Transfer of Barrier Knowledge

Courtesy Photo | In the dead of night the 1538th Transportation Company, 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade soldiers, spin up their vehicles to head to the Baghdad area to provide gun truck security.  

TAJI, IRAQ

12.14.2008

Courtesy Story

3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command

By 1st Lt. G. Elizabeth Brown
1538th Transportation Company

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - Indiana National Guard Soldiers of the 1538th Transportation Company out of Elkhart, Ind., are currently taking over a combat logistics patrol security mission from Bravo Battery, 206th Field Artillery, 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, an Arkansas National Guard unit that will soon be headed home from Iraq.

Specifically, the Soldiers of the 1538th are learning to protect the transportation of massive concrete barriers that are currently being emplaced by coalition forces around the Baghdad area as a security measure.

The 1538th Trans. Co. currently falls under the 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, a Louisiana National Guard unit, and the 10th Sustainment Brigade.

According to New Orleans native Staff Sgt. Robert Boggs, of the165th, "The 1538th mission in Iraq presents many obstacles with an undefined enemy. Emplacing concrete barriers is one of the most critical in and around the Baghdad area for the security of coalition forces, local populous safety and the stability for a greater Iraq. I believe that, considering the tremendous duties of the 1538th, one of their greatest qualities is that they never compare themselves with others. They only compare themselves with themselves: their past accomplishments, present operations and future potential."

The gravity of their mission is not lost on the Soldiers of the 1538th; Sgt. Jacob Weisenbach, of Indianapolis, Ind., stated "These barriers are helping provide security for the Iraqi people and I am glad to help them."

"I am glad to take part in this essential part of Iraq's future and the security of the Iraqi people", echoed Sgt. Lance Small of Asheboro, N.C.

Military leaders agree that the barriers are reducing the risk of improvised explosive device attacks to coalition forces as well as the Iraqi people.

"By putting these barriers up we are preventing potential harm from IEDs to our soldiers while they are over here" said 1st Sgt. Jeffrey Spencer of Westport, Ind.

The 1538th Transportation Company deployed in early July 2008, and is scheduled to perform this mission until they leave Iraq in the summer of 2009.

• Date Taken: 12.14.2008
• Date Posted: 12.14.2008 10:43
• Story ID: 27674
• Location: TAJI, IQ