Photo By Staff Sgt. Amanda Tucker | Chief Warrant Officer Joseph R. Scarpill, the unit maintenance officer for the 233rd...... read more read more
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By Amanda Tucker
3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – The 233rd Transportation Company, from Fort Knox, Ky., moves equipment throughout Multi-National Division-North by Heavy Equipment Transporter military vehicles.
The 233rd Trans. Co. mission is to provide responsive, tailored, and adaptive heavy equipment transport capabilities, staging, onward movement, integration, retrograde, and sustainment operations in support of Operation Iraq Freedom and a full range of joint military operations.
The 233rd Trans. Co. has deployed six times in support of Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Five of the six deployments were spent in Kuwait. During the unit's time stationed in Kuwait, more than 85 percent of their mission time was spent supporting units in Iraq.
"It was hard on the trucks [and] it was hard on the Soldiers going on mission," said Capt. Lydia Y. Welch, the commander of the 233rd Trans. Co., and Elizabethtown, Ky., native.
This deployment the 233rd Trans. Co. is based at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, and the shorter distance between them and the units they support make it easier on the mission.
The unit has overcome multiple challenges to accomplish their mission.
One of the first obstacles was addressed before deployment.
"When you deploy with a unit there is always some sort of camaraderie built before you leave," said Welch.
But with the unit spread across three bases: Fort Benning, Fort Stewart, and Fort Knox, the leadership knew there would be problems trying to work together for the first time in theater.
You have to get used to the new tactics, techniques and procedures in theater; the weather; the time difference; change in vehicles; new routes and new rules, said Welch. "It's bad enough you have to get acclimated to all that, but you certainly shouldn't have to get used to the company [standards of procedure]."
To establish a standard between the three, the first sergeant and commander of the 233rd Trans. Co. visited each company every six weeks. The company also conducted a mission readiness exercise and joint training exercise together before deploying.
Another difficulty presented itself when the unit arrived at COB Speicher; their new motor pool and the HETs were less than satisfactory. The vehicles were breaking down frequently and the vehicle parts were not easily accessible.
"There was a time that we could not roll out of the motor pool without having a breakdown. Now, I have Soldiers that go 150 miles and back without a single breakdown," said Welch.
Once the vehicles were mission ready, the 233rd Trans. Co. Soldiers also adapted well from hauling track vehicles to other types of equipment throughout theater.
Although the unit had to overcome multiple challenges since arriving in theater in 2008, the 233rd Trans. Co. has conducted 40 convoys, driven more than 240,613 miles and hauled more than 18,895 tons of equipment. They also have a 98 percent unit readiness rate, the highest in their brigade during the last 10 months.
| Date Taken: | 02.17.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 02.17.2009 03:25 |
| Story ID: | 30098 |
| Location: | TIKRIT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 531 |
| Downloads: | 375 |
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