by Spc. Cassandra Groce
133rd MPAD
TIKRIT, Iraq – It's a man's job, but a woman's got to do it.
Sgt. Gail Gray, a Soldier in the 505th Engineering Battalion attached to the 101st Airborne Division, is one of the first women in the military qualified to drive a D-9, or bull dozer, in combat.
"It's like riding in a Cadillac," said Gray. "One of the things I like about the D-9 is it's so heavy, it is one of the safest places to be in a fire fight."
When Gray arrived in Iraq she took a 40-hour class taught by the outgoing unit.
"Some of it was crazy," explained Gray. "They blindfolded us and we had to climb three times into each entrance with all of our gear on."
Since arriving in Iraq, Gray has helped build a berm around Samarra, Iraq. She has also helped build fighting positions and a range for the Iraqi Army.
"That was a big mission because it was the first range the Iraqis received," said Gray.
Gray joined the U.S Army National Guard in 1993 and has been a Soldier ever since. She signed on as a Heavy Equipment Construction Operator.
"My step dad was a diesel mechanic, and I liked being around hydraulics," explained Gray. "I figured I'd like [being a mechanic]."
Back home, Gray builds freight line trucks and is a mother of two children.
"A lot of people don't expect females to do what I do," said Gray. "So I like to do the unexpected. I'm not going to say it's easy; it's a challenge."