Photo By Sgt. Kimberly Drier | CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Spc. Jose Ortiz from Bayamon, a native of Puerto Rico and cable...... read more read more
by Sgt. Ann Drier,
363rd MPAD
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – The classroom is not sterile or high-tech, but what is taught there will help enable Iraqi engineers to bring their army's communication systems into the 21st Century.
Capt. Ziyad Tariq Obeed, 1st Lt. Hadar Mohammed Sadam, and Sgt. Maj. Zaid Ali Obeed, engineers with Communications Company, 6th Iraqi Army Division, quickly picked up the "lingo" and techniques of fiber optics from the Soldiers of the cable platoon, Company A, Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, during a week-long class here Sep. 18 - 24.
The classes were designed by Sgt. Scott Ortiz, Spc. Jose Guerrera and Spc. Brandon Lacombe, Co. A cable support installers, to assist IA soldiers in handling the numerous repair jobs the wiring systems in and around Baghdad will require in the years ahead.
Originally designed only as a class to enhance the skills of the Iraqi engineers in maintaining and repairing the copper cable systems typically used in Iraqi wiring systems, the students' know-how and enthusiasm for learning quickly moved them forward into the area of fiber optics.
"Out of all the cable installations in the international zone and all the repair jobs at all the different forward operating bases, teaching these men has given me the most pleasure," said Landry.
After a few days training on the copper cable processes, the Iraqi engineers requested they also be taught the fine art of fiber optic cable installation, said Sgt. First Class Tim Landry, who hails from Killeen, Texas, cable platoon sergeant, Co. A. This skill will enable them to bring the communications systems of the Iraqi army into the 21st century.
The engineers were not satisfied with just learning the rudiments of copper cable, explained Guerrera, a native of Waterbury, Conn.
"They're very eager to learn," he said. "After we taught them about copper wire, they couldn't get enough – they kept wanting to come back and learn more."
"They learned the basic copper cable techniques in three to four days, and now they've picked up the fiber optics as well," said Guerrera. "They've learned a lot in just a week. When we're finished here today, we will go with them back to Baghdad. Tomorrow we will be watching them begin work at the Division Headquarters. They'll be laying wire from their G2 to legal departments."
A special touch is required to splice fiber optic cable since the glass fibers are encased with fiber insulation sealed inside a plastic coating. Unlike copper, the fibers are delicate and can be easily broken by using too much pressure to cut the casing while splicing cables to connectors.
"There is a lot of difference in the cable," observed Capt. Obeed. "This is very good to learn. I'm an engineer, but I didn't know how to connect this cable before. Now it is very simple for me. No one knows about this. When we go back, we will teach them."
"At first, cutting fiber was hard," concurred Sadam. "Now I see how much pressure to use, not to cut the (glass) fibers."
The course was taught using train-the-trainer techniques, with all teaching materials recorded onto CDs. Handbooks were also provided to assist the Iraqi students in teaching their own officers and soldiers, said Landry.
"When we go back, we will train them (IA soldiers), and we will choose the good ones to teach," said Capt. Obeed. "Then they can teach others. I think it will help us to connect all the buildings. With this (technology) we can connect them for better communications, to improve the quality and bring us into the 21st century."
Training the Iraqi soldiers was also a source of personal enlightenment, said Ortiz, a native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
"The best thing about this is that this is the first time we've ever worked with foreign nationals," he said. "We've learned about them and them about us."
With Soldiers from 4th Inf. Div. preparing to redeploy soon, the classes taught by the Co. A Soldiers will soon come to an end. Whether the Iraqi engineers can sustain the new technology will depend mostly on them and those they train.
"They will be self-sustaining before we leave," said Guerrera.
Soldiers from Co. A will remain available to advise the Iraqi engineers until they redeploy, said Landry. The equipment the Iraqi engineers require will also continue to be available to them until the unit redeploys. After that, the replacement company will be able to carry on the work.
"They've moved from copper to glass in just a week. We're very proud of their accomplishment, and I'm proud of my Soldiers because they planned and executed this program from start to finish," said Landry
| Date Taken: | 09.24.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 10.05.2006 11:40 |
| Story ID: | 7929 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 216 |
| Downloads: | 84 |
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