KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – While most of the Soldiers of the 43rd Sustainment Brigade are accustomed to fulfilling the role of unsung hero, the Soldiers of the brigade's maintenance section often live even further behind the scenes.
Despite their behind-the-scenes role in maintaining the operational readiness of the 43rd SB during deployment to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, that role is essential to success.
The maintenance team of the 43rd SB comprises 28 Soldiers who perform four main tasks: generator repair, power generation maintenance, and both scheduled and unscheduled vehicle maintenance.
The maintenance platoon is responsible for the maintenance and repair of more than 45 power generators and 80 trucks, forklifts and trailers, belonging to half a dozen companies across the brigade.
"Power generation is key," said Col. Edward M. Daly, commander, 43rd SB. "These guys are out there in the heat, every single day, making a difference. Nobody in the Army works as hard as a dedicated and skilled maintenance Soldier."
Lt. Col. Craig A. Simonsgaard, commander, 43rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 43rd SB, is fond of using the Wheaties analogy to describe the role of a sustainment Soldier.
While it is true the logistics Soldier won't ever grace the cover of a Wheaties box, said Simonsgaard, it is unlikely a mechanic in a sustainment brigade could even be found as an extra, in a group photo, on the back of a Wheaties box.
"Their participation in our mission is critical," said Simonsgaard. "Without them, we simply fail."
As temperatures on KAF consistently reached triple digits over the summer, air conditioning was and is an essential component of mission productivity. Functional generators are the only way such air conditioning systems can operate under the brigade's deployment conditions.
In the brigade's tactical operations center, air conditioning is more than a mere creature comfort. Attached at myriad locations along the nearly 10 miles of network cable passing through the TOC, are pieces of hardware essential to keeping the Soldiers of the brigade up and running. Hardware that is not properly cooled quickly shuts down.
Projectors and screens display the location and movement of troops in the battle space. Radios throughout the TOC enable the battle captain and his staff to communicate with those same troops. Computers allow the intel team to access up-to-the-minute intelligence reports.
A downed generator can mean the difference between success and failure on the battlefield.
The 43rd SB maintenance section employs several generator mechanics, either by trade or by necessity. These Soldiers spend countless hours, often in the hottest parts of the day, leaning over blazing hot engine parts, ensuring the generators run smoothly and occasionally coaxing a few generators back to life.
Pfc. Devin M. Pass, of Brea, Calif., originally trained as a tank mechanic, now works primarily on power generators.
Pass spent a considerable amount of time over the summer repairing generators ravaged by excessive heat. Pass says he looks forward to winter's lower temperatures.
Though Pass is a trained tank mechanic, he welcomes the opportunity this deployment provides him to expand his mechanical skills.
"The best part of being in this platoon," said Pass, "is I get to learn how to fix everything."
In addition to the maintenance of TOC generators, the 43rd SB mechanics spend much of their time maintaining the brigade's fleet of MRAPs.
While routine maintenance of the vehicles is expected and scheduled, it is the unanticipated and unscheduled maintenance where the mechanics really prove their mettle.
Sgt. Toby R. Glaze, a native of Fall River Mills, Calif., is the platoon's noncommissioned officer in charge of vehicle services.
"Most people can change the oil or swap a tire out," said Glaze. "But when you look at the jobs that come in unexpected, when a truck has actually broken down, that's where these guys' specialized skill set really comes into play."
While Glaze describes most of the platoon's work as routine, he stressed this does not mean there is little to do. MRAPs are made of 14 tons of truck and armor, and even under normal operation, their engines are constantly under heavy stress.
"Every day there is at least one truck broken," said Glaze. "So in addition to our scheduled maintenance, you can count on at least a bit of unscheduled maintenance pretty much every day."
Glaze feels the 43rd SB's biggest success can be measured in the level of the platoon's operational readiness. He says no missions have been canceled due to nonfunctional equipment, and he believes the personnel are better trained and the equipment is better maintained than the Army standard.
If the trucks aren't on the road, people don't get the supplies they need, and that means a failed mission, said Sgt. Nicholas K. Schultz, a native of Port Huron, Mich., now a squad leader in the brigade's security platoon.
"But these guys really know their stuff," Schultz. "I don't think we've ever had a problem they couldn't fix, and usually pretty fast."
In addition to being staffed with skilled mechanics, the platoon even employs one carpenter.
Spc. Thomas E. Chase, of Damariscotta, Maine, originally trained as a power-generation equipment repairer, has demonstrated considerable skill in carpentry. He now spends much of his time constructing the trappings of a more ergonomic maintenance bay.
One of the team's power-generation mechanics, Sgt. Donald F. Davidson, from Pontiac, Mich., was named the 2009 Army Enlisted Power Generation Technician of the year.
Staff Sgt. Matthew C. Perry, originally from Hartselle, Ala., is a section leader in the maintenance platoon. Perry is proud of the work each of his Soldiers accomplishes every day, and he singled out two Soldiers he finds of notable mention.
"Sgt. Ringold and Spc. Weintraub work above and beyond to maintain and sustain the brigade TOC," said Perry. "Everyone in the brigade owes them a pat on the back."
Sgt. Kelvin P. Ringold Jr., from Hampton, Va., and Spc. Samuel Z. Weintraub, of Johnson City, N.Y., are both power-generation equipment repairers by trade. Each has a reputation for being able to fix just about anything.
"One of the great benefits of being a mechanic is the ability to really see the effects of your work," said Ringold. "For some people, their level of job success is really hard to measure. But for these guys, success and failure are both right in your face. Every time a convoy leaves the motor pool and heads outside the wire, you know they've done their jobs."