CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq - After 8 years of laboring in the sand, mud and extreme heat, the Army's RT-240 Kalmar rough terrain container handler fleet is in need of some serious attention.
These 60-ton beasts of burden were at the forefront of the push into theater, and will also play a starring role in the drawdown. From moving 20 and 40 foot containers, to being used as an impromptu earthmover, the strain of a high op-tempo has taken its toll on the fleet.
"A lot of the tractors we've see are pretty rough," said David Eck of the Kalmar LLC lifecycle extension program. "Units rotate in and out so often, there's not enough continuity on the maintenance side".
The civilians from the lifecycle extension program help to bridge the gap in maintenance continuity. Their task is to perform a technical inspection of every RTCH in theater, order replacement parts, and install the parts, wherever the vehicle is located. This includes work that would normally be performed at Joint Base Balad or in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
In many cases, they work hand-in-hand with the Unit's mechanics, who help them acquire the resources, such as fluids, parts and tools, to complete the job. Not every vehicle, however, requires extensive work.
According to Brian Thibodaux, "Some places we go, especially those who have a good chief [warrant officer], don't understand what we're doing there. They may have an excellent maintenance program in place, and don't need or want our help."
For most units, such as the 1st Inland Cargo Transfer Company, 395th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), the civilians from Kalmar are of great assistance in getting a maintenance program for the RT-240 established.
"I've learned a lot from these guys," said Spc. David Roman, a mechanic from the 1st ICTC. "I've been working on this equipment for 2 years now, and I still pick up something new every day."
Without a doubt, the lifecycle extension program has made an impact on equipment readiness within the 15th Sustainment Brigade. As the Responsible Drawdown shifts into high-gear, the theater-wide RT-240 fleet will be ready to take on any task.
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