Operation Bunk Bed

Photo By Sgt. Felicya Adams | Cpl. Bobby Scott (right), the container yard foreman with the 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command and a Mooresville, Ind., native, offers a helping hand to Soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 8th Cavalry Regiment in unloading bunk bed parts. Scott is part of the Operation Bunk Bed team, which has been tasked with providing beds to Soldiers relocating from Iraq to Camp Buehring, Kuwait.  

CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT

11.18.2011

Story by Sgt. Felicya Adams 

310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait – The United States’ mission in Iraq is coming to an end, and for most troops heading out of theater, the journey ends following a pit stop in Kuwait. Soldiers from the 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command embarked on a mission to help provide those soldiers relocating to Camp Buehring, Kuwait, with a better quality of living by offering bunk beds to replace the standard cots found in most spartan living quarters.

Things that are often taken for granted in the civilian world can make or break the morale of a deployed soldier. Hot meals, showers and mail often affect morale, but a good night’s sleep can improve a soldier’s well-being like no other.

“The tents here in Kuwait are set up as a transit tent, and you have to sleep on cots,” said Cpl. Bobby Scott, a container yard foreman with the 310th ESC and a Mooresville, Ind., native. “It’s not too bad for a few days, but when you have to stay for a long time, it makes it more of a comfortable living condition to have beds.”

Scott and the rest of the team coordinated, planned and organized the operation and traveled around Iraq to different bases collecting furniture to help supply beds, mattresses, wall lockers and even night stands to soldiers transitioning to Kuwait. As equipment became available and units were moving out and vacating the housing areas, members of Operation Bunk Bed secured the furnishings and shipped them down south.

“As soon as a container hits the ground here, it’s opened, sorted out and beds are going out the very next day,” Scott said.

In the beginning, the 310th ESC was planning to support all the units subordinate to them, but as that footprint kept growing, their requirement to gather bunk beds, wall lockers and mattresses did as well.

“The original requirement was 350; then the requirement went to 1,000; then from there it went to 3,000; then 5,000; and now it’s a 12,000 requirement,” said Capt. Dustan Owens, the plans and operations officer-in-charge with the 310th ESC and a West Salem, Wis., native.

Owens said due to the flood of soldiers coming through, there might be a shortage of beds, but they will only have to endure a cot for two to three weeks at the most.

“It was an effort, we gave it the best we could,” Owens said. Operation Bunk Bed has already made a difference for about 5,000 soldiers as far as living conditions go, but it’s also enhanced the ability to support the base here.

Not only were they able to secure bunk beds, but they also shipped down Morale, Welfare and Recreation equipment to augment some of the facilities and expand their capabilities. New gyms have been established with free weights, elliptical machines, treadmills, machine weights and mats. Soldiers were even able to stand up a dedicated Crossfit gym for use by soldiers on Camp Buehring.

“We were also able to collect several items to include games, card tables, a lot of MWR-type items that [simply] help pass the time,” Owens said.

Soldiers involved with the operation feel it’s beneficial that they can enhance other soldiers’ quality of life, as it makes it better for them and for everyone else. Owens said he feels good about doing the right thing, especially saving the government money by re-using equipment that has already been purchased for use in Iraq.

“If we already have it, we can set it back up and put it back in use,” he said.

The 310th ESC is currently pushing out the last bunk beds with only 28 tents left to be outfitted. Scott said he likes the idea of taking care of soldiers and giving them a bed to sleep on.

“We’ve had a lot of soldiers that are tickled with living on the beds,” he said. “It’s satisfying: it beats living on a cot.”

• Date Taken: 11.18.2011
• Date Posted: 11.19.2011 13:39
• Story ID: 80273
• Location: CAMP BUEHRING, KW