Photo By Sgt. Isaac Copeland | U.S. service members from the 1970th Quartermaster Co. transfer water to distribute...... read more read more
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BATURAJA, Indonesia, - U.S. service members purified 36,000 gallons of water a day from the Komering River to provide potable water throughout the training area during Super Garuda Shield 26, supporting personnel operating in Indonesia's hot and humid environment, Sep. 1-11, BATURAJA, Indonesia.
Water purification specialists used a Tactical Water Purification System to draw untreated water from the river and process it through multiple stages of filtration. The system can produce up to 1,500 gallons of purified water per hour, roughly enough to fill 30 bathtubs an hour, providing water for showers, handwashing stations, cooking and other needs across the Super Garuda Shield training area.
U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Ian Duba, a water purification specialist with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, said that providing clean water is essential to sustaining forces throughout the exercise.
"Water has always been the most important aspect of supporting any sort of force," Duba said. "Whether it's drinking, hygiene to help prevent disease, things like that, it's the most important thing overall."
The purification process begins before the river water enters the system. An intake strainer prevents larger debris from entering before the water moves through progressively finer stages of filtration. The Tactical Water Purification System uses 12 microfiltration filters before the water reaches five reverse osmosis modules that purify at the three- to five-micron level, which is roughly 15 to 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair, where it is pushed through the system at high pressure.
Once filtered, the water is treated with chemicals to kill bacteria and prevent their growth during storage and distribution. Duba said contaminants such as E. coli are among the concerns that water purification specialists address when treating water from local sources. This is particularly important for U.S. personnel who may not be accustomed to contaminants found in the local environment.
A preventive medicine team tested samples collected before and after the purification process. The untreated river water tested positive for three strains of E. coli, while samples collected after purification and distribution tested negative.
“The tests showing negative E. coli demonstrate that through the distribution, and the trucks and the production side, they’re filtering that out,” said U.S. Army Maj. Tyler Childress, a preventive medicine specialist with the 227th Medical Detachment.
The process allows personnel to take water available in the local environment and turn it into a resource capable of sustaining continued operations for the exercise. The water is tested before being connected to storage tanks, and chemical treatment continues throughout the day to prevent bacterial growth.
For Duba, who has worked in water purification for 12 years, Super Garuda Shield also provided an opportunity to work alongside Army National Guard soldiers and exchange knowledge between services.
Duba said that differences in how the Marine Corps and the Army National Guard organize their water purification personnel enabled both sides to share their experiences. While Marine water purification specialists train in several aspects of operating and maintaining their systems, he said the soldiers he worked with divided responsibilities among personnel who specialize in specific parts of the operation.
"It's been really cool being able to teach them certain things, things to look out for, just little tips and tricks that you picked up from doing this job for years," Duba said.
Those exchanges are an important part of Super Garuda Shield, allowing participating forces to understand better how others operate and to improve their ability to work together in future operations.
Water purification also supports training taking place beyond the site. Duba said purified water reaches personnel conducting projects and training throughout the area, including engineers working in the jungle and at a local school.
"You're not showering or cooking with E. coli because of these individuals out here," Duba said. "Making sure that the force is sustained and can be sustained for continuous operations."
For Duba, the capability ultimately comes down to sustaining the people conducting those missions. "It's a literal life-giving event that will sustain the entirety of the force," Duba said.
By providing one of the most basic requirements for personnel in the field, the water purification team helps sustain Super Garuda Shield while creating another opportunity for U.S. forces to share knowledge, improve interoperability and build relationships through working together.
| Date Taken: | 09.06.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.07.2026 07:36 |
| Story ID: | 574039 |
| Location: | ID |
| Web Views: | 40 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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