Sgt. Blake Kent
22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOAG
KIRKUK, Iraq -- The "Mother of All Generators" will soon add to the power grid of Iraq, bringing more stability to electrical service.
Soldiers and airmen aided in moving the 282,000 kilogram generator more than 1,000 kilometers from the Jordanian border to a power station outside Kirkuk, Iraq.
When the generator is installed it will increase the electrical output of the power station by 10 percent.
Bringing the MOAG into Iraq is the culmination of two years of planning and preparations.
Soldiers from Company B, 162nd Engineers, 3rd Brigade, 116th Cavalry, provided security and route clearance for the stretch of road between Quiarra, Iraq, and the power station, which took three days to travel.
"We are going more than 100 miles at only about six miles-an-hour," said Sgt. Crichampoo Thepnimit of Vista, Calif., California Army National Guard, attached to Co. B, 162nd Engineers, Idaho National Guard.
The route had mostly straight roads, but moving the generator over bridges and other parts of the terrain proved to be a little more difficult, requiring months of preplanning for the team to overcome.
The generator movement coordinators, the Abnormal Load Engineers, a British company based out of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, made several trips to Iraq to survey a sufficient route.
The final route, which was decided on in November 2004, was surveyed five times to ensure that it would be sufficient for moving the weight.
"It has been a nightmare moving this -- we've had to bypass both the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers," said James Roberts, convoy commander of the ALE team. "Every time we surveyed the route, it would change due to the insurgent activities."
The team had to not only worry about possible ambushes and improvised explosive devices directly attacking the generator and the convoy, but also had to worry about possible damage to the route that had occurred due to IED attacks.
"IEDs have changed the routes integrity, constantly bringing us new challenges," Roberts said.
Depending on the road conditions, the generator is only able to move between five and 18 kilometers an hour. All checkpoints and road obstructions had to be removed from the route as well, to ensure that the generator could pass safely.
"Our job as engineers is to open up the road for the generator," said Sgt. Mario A. Cuellar of Lynwood, Calif., California Army National Guard, attached to Company B, 162 Engineers, Idaho National Guard.
"We brought a bulldozer and a forklift to clear the road. Our other role is as security for the generator,"
The convoy had to be constantly prepared for an ambush or IED attack, especially with the slow speed the group had to travel, Cuellar said.
"I don't think it is as dangerous as it was before, especially with the amount of security we have on this convoy," Cuellar said. "We have other units ahead of us looking for IEDs too, so as long as they do a good job, we should be okay,"
The generator had already been attacked on the first stretch of the convoy from Jordan to Quiarra.
The generator was scheduled to reach its final destination on April 3rd, barring any complications.
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| Date Taken: | 04.14.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 04.14.2005 12:51 |
| Story ID: | 1589 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 349 |
| Downloads: | 6 |
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