by Staff Sgt. Timothy B. Lawn
Scimitar Staff
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq " Sandstorms, improvised explosives and terrorist attacks cannot keep the Marines from 2nd Platoon, Company B, Amphibian Assault Battalion, 2nd Marine Division and their armored assault vehicles out of the fight.
"The work flow can be strenuous," said Gunnery Sgt. Alvin Beard. "At any given time, we can work 18- to 20-hour days. A normal AAV rotation or hours/miles on these vehicles are 400 to 450 miles in five years; we did that in about 60 days." The average for the company has been about 832 miles for the first month and 897 for the following months.
Beard is one of the senior noncommissioned officers for 2nd Plt., B Co. He ensures his mechanics keep B Co.'s AAVs combat ready.
Keeping the AAVs combat ready has come with a price. The company had lost one of its mechanic brothers. On June 6, Lance Cpl. Jonathan L. Smith was bringing hot chow to the field when the AAV he was in hit an improvised explosive device.
"[Terrorists] are getting smarter, bigger mines and bigger IEDs," Beard said. "The repairs are getting more intensive. In the last two weeks, we repaired six tracks and 12 in the last month," said Beard.
Referring to an AAV nicknamed "Diablo 4" being repaired, Beard pointed to where a rocket-propelled grenade went through the rear ramp window. "Two Marines were wounded when that happened," he said. Looking at the window, Beard said "it was miraculous that no one was killed, and it is still [in operation]."
Not only do they repair the tracks, the mechanics also have to assist B Co. with a myriad of duties. "We are tasked with convoy operations, patrolling, security and stability operations," said Beard.
Additionally, they attach a mechanic plus one communications operator or radio man and a communications technician to each platoon. "We are down manning strength by about a quarter," said Beard. The company has 22 enlisted Marines and one officer; the loss of personnel has been hard.
"It has been very maintenance-intensive " pretty much non-stop since we arrived," said Beard.
When B Co. deployed, it had three or four trained mechanics with little experience in the company, Beard explained. They received the rest of their mechanics freshly trained from school and with no real-world experience.
Sgt. Jason Groves, one of the mechanics assigned to B Co., was watching an AAV crew he was assigned to working on one of the road wheels.
"Most of the stuff I do, they already know how to do," said Groves.
The men repairing the AAVs have not gone unnoticed. Beard said his Marines were submitted for awards ranging from the Navy Achievement Medal to letters of achievement, and he feels confident they will be recognized.
| Date Taken: | 11.16.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 11.16.2005 14:22 |
| Story ID: | 3755 |
| Location: | FALLUJAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 105 |
| Downloads: | 16 |
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