside the mechanics to keep the tanks operational and functioning properly.

These mechanics also have the help of three M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicles – a whopping $2,000,000 mammoth machine which can tow up to 140 tons. A V-12 twin turbo diesel engine, main winch, and pulley on the vehicle allow them to confidently retrieve any tank or other combat vehicle that may go down in the combat zone.

The life of a mechanic may be rough, but many of them agree they are nothing more than Marines pulling their weight and helping their brothers on the battlefield fight the war on terror.

Editor’s note: The battalion is currently attached to 2nd Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.

• Date Taken: 08.19.2011
• Date Posted: 08.19.2011 09:10
• Story ID: 75625
• Location: COMBAT OUTPOST SHIR GHAZAY, AF