Courtesy Photo | Pfc. John Cowan (left) and Pfc, Chet Jette, both from Company A, 526th Brigade Support...... read more read more
By Sgt. 1st Class Mary Mott, 363rd MPAD
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - An electrical fire early the morning of Feb 5 at Forward Operating Base Yusifiyah, a remote base camp south of Baghdad, destroyed Soldiers" personal belongings as well as doing extensive structural damage to the Military Transition Team Tactical Operations Center.
There were 70-80 Soldiers in the camp's main building, a former potato factory constructed of rippled metal sheathing, when the fire broke out. The building was separated into areas where unit business was transacted and Soldiers also lived.
The fire caused the center portion of the roof to cave-in and debris covered most of the living area and office space.
An Iraqi fire department team from the town of Mahmudiyah, east of Yusifiyah, responded to the fire, which spread very quickly and destroyed most of the building.
Master Sgt. Ted Endicott, who serves as the senior Army-Air Force Exchange Services LNO in the Multi-National Division-Baghdad area of operations, said he was contacted for assistance by Lt. Col. Greg Sudman, MND-B G-4 (Supply/Logistics). The situation had been called to the attention of MND-B's G-4 by Morale-Welfare-Recreation workers, who were concerned about the Soldiers who had lost their possessions, Endicott said.
"I contacted AAFES immediately about this, and it went all the way to the top and they said "yes, let's us support these Soldiers,"" recalled Endicott. AAFES provided 178 sets each of 3-packs of t-shirts, underwear and socks as well as 178 travel sundry packs, which include shaving gear, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. " one for each Soldier who lost their personal items.
Soldiers from Company A, 526th Brigade Support Battalion, loaded the pallet at Camp Liberty Feb. 9 for distribution to their fellow Soldiers in the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
"We have an excellent relationship with AAFES," said Endicott.
"It was really great how quickly AAFES was able to put this together," noting that the items were delivered to the Soldiers "within 48 hours of the fire," said Maj. Bradley Rees, logistics officer for the 2nd Brigade, 101st Abn. Div., which is located at FOB Striker.
"Knowing our Soldiers (at that location) are far from an AAFES, it really mean a lot to them (to get these items) to help them get back on their feet," said Rees.
The fire was determined to have been of accidental origin. Buildings in Iraq do not follow an electrical code comparable to that of American wiring standards. A similar fire destroyed a building nearby, occupied by the Iraqi army, several weeks ago. That building was of identical construction to the TOC and was believed to have been wired the same.
| Date Taken: | 02.17.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 02.17.2006 12:28 |
| Story ID: | 5421 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 446 |
| Downloads: | 189 |
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