Army engineers maximize materials, make 2 projects from 1

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers clean-up the site after placing the last of the concrete for the overhead cover footers. The vehicle is an Army concrete mobile capable of delivering unmixed dry materials and producing concrete on site.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

09.18.2008

Courtesy Story

926th Engineer Brigade

By 1st Lt. Sam Jefferson
926th Engineer Brigade

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Company B, 46th Engineer Combat Battalion, set out from Camp Liberty Iraq for a month's mission to assist with the construction of a new tactical operations center at Joint Security Station Sadr City.

While they were there, they showed that a little planning makes project materials go a long way.

Company B, based in Fort Rucker, Ala., had an initial mission to construct footers to support large concrete barriers and a blast and fragment roof over a section of the JSS's operations building and Soldier's sleeping areas. In laymen's terms, the engineers were constructing a wall and roof to keep Soldiers safe from indirect and small arms fire.

Right out the gate, the platoon's bobcat operators discovered a literal roadblock – in the middle of the project area was a concrete road that ran where the footers were supposed to be placed.

"Our bobcat is no match for this road," commented Pfc. Evan Utterback, of Ozark, Ala., "I have dug away at it all day with little progress."

To tackle the obstruction, 1st Platoon called in the experienced bulldozer operators of the 955th Engineer Company, which is attached to the 46th ECB. The bulldozer operators easily removed the road, which allowed the barrier mission to continue.

Next, the engineers noticed the concrete was drying too quickly in the desert heat – something they had planned for by ordering extra concrete.

"Concrete dries right before your eyes out here," commented Spc. Joshua Kleinheider, a native of New Haven, Mo., an experienced carpenter assigned to Company B. "One second the concrete is mush, and then you come back ten minutes later and you can walk on it."

In the desert environment, with temperatures reaching upwards of 115 degrees, it is crucial to keep the concrete moist while it cures to prevent cracking. To combat the concrete drying too quickly, 1st Platoon Soldiers devised a plan to place water-soaked burlap sandbags on the concrete.

"We placed a moisture barrier in the bottom of the forms, wet sandbags on top of the finished concrete, and another barrier on top to trap the moisture," stated Sgt. 1st Class Steven Martin, the project non-commissioned officer in charge. "With a water buffalo onsite to provide water, we continued to wet the sandbags every two hours."

The Company B Soldiers' plan to keep the concrete moist allowed for the extra concrete ordered for the project to be used for additional upgrades at the combat outpost.

The team noticed the portable toilets that sat on bare earth, which remained wet from leakage and daily cleanings. With gravel available, the Soldiers devised a plan to raise the bathrooms onto a gravel base and then enclosed the area with a concrete sidewalk.

Pfc. Barkley, an infantry Soldier just coming off of a two-day patrol, who is a resident of the JSS, was surprised at how fast and efficient the Soldiers of 1st Platoon worked.

"This sidewalk appeared out of nowhere," he said. "I've only been gone two days. Now I won't have to stomp through wet dirt to get to the latrine."

By looking beyond their basic barrier project requirements and maximizing resources, the Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Company B, 46th ECB, not only accomplished their mission but improved the quality of life for all of the Soldiers serving at the JSS.

• Date Taken: 09.18.2008
• Date Posted: 09.18.2008 10:37
• Story ID: 23811
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ