By 1st Lt. Katherine S. Arnold
1st Sustainment Brigade
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – For the past several weeks, Camp Taji and the surrounding area have experienced several flash floods due to sudden, intense rain showers. The weather seemed to change overnight from hot, sunny days to conditions requiring a jacket and possibly an umbrella. Streets that previously needed water trucks to soak the road to keep the dust down flooded, and drivers were barely able to see the road due to standing water.
Even though the rain came suddenly, changing their surroundings drastically, the 99st Transportation Company, an Army Reserve unit out of South Carolina, still had missions to complete.
The Camp Taji central receiving and shipping point, or CRSP, is one spot on the base where drainage is a problem. In order to load cargo for a recent mission, Soldiers of the 991st had to wade through several inches of standing water.
Having drawn the shortest straw, Spc. Matthew Busby, from Laurel, Miss., was chosen to prepare the cargo for loading at the CRSP yard, which was in the middle of nearly two feet of water.
"It was a lot of fun to wade through knee-high water in the cool weather; someone had to take one for the team. There is nothing better than being a Soldier," Spc. Busby said.
After the mission, Busby's battle buddies chipped in to buy him a burger from the Burger King on Camp Taji.
According to platoon sergeant and Bluff City, Tenn., native Sgt. 1st Class Dana Shehan, the 991st works as a team to complete any mission come rain, sleet, hail, or high water.
"If it were not for the hard work, true dedication, and love for their job, these truck drivers would not have completed as many missions as they have. The 991st realizes the importance of insuring that the freight is delivered in a timely manner to the customers," said Shehan.
The 991st has been successfully completing transportation missions from Camp Taji to Victory Base Complex in Baghdad, Joint Base Balad, and other surrounding areas. The unit has the capability to haul a large variety of military equipment, and is used extensively as a part of the 165th's medium-distance transportation capability.