Photo By Sgt. Brian Johnson | Pvt. Chris Troyer, from Wyoming, Mich., works to install an electrical outlet, Jan. 7,...... read more read more
By Spc. Brian Johnson
BAGHDAD -- Engineers from 1434th Engineer Company, 101st Engineer Battalion, are working hard to expand a gym and make additional living facilities safe and habitable at Joint Security Station Nasir Wa Salam, on the western edge of Baghdad.
Space to sleep and keep physically fit is limited for U.S. Forces stationed there.
As with any construction project, challenges present themselves along the way. The highly capable and skilled engineer Soldiers of 1434th Engineer Company address construction issues with ease and grace, according to Staff Sgt. David Robarge, of Holland, Mich.
"Our biggest challenge that we have had is being able to construct so much, so quickly," said Robarge.
This presents a unique issue: not always having the materials you need when you need them.
"If we find a need for additional material for the site, we sometimes have to wait for it to be sent to us," said Robarge.
When that happens, the focus turns more to the other jobsite until required materials are again on hand.
Robarge said this project has been a series of cross-training missions for all of the Soldiers on the job site. Plumbers and electricians have become carpenters, and carpenters have become electricians. This cross-training allows the work in both buildings to proceed very quickly.
Spc. David Peek, of Homer, Mich., is an electrician with 1434th. During the project, there has been an abundance of carpentry work, so Peek has had a chance to learn some basic carpentry skills.
"I have enjoyed the challenge of learning something new," said Peek. "I have been learning carpentry techniques, like putting together roof trusses that I have no formal training on."
When electricians begin to work on a jobsite, safety becomes extremely important. If wiring is done incorrectly, it could cost someone his life. When working in the barracks building, because wiring is already in place, the task becomes ensuring it is safe.
Spc. Gerald Alexander from Gladstone, Mich., said this can be time consuming.
"When walking into a new job, and wiring is already there, we have to try to figure out if the wiring is still ok, and if it is hooked up properly," said Alexander. "If they are hooked up incorrectly to a circuit, it could blow a beaker, or cause a fire."
The projects are set to be completed by early February. When the work of Peek, Alexander, and the rest of the electricians from the 1434th is complete, 100 Soldiers at Nasir Wa Salam will have more comfortable and safer spaces to live.
| Date Taken: | 01.12.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 01.12.2010 11:15 |
| Story ID: | 43715 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 568 |
| Downloads: | 383 |
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