Critical life support services provided by Minnesota soldiers

Photo By 1st Lt. Aaron Rindahl | A view of the waterfall that was constructed by Staff Sgt. Jerold Huntington in front of the emergency operations center in Zone 6 Camp Arifjan.  

CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT

12.11.2011

Story by 1st Lt. Aaron Rindahl 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait — The key function of the Zone 6 Emergency Operations Center is to form the nucleus of the crisis action center for Zone 6. It is the focal point for coordination and flow of critical information to the commander and units operating in the Zone 6 area of responsibility.

“We provide the necessary support to tenant units that just do not know where to go to get help” said Sgt. 1st Class Derek Bronson from Eagan, Minn. Sgt. 1st Class Derek Bronson is the non-commissioned officer in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Zone 6 emergency operations center at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. The emergency operations center is a huge responsibility as it operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

In addition to providing life support activities to Zone 6, the emergency operations center assists with force protection actions by deploying a roving patrol nightly to ensure the safety and security of the personnel in Zone 6, ensure all gates are secured, and all lights are operational. This patrol is made up of personnel that reside in Zone 6. Each night the roving patrol meets to receive their pre-mission brief.

Once all the solders have been briefed, they deploy to patrol the zone to ensure that all force protection measures are up to standard and report anything that is out of the ordinary or appears suspicious.

While the emergency operations center is a busy place, they still find time to make their area feel a little more like home.

Staff Sgt. Sarah Rice from Hanover, Minn., started a garden in front of their office space. She said she planted the garden for two reasons, “It's one of my favorite summer hobbies at home and I would have missed it too much to go a whole year without it and there was a part of me that had to know that things could actually live in this crazy extreme environment.”

Staff Sgt. Jerold Huntington from Minneapolis, Minn., also built a water fountain in front of the emergency operations center. It was built from supplies that Staff Sgt. Huntington acquired and stored until he had all the necessary pieces to make it happen. The waterfall creates a calming atmosphere for all who need the emergency operations center’s assistance. This has been a welcomed landmark by all the tenants of Zone 6.

• Date Taken: 12.11.2011
• Date Posted: 12.29.2011 06:40
• Story ID: 81848
• Location: CAMP ARIFJAN, KW