JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- Without it, everything grinds to a halt. Oil keeps the mechanized world running. It keeps everything in motion. If your oil is bad, chances are, you and your machine are headed toward disaster. That is why it is essential to take an in-depth look at it to keep the Warfighter safe.
Valarie Shakespeare is a lab chief with the Army Oil Analysis Program. The AOAP lab, located at Joint Base Balad, falls under the 1st Battalion, 402nd Army Field Support Brigade. Shakespeare and her team receive and process between 1,300-1,600 oil samples per month. The samples come from military units across Iraq. The samples they receive come from aircraft and ground equipment, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Blackhawk helicopters and M1A1 tanks for example.
“What I like best about my job is knowing that we’re directly supporting the military with a valuable service. Oil analysis provides early detection of component problems which extends component life, improves equipment readiness and reduces operating costs and maintenance downtime,” said Shakespeare.
What she finds under the microscope is critical. An oil sample may go through seven different tests to be analyzed. A sample is tested for contamination, water, viscosity, wear metals, excessive particle count, acidity, oxidation, fuel and more. Here in Iraq they find a lot of sand in the samples.
From these tests the lab can ascertain what kind of maintenance is required or if a part is showing signs of failure or is in the final stage of breakdown. That is important information to have because it could save a life or prevent an injury.
“At the end of the day we feel accomplished. Customers frequently stop by, send an email or call with thanks and appreciation for what we do to support them and their equipment during deployment. Our mission is to support the Warfighter and when the Warfighters themselves let us know we’ve done that, then our mission is accomplished.”
The lab here will close as part of the drawdown and the sample load will be directed to another lab in Kuwait. After more than two years on the job Shakespeare will go home and she has no regrets, “It’s been an amazing experience. I learned a new job and was afforded the opportunity to excel at it and I take home the knowledge and experience of supporting our military with their mission in Iraq.”
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