610th Engineer Support Company Construction Complete in Multi-National Division - North

01.12.2009

Courtesy Story

555th Engineer Brigade

By 1st Lt. Danielle Johnson
555th Engineer Brigade

All roads lead to Rome. Well, not quite. Until recently, in the Tamim province of Northern Iraq, all roads led to Kirkuk.

An immense feeling of accomplishment overwhelmed the Soldiers of 2nd Platoon, "Dig Deep," 610th Engineer Support Company, 555th Engineer Brigade as they completed their last project in Multi-National Division - North on Aug. 28, 2008. When the unit first arrived in theater they were given a hefty task to improve a Kirkuk bypass consisting of over 22 kilometers of unimproved road to relieve congestion, provide greater access to markets, and allow security forces to reach remote areas and provide greater security.

Even though the platoon reconned and designed the project a few months earlier, they couldn't start work immediately due to a lack of construction materials. Knowing how critical the project was to coalition forces, the platoon leadership decided to redesign key parts of the project to allow the platoon to execute the mission with on-hand materials. The Platoon Sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Jose Ancira of Amarillo, Texas, said, "These guys didn't come to Iraq to sit on the FOB [Forward Operating Base]. They want to make a real difference." Using the technical craft they are known for, the platoon started repairing craters along the route on July 24th. The platoon leader, 1st Lt. Aida Kuilan of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, noted that, "once you get an equipment operator going on a project you can't stop them. Operating heavy equipment is what these guys came in [the Army] for and what they love doing." So once they started receiving necessary materials, they moved their priorities around to allow for a continued presence on the route from start to finish.

Of course, a shortage of construction materials is a relatively minor problem when doing projects in Iraq. Improvised explosive devices are a constant danger - especially on dirt roads. The platoon had to be escorted to the work site by a route clearance platoon from the 570th Sapper Company to protect them from IEDs. Upon arrival, the platoon used military working dogs trained to find explosives to ensure there were no IEDs on the worksite. Despite all of these precautions, the excavator operator, Sgt. Kile Deloach of Claxton, Ga., discovered unexploded ordnance while digging up a broken culvert under the road. After carefully cordoning off the area, the platoon called on the explosive ordnance disposal team embedded in the route clearance team from the 570th to blow the dangerous explosives in place. With the help of a military working dog team, the platoon discovered another UXO and an IED on the route the very next day. Trusting in their training and discipline, the engineers never let fear get in the way of completing the task at hand as they continued work along the route for another week. "We all knew the risks that were involved with a project of this scale, but we also knew that this project would mitigate risks for other units," Lt. Kuilan continued, "Dedication to the mission is what makes our Soldiers stand out."

After spending over four weeks under the intense heat of the Iraqi sun, the project was capped off by the complex repair of a bridge site. The platoon used steel plates and concrete to patch a large hole in the bridge, removing the potential vehicle roll-over hazard. Overall, the platoon had repaired 15 craters, and replaced or denied 12 culverts - the latter to deny insurgents from emplacing IEDs in culverts under the road. Over the duration of the project, the platoon used over 50 cubic yards of concrete, 300 feet of steel pipe, and expended over 2000 man-hours. Sgt. Cesar Gomez of Big Spring, Texas, a senior equipment operator on his third deployment, said, "knowing we completed the mission, by making the route safer for other Soldiers and local nationals, made me feel like we took one more step towards making Iraq a better place."

The Soldiers of 610th Engineers completed a myriad of projects during their time at Forward Operating Base Warrior and Contingency Operating Base Speicher in MND-N. They filled over 40 craters, replaced and denied 16 culverts, conducted over 30 kilometers of route sanitation to remove hiding place for IEDs, repaired 50 kilometers of road, built one patrol base, and trained 100 Iraqi army engineers in construction tasks. 610th ESC is now in southern Iraq near the city of Nasiriyah, where the Ghostrider Soldiers stand ready to meet any and all future construction challenges.

• Date Taken: 01.12.2009
• Date Posted: 01.12.2009 08:38
• Story ID: 28739