By Spc. Jerome Bishop
Staff writer
(LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, Balad, Iraq) -- The roads leading in and out of LSA Anaconda are host to many convoys, and unfortunately just as many improvised explosive devices. The Bradley fighting vehicles of Troop A, 57th Bn. 1st Unit of Action, 3rd Infantry Division (mechanized) keep those safe, but the toll taken by the unit's armored vehicles must be met with the best of attention.
The Troop's maintenance shop is there to ensure the vehicles out on the road are in top order, keep the roads clear for a safer convoy.
"We maintain nine Bradleys, and our Bradleys run 3 missions a day at 80 to 100 miles a day," Sgt. Jeremi Timb, Troop A's maintenance shop noncommissioned officer in charge. "Without [the mechanics], all these vehicles would be completely gone."
The rough desert road conditions and increasing hot weather weighs heavy on the 25-ton vehicles regularly complicates engine operations and track quality, Timb said.
Preventive maintenance checks and services perform on the Bradleys consists of more than an average Soldier might encounter on a routine PMCS of a Humvee.
"We do quality control for every vehicle, dispatch and we go to the operators to make sure they're doing proper PMCS," Sgt. Christopher Inman Sr., recovery NCOIC from Troop A said.
Maintenance takes place in the form of PMCS operations conducted by both the operators and the mechanics to make sure everything is in working order, but less common services are also required from time to time. Such work sometimes calls for removal of the main 25mm Bushmaster cannon and extraction of the 600-horse-power diesel engine, Timb said.
"You bring it to us broken -- 10 minutes later we could have it fixed, or 10 hours later we could have it fixed," Timb said. "We work until the mission is complete; we're not a unit regulated by time."
Aside from the duties of any maintenance shop, the mechanics are also on call in the event a field recovery must be conducted with one or both of the M88 Hercules recovery vehicles in the Troops arsenal, which is also maintained by the Troop's mechanics.
"We're on call 24-7 for maintenance (and recovery) -- all day, all night," Timb said.
"If we don't have [the Bradleys] out there, [the insurgents] will spread the insurgency to our sector around Anaconda and neighboring sectors," Inman said.
The track vehicle mechanics of Troop A's maintenance shop agrees they share a heavy deal of hardship. But at the end of the day when a convoy makes it to its destination safe, they also agree they feel better knowing they did their part making the roads safe for travel, whether they went on patrol with the Bradleys or not.
Editor's Note: Spc. Bishop is a member of the 1st COSCOM Public Affairs Office at LSA Anaconda.
| Date Taken: | 05.31.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 05.31.2005 10:16 |
| Story ID: | 1959 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 8 |
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