Photo By Sgt. Brian Johnson | First Sgt. Tim Lamphere, 1434th Engineer Company first sergeant, helps to paint the...... read more read more
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BAGHDAD – The Soldiers of the 1434th Engineer Company, along with their counterparts from the 17th Iraqi Army Division, finished construction of a joint operations center at Joint Security Station Deason, May 1.
This is the fourth joint operations center that the 1434th Engineer Company has completed during their time in Iraq. The other three, all located around Baghdad, at al-Muthana, Joint Security Station Carver, and Joint Security Station Constitution.
These operations centers are significant for the IA because it brings together all of the command and control elements of the division in each area under one roof. With all of the elements together, the IA will be able to have better planning, coordination and facilitation of missions that they may need to carry out.
As the 1434th Engineer Company unit members become more familiar with how to build the command centers, the amount of time that it has taken to complete construction of each building has decreased.
From a total construction time of three months for the first command center, the command center here took just over thirty days for the main construction to be completed.
What was the secret to the success of the speedy construction?
According to Staff Sergeant Lance Miller from Diorite, Michigan, repetition is the key.
“After doing construction for a year, you tend to get really good at it,” said Miller.
This was a joint construction project that involved not only the U.S. Soldiers, but also the Iraqi army engineers from the 17th Iraqi Army. The goal with the construction project is to increase the Iraqi Soldiers construction proficiency and ability to do their own independent operations when their U.S. counterparts leave.
According to Spc. Daryl Kujat from Harbor Springs, Michigan, the Iraqi Soldiers were also instrumental to the construction.
“The Iraqi Soldiers helped to speed the construction along,” said Spc. Daryl Kujat from Harbor Springs, Michigan. “They worked hard, worked fast, and were extremely motivated. They were not afraid to jump in and work along with us.”
Second Lt. Enaad from the 17th Iraqi Army Division, in charge of the crew of Iraqi Soldiers that have been helping with the site construction, said that this work has been a new experience for him and his men.
Enaad was assigned to work with the Americans because his superior’s wanted to expose him to the construction knowledge that the American’s had to offer. According to Enaad, he and his men have been able to do just that.
“Many of the tools that we use are not as advanced as what the Americans use. This project has allowed us [the Iraqi army Soldiers] to learn a different way to do construction,” said Enaad.
Kujat said that when the Iraqi Soldiers were shown how to cut the wood for the floors and walls, they were doing a good or better job than their U.S. counterparts.
“The Iraqi Soldiers cut almost all of the lumber for the command center,” explained Kujat. “They have done many of the jobs with as much skill as the American Soldiers.”
“In Iraq, joint operations centers like this are not built out of wood. They are built from bricks, cement, sand and water. This is not a common building,” said Enaad.
Enaad and his Soldiers from the 17th IA have enjoyed their time working with the Iraqi Army Soldiers.
“It has been an honor to work with the Americans,” said Enaad.
As this project draws to a close, Miller said that the Soldiers from the 1434th are highly motivated and anxious to finish the construction.
“It’s the end of our deployment. This is the last hoorah,” said Miller. “We are like a bunch of world class huskies on our last Iditarod.”
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2015 23:06 |
| Story ID: | 160490 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Hometown: | HARBOR SPRINGS, MI, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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