4th CAB Water Dogs dig for water in the desert

Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Jordan Lauro, Brooking, Ore., water treatment specialist, Company A, 404th Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, ISAF mixes some of the chemicals used to purify the well water on Camp Marmal. (Photo by: U.S. Army)  

CAMP MARMAL, AFGHANISTAN

01.26.2011

Courtesy Story

1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade

Story by: U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Jason Broussard

CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan – Water treatment specialists of Company A, 404th Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, commonly referred to as the “Water Dogs,” were tasked with the vital role of purifying and distributing potable water to International Security Assistance Force personnel and civilians that currently reside on Camp Marmal at the start of the new year.

The Company A Sentrymen were tasked with 4th CAB’s first water mission over the course of four deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Three soldiers were chosen to operate first on the well, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Park, Port Orchard, Wash., Sgt. Jordan Lauro, Brooking, Ore., and Spc. Juan Caudillo, El Paso, Texas, all water treatment specialists in Company A.

“It’s the first time that such a mission has been done in a combat zone where we support ourselves, our sister services and our allies,” Park said. “It’s a rarity and a blessing.”

The well was dug by the Air Force’s 877th Expeditionary Prime BEEF Squadron who received permission from the German commander of Regional Command-North to drill for water on the Camp Marmal Air Field. The 877th EPBS then set up their own Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit to purify the water drawn from the well. The ROWPU works by drawing water from underground and routed through receiving tanks to a holding bag where the water is tested hourly to monitor levels of dissolved solids and chlorine. After the impurities are neutralized the water is routed into distribution tanks where it is issued in a rotation to prevent algae build up within the tanks.

Once 404th Aviation Support Battalion’s Company A received the mission to operate the well the 877th EPBS trained the company’s Soldiers on how to operate the Air Force equipment.

“I can run a ROWPU system on my own if given the chance,” said Caudillo, expressing his proficiency with the unit after only two days of training.

The ability to produce water in an arid environment like Afghanistan is beneficial to the 4th CAB, 4th ID, and all ISAF personnel stationed at Camp Marmal. Before Company A took over the well operations soldiers often went without running water as the water supply tended to run out due to the amount of time it took to truck water in from the nearest city, Mazar-e-Sharif. Company A now hires local Afghan truck drivers to distribute the purified water throughout the camp, resulting in a virtually endless supply of clean water for all U.S. soldiers on the camp.

“We are pretty proud having this job and proud to be doing it well,” Parks said.

• Date Taken: 01.26.2011
• Date Posted: 01.27.2011 01:22
• Story ID: 64291
• Location: CAMP MARMAL, AF