ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Members of the 223rd Engineer Bn. lend a helping hand to the Afghan National Army, 2/205th Route Clearance Company to correct deficiencies in vehicles, March 13.
The members of 2/205th RCC struggle on several levels as they prepare to transition from being integrated into Route Clearance Patrols to taking the lead; however, maintenance and logistical support seem to be their biggest hurdle.
Commander of the 883rd Sapper Company, 223rd Eng. Bn., U.S. Army Capt. James McVeigh, realized the ANA need as much assistance as his unit and the battalion can provide.
“Our predecessor, 59th MAC [Mobile Augmentation Company], established a partnering relationship with the 2/205th,” said McVeigh. “When we arrived, I noticed the ANA were struggling at the company level with operations, training, and logistics.”
In order to increase the ANA’s maintenance proficiency, the 883rd Sapper Company reached out to the Forward Support Company, also with the 223rd Eng. Bn., to help support training in maintenance operations. U.S. Army Capt. Joshua Ulrich, commander of the FSC was present during the visit.
“Along with the ANA unit executive officer, we developed and assisted in executing a plan to reorganize the ANA motor pool, by placing deadline vehicles together and operational vehicles together, to assist the tracking and repair process,” said Ulrich.
One of the biggest issues plaguing the 2/205th RCC the company is the flow of paperwork. Vehicle’s papers were neither matched nor were they tracked properly. However, the 883rd Sapper Company soldiers have been working full-time to get the issues resolved and emplace a system that makes tracking paperwork easier for both ANA and U.S. forces.
All in all, the visit helped to further cultivate the relationship between the ANA 2/205th RCC and the 883rd Sapper Company by showing the ANA how much the 223rd Eng. Bn. is dedicated to helping them succeed as their own entity.