Combat Engineers Build Up Baghdad

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from 510th Sapper Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, of Fort Hood, Texas, work on constructing a building in the Baghdad area. The unit repairs damaged Iraqi infrastructure, and performs construction in support of U.S forces, improving the quality of life on remote bases for U.S and Iraqi army soldiers.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

02.27.2007

Courtesy Story

1st Cavalry Division

By 1st Lt. Kevin Thomas
510th Sapper Company, 20th Engineer Battalion

BAGHDAD –As Soldiers stand up security stations and patrol bases across the Iraqi capital the need for operational buildings increases. This is where the 510th Sapper Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, of Fort Hood, Texas, comes into play.

The unit repairs damaged Iraqi infrastructure, and performs construction in support of U.S forces, improving the quality of life on remote bases for U.S and Iraqi army soldiers.

After being in country less than a week, Soldiers in 3rd Platoon, 510th Sapper Company were tasked to take on their first project to complete a 4,000 square foot battalion tactical operations center and the building of a 4,200 square foot company tactical operation center for Task Force 4-31 Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, New York.

The completion of the battalion and company TOCs allowed each staff section and company operations to move out of the 20-foot shipping containers and give them a larger work area with all the amenities that they need to have a successful operations center.

Upon arrival at Patrol Base Yusufiyah, southwest of Baghdad, on Thanksgiving Day, 3rd Platoon anxiously unpacked their tools, hung up the blue prints, and embarked on what would be day one of a forty-five day construction project.

The brunt of the responsibilities, however, fell upon the team leaders, most of whom had carpentry jobs prior to joining the military. They were given a task based upon their experience, and assumed control of four to seven Soldiers.

"This project was a great opportunity to allow junior enlisted to further develop necessary leadership skills," said Sgt. Rick Greene, team leader with 3rd Platoon. "Throughout the project, we gave some of our junior enlisted, who had prior carpentry experience before coming into the military, an assigned task and they took charge of it and completed the job with exceptional results."

Within two weeks, the battalion operation center was complete and ready to hand over to Task Force 4-31 Infantry, and 3rd Platoon continued to work steadily to finish the company building.

Three crews started framing the interior and exterior walls as one crew came behind them and nailed them into place. After the framing of the walls was complete, the arduous task of installing the rafters soon came upon them. One week later, the rafters were erected and put on top of the frame in order to install the roof and ceiling. From sun up to sun down the crews worked to complete the ceiling and started installing electrical fixtures and air conditioners. Another team worked simultaneously to install the insulation, walls, outlets and light switches. As each team finished their assigned section, they all contributed to the finishing touches of installing trim and building entrance ramps to the door.

"By doing these types of missions you can tell the difference that you are making for the units that operate out of these smaller patrol bases," said Pfc. Glenn Taylor, a Soldier with 3rd Platoon. "I had no prior construction experience coming into this project, but I was excited to take on this task and see what I could make of it."

• Date Taken: 02.27.2007
• Date Posted: 02.27.2007 10:50
• Story ID: 9268
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ