Army welders are asset to 377th Transportation Company

TAJI, IRAQ

04.08.2005

Courtesy Story

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Spc. Mary Rose
MNC-I PAO
March 29, 2005

WELDERS

TAJI, Iraq -- Welders cut, mend and create their own masterpieces of steel and a few are using their torches to enhance the Army's ability to accomplish the missions in Iraq.

Sgt. Morris Steiner, a welder and fabricator, had been working as the lone metal worker the 377th Transportation Company, 68th Corps Support Battalion, 1st Corps Support Command, Germany, for five years.

Not long before his deployment to Iraq, he gained a sidekick -- Spc. Michael D. Ross who came to the 377th to support the needs of the unit's constantly on-the-go vehicles.

The two men have been working hand-in-hand to maintain, repair and modify the unit's Humvees and heavy equipment transport vehicles, but they don't just work on vehicles.

Steiner, who has been an Army welder for 10 years, has been acting as a mentor and teacher to Ross, who has only been a welder for a couple of years.

"I like my job because I can make crazy stuff," Steiner said. "If Ross comes up with an idea and says, "I have an idea for a letter opener. How can I make a letter opener by hand?" I show him how to hammer it out by hand and shape it. Now he knows how to do it."

Steiner and Ross are also using their creativity and welding abilities to make exercise equipment for their shop and unit.
"It is a lot of fun," Ross said. "Those ideas that I come up with, all I have to do is sit down and draw them out and then make them. It is really like, "how far can you go with it?""

Even though these two Soldiers are full of ideas and talent, welders are still thought of as unintelligent, Steiner said.

"Unfortunately, people think welders are stupid and that all we do is hammer on steel like cavemen, but we actually have to design things. That is what our little dry erase board is for," Steiner said. "Somebody will come up with an idea and start explaining it. We'll sit down and draw it out to come up with the details for it."

The ability to mend auto parts, cut and design vehicle armor and repair broken metals is their main purpose, but they have also become helpful to the Humvee and HET mechanics.

"Our actual mechanics don't have a lot of time because of their priorities, so we help them out," Steiner said.

The two welders have done many modifications and repairs for their unit's vehicles. "It's a 'think outside the box" thing. If we can repair it, we will," he said.

"We've modified door latches so everything works properly," Steiner said. "The actual up-armor kit doors weigh almost 800 lbs. The door lock systems aren't able to handle that weight, so after awhile they start to sag and get out of adjustment. We have to go in and readjust them and fabricate parts because they wear out too fast."

"The welders in the company are beneficial to the unit. They can do work on our trucks so we don't have to send out for different parts," said Capt. Scott Williams, 377th Trans. Co. commander.

This is Steiner's second deployment with the company. He says this time he is able to do his job more than the last time he was here. During the last deployment, the unit's vehicles didn't have to go through as many modifications as they do now.

Steiner said Ross and he don't have to install the up-armor kits, because that is contracted out to a civilian contractor, but he does add on "hillbilly" armor, including floor plates and pieces of steel under the vehicles.

"We can make things, create our own work and search for ideas," Steiner added.
"There should be a welder in every unit. There are so many little things on vehicles that mechanics can't do but that we can do, which saves time," Steiner said. "Instead of ordering a part, I can fix it.

It goes back again to welders being intelligent people. That's when you can show your commander what you're capable of."

• Date Taken: 04.08.2005
• Date Posted: 04.08.2005 14:22
• Story ID: 1538
• Location: TAJI, IQ