Keeping The IZ Fresh and Clean: KBR Opens New Laundry Facility on Camp Prosperity

Photo By Staff Sgt. Melissa Bright | KBR employs local national workers at the Camp Prosperity 24-hour laundry facility in Baghdad as part of an effort to help improve local economics.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

05.22.2010

Story by Sgt. Melissa Bright 

72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (36th ID, TXARNG)

BAGHDAD - There's no doubt about it service members are a dirty group of people. From their sweat drenched PT uniforms to their dusty, dirty, grime encrusted combat uniforms. And thanks to the newly built 24-hour KBR laundry facility on Camp Prosperity, it's now easier than ever for them to clean up their act.

The 12,000 square foot metal building is equipped with eighty regular washer/dryer sets that use cold water, low heat as specified for the military uniforms, but also maintain six industrial-size sets that use hot water and high-heat for bedding and MWR towels.

Behind the building is a large storage tank, capable of holding 50,000 gallons of city water. This system is much more efficient than the previous storage tanks of only five-thousand gallons they used on Camp Hope. The occasional city-water outages have a tendency to stop operations. The capability to stockpile enough water to complete the day's task reduces the down-time the facility is forced to deal with when this occurs.

The new efficiency is not limited to saving time through smart water storage; the central location has now turned to computer automation when customers turn in their clothes.

There is no longer any need to fill out the ubiquitous triplicate carbon copy (only at this location) when turning over your bag and streamlines looking up prior turn-ins. However, it is always a good idea to make sure to keep your receipt as computer systems are fallible.

In addition to its wet laundering capabilities, the KBR team also procured sufficient dry cleaning equipment and pressing machines to take care of the Department of State and Triple Canopy needs. All in all, the facility is more than able to process the clothes brought in from the Embassy, North-Wedge, Camp Condor and, of course, Camp Prosperity.

"There are ninety local nationals at this particular site. We run 24-hours a day and are constantly bringing in shipments from our satellite drop-off and pick-up sites around the IZ," said Sanja Maksimovic, KBR laundry services manager.

Sanja is able to use her 12 years of experience, over five in her native Bosnia and seven here in Iraq, working in KBR laundry facilities to deal with the small issues that can arise.

"Sometimes it's customers coming in wanting us to rush their bag through or just looking for a lost item. We are more than happy to work with our customer, that's what we are here for."

As for how they handle the occasional surge in bags that happens as units move in and out of the area: "There were thirty-four thousand bags of laundry washed, dried and folded last month, but we can definitely handle that and much more. It all depends on the needs of our customers."

The State Department funded project took shape after Camp Hope, the previous location for the International Zone's centralized laundry facility, was designated in 2009 as one of the sites to be turned back over the government of Iraq.

Planning for the new facility began later that year in May and once Prosperity was identified as the ideal location, the project proceeded at a swift pace.

It took only four months before construction began with, ironically, the destruction of the old jail-house that previously occupied the current location.

Little fanfare, but much joy accompanied the doors opening for the first customers seven months later in March of 2010.

"The quick turnaround from planning to finished product is attributed to the one-hundred twenty-five industrious contractors that participated in the bottom-up construction. From digging the foundation to laying the wires and installing the HVAC, it was their round-the clock efforts that got us going," said William Bodie, a KBR director of services.

The facility is capable of handling more than just the service members, security forces and civilians that dutifully turn in their green bags filled with sweat soaked and food stained clothes. Added to the mix are the endless towels used by the MWR patrons and bedding sets from billeting.

The number of towels the facility runs through usually increases steadily as spring inches towards summer.

For example, there were 40,840 washed in February and 46,820 just two months later in April, 46,820, a 15 percent increase.

The billeting office is another of its regulars, turning over approximately 4,000 bedding sets each month.

But it doesn't matter who you are or what you turn in (remember-there is a 20 per bag limit). You can expect your belongings to be returned to you within seventy-two hours, give or take a bit depending on your drop-off location.

And just in case you think you've left something in your pockets: "All pockets are checked before clothes are put in the washer. At that point found items are placed in a sealable envelope with copy of the laundry ticket," said Bodie.

"We keep all items secured until they are ready to be handed over to the mayor cell or customer. Notification with all information is attached to laundry ticket; once the person comes to pick-up their laundry, we will show the person the notice. If they don't return within six weeks, the item is turned over to the mayor's cell. Anyone looking for their lost items should check both places."

So no need to fear about your dog-tags or thumb-drives, passports or credit-cards, or even the odd rattle-snake tail that somehow find their way into the bags. All you need to do is ask at the front desk. But just to be on the safe side, take that extra few minutes and have them do an inventory when you first drop it off.

• Date Taken: 05.22.2010
• Date Posted: 06.07.2010 17:15
• Story ID: 51032
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ