out of Iraq into the neighboring country of Kuwait. The drawdown
is starting to take place. Camp Arifjan is the place that
makes it happen.
The maintenance facility at Camp Arijan is the sole caretaker
for all equipment coming out of Iraq. What happens at
Building 450 here is a unique process that includes over 500
civilian contractors working side by side with servicemembers.
Aca,!A"The bottom line is every piece of metal coming out of Iraq
will go through us,Aca,!A? said Sgt. 1st Class George Bayer, Maintenance
Non-Commisioned Officer in Charge for the 2-401st
Army Field Support Brigade. Aca,!A"Right now we have over 34
different programs to retrograde equipment coming out of Iraq.
This includes mechanical support, painting, washing, tire repair
and transportation.Aca,!A?
Bayer went on to comment on the dynamic operation of fixing
up a broken piece of equipment at Building 450.
Aca,!A"Basically, we strip them and rebuild them from the ground
up,Aca,!A? Bayer added. Aca,!A"We fix things up for the Army, Marines and
even special forces.Aca,!A?
With the drawdown of coalition forces from Iraq already underway,
Maj. Anthony Linyard, Support Operations Officer for
the 2-401st Army Field Support Brigade, has the busy task of
preparing for over 60,000 containers of equipment coming out
of Iraq.
Aca,!A"We have been doing war game scenarios in preparation for
the drawdown for over the past three months,Aca,!A? said Linyard,
a Beaufort, S.C. native. Aca,!A"We here are tasked with having the
capability to receive, store, fix and reissue equipment coming
from up north.Aca,!A?
The biggest challenge for Linyard and his troops is the unknown.
Things coming in from the drawdown have been slower
than expected thus far, and they are anticipating a huge surge
in equipment from Iraq at any moment.
Aca,!A"When the bow breaks, we expect the worst and we have to
prepare for it,Aca,!A? said Linyard. Aca,!A"Right now we have the capacity
to handle up to 3,600 pieces per-month. Anything over that
and we will be stretched to the limit with space and personnel.Aca,!A?
Aca,!A"We alone already repair almost 5,000 tires per month,Aca,!A?
added Linyard. Aca,!A"As the drawdown heats up, the goal will be
close to 7,200 each month for the war effort.Aca,!A?
With all the vehicles, trailers, and military machines coming
out of Iraq, a systematic approach is in place at Camp Arifjan
for the needs of the military.
Aca,!A"Lot 58 is the receiving point for all convoys and coming
out of Iraq,Aca,!A? said Chief Warrent Officer 4 Jesse Fields,
Maintenance Officer in Charge for the 2-401st Army Field
Support Brigade. Aca,!A"In just 24 hours of receiving a rolling
piece of equipment, a plan is put together for its use. Within
five days it is either moved to a holding area, shipped out,
or the process for it to be retrograded begins with us here at
Building 450.Aca,!A?
With the drawdown in Iraq, and the knowledge of the increasing
violence and danger in Afghanistan, there is a big
emphasis on getting repaired equipment to support Operation
Enduring Freedom. With that in mind, the maintenance
facilityAca,!a,,cs focus is on having everything it needs to complete
the mission of supplying servicemembers deployed to
Afghanistan.
Aca,!A"We have over 16,000 parts in our warehouse to support
our efforts,Aca,!A? said Fields. Aca,!A"With the drawdown in Iraq, the
mission has now shifted on fixing up the stuff coming from
the north, and sending it off in support of OEF.Aca,!A?
Staff Sgt. Larry Johnson, Systems NCOIC for the 2-401st
Army Field Support Brigade, gets a strong feeling of purpose
with what he does and those he works with at Building
450.
Aca,!A"This is an ever evolving process with a lot of involvement
from a number of different levels of the military,Aca,!A? said
Johnson, a native of Claxton, Ga. Aca,!A"Even a lot of the contractors
who work with us here are ex-military, and they too
know the importance of getting this equipment repaired to
send off to Afghanistan.Aca,!A?
With the personnel, tools, and will to fix and ship equipment
from a brigade leaving Iraq, to one entering OEF, the
maintenance facility here will play an important part with
the end result in the War on Terror.
Aca,!A"We are here to help out our armed forces brothers and sisters,"
said Linyard.
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