Soldiers improve forward operating base

Photo By Frank O'Brien | Staff Sgt. Randleman and Sgt. Dickenson build shelves for an office on Forward Operating Base Lagman, Zabul province, Afghanistan. The 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  

QALAT, AFGHANISTAN

08.05.2011

Story by Sgt. Frank O'Brien 

116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan - “I got tired of people tripping over the door frame every time they walked into the chapel,” said Staff Sgt. Shawn Bartz, of Virginia Beach, chaplain’s assistant for the Staunton-based Virginia Army National Guard 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team on Forward Operating Base Lagman, “So today I’m building a ramp.”

Although they do not officially take charge from the outgoing 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Regiment until August 7th, Soldiers of the 116th IBCT, like Staff Sgt. Bartz, have already adopted a “can do” spirit and started customizing their living and work spaces on the FOB. Each day brings a new improvement as the 116th IBCT prepares to leave their mark on Afghanistan in ways both big and small.

One of the simplest projects so far has been the addition of “half-steps” outside tents. Each tent rests on a wooden platform 12 to 24 inches above rocky terrain. The platforms provide a level snake-and-rainproof surface for offices and operations. One of the top three injuries among service members at FOB Lagman is ankle injuries. With the simple addition of plywood risers, the 116th IBCT hopes to curb that trend.

“Those new and improved steps you’ve seen all around,” said Staff Sgt. Ashanti C. Randleman, 31, of Greensboro, N.C., “Specialist Beard had his hand in that.”

Many construction projects on FOB Lagman are handled by the multi-billion dollar defense contractor DynCorp International. But for those projects that are too small for the mega corporations, there’s Spc. Jonathan M. Beard, 26, of Fredericksburg -- the 116th IBCT’s “go-to” guy for simple plywood fixes to complex improvement projects.

Beard, a 13B Field Artillery crew member, has worked on construction projects for five years in our Nation’s Capital, developing his jack-of-all-trade talents on a variety of projects such as the U.S. Botanic Gardens.

“I’ve worked in the attic of the Lincoln Memorial,” said Beard. “How many people can say they’ve done that?”

Working alongside Beard as both a 13-series Fire Support specialist and handyman is Staff Sgt. Randleman. Randleman’s most recent project was building a shelf system for the barracks.

“I worked on a Habitat for Humanity project in 1999 or 2000 with a friend of mine in Winston-Salem,” said Randleman. “That’s where I learned to swing a hammer.”

Accommodations for junior enlisted soldiers at FOB Lagman are Spartan – featuring only a bunk and a small wall locker at most. Using their own ingenuity and whatever scraps they packed or can find, 116th IBCT soldiers have devised partitions, clothes lines, hanging baskets and privacy curtains. Warped or damaged scraps that would normally be discarded at major home improvement stores stateside are dumpster-diving treasures overseas. No matter how small, each improvement makes a challenging deployment more manageable.

Although National Guardsman come from a variety of civilian careers, not every 116th IBCT soldier has a construction background. Some, like Sergeant Thomas Dickenson, 33, of Roanoke, help out as best they can.

“My carpentry skills are mediocre,” said Sgt. Thomas Dickenson, another 13F artilleryman. “I just fix things around the house, but you have to learn somewhere.”

• Date Taken: 08.05.2011
• Date Posted: 09.02.2011 10:50
• Story ID: 76345
• Location: QALAT, AF