Ya I love this assignment. I get to do a little bit of everything. A couple of days ago I way out at a make shift patrolbase just move in to an abandoned structure and set up communications and security to run patrols in the area for a short period of time. In my patrolwe had 5 U.S. soldiers and 30 Iraqi Army. We were given our search areas and out we'd go. looking for terrorists and weapons mainly explosives and machine guns.
After two days of that we get back to our regular patrol bsae and I'm right to work on plumbing, and the generator issues. The generator definitely has issues.
Just about a week ago I was working with a diesil cement mixer, filling blast craters in the local roads and doing other projects aroundour base. I wacked the hell out of my knee starting that mixer, it's got a hand crank damb thing came around and nailed me right below the knee cap. It looked like I had two knee caps when i went to the medic 2 hrs later, I was busy.
Then we were doing route clearance "looking for bombs in the roads". I was on the north with a terp and 2 Iraqis and my buddy was on the south with his guys looking for command wires leading to bombs in the road.
we found no wires but the bomb diposal unit hit a pressure plate bomb at a bridge that took to front end off there lead RG31 "google it". A broken leg and and a couple scrapes and bruses to the crew. The engine block flew a hundred feet and the front axle went twice as far. the left front corner of the thing went easy 300 meters.
We got medevac choppers in for the wounded and secured the area for the recovery team to pick up the pieces
As an Army mechanic I normally wouldn't get the chance to do half of this and at my rank I would be tied down with paper work and would ba begging to get away from the battalion staff and or first sergeant and CO.
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After two days of that we get back to our regular patrol bsae and I'm right to work on plumbing, and the generator issues. The generator definitely has issues.
Just about a week ago I was working with a diesil cement mixer, filling blast craters in the local roads and doing other projects aroundour base. I wacked the hell out of my knee starting that mixer, it's got a hand crank damb thing came around and nailed me right below the knee cap. It looked like I had two knee caps when i went to the medic 2 hrs later, I was busy.
Then we were doing route clearance "looking for bombs in the roads". I was on the north with a terp and 2 Iraqis and my buddy was on the south with his guys looking for command wires leading to bombs in the road.
we found no wires but the bomb diposal unit hit a pressure plate bomb at a bridge that took to front end off there lead RG31 "google it". A broken leg and and a couple scrapes and bruses to the crew. The engine block flew a hundred feet and the front axle went twice as far. the left front corner of the thing went easy 300 meters.
We got medevac choppers in for the wounded and secured the area for the recovery team to pick up the pieces
As an Army mechanic I normally wouldn't get the chance to do half of this and at my rank I would be tied down with paper work and would ba begging to get away from the battalion staff and or first sergeant and CO.
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as you can tell I'm not to good at writing in these things
I don't know how you find the time.
Well I still live on a patrol base in Iraq with 30 US soldiers and 300 Iraqi soldiers.
I fix about evey thing.
I actually grew up in the Army as a wheeled vehicle Mechanic witch is how I got here.
I help out and train the Iraqi Mechanics.
Being on a small Patrol Base we have Two 350 KW generators a main one and a backup.
from what I've been told they were put in about a year ago one of witch I was told had a bad curcuit card
the other ran great until November. It ran for six months with no servicing just adding oil. Them I got here.
on the main bases they have the same large generators those get serviced by civilians and they don't come out here. they have sent local contactors to service them but they show up with a tool box and an oil filter "no oil".
So I have gotten a crash course in power generation. I have never worked on generators but I figure after all it is an engine. I figure I can fix anything if I have the right manual, oh I don't have the manuals for them. I did manage to get the backup gen running, good thing the main generator blow a fan belt and now won't start. I have always been able to at least get it running once it quits. oh well I'll work on it tomarrow.
I don't know how you find the time.
Well I still live on a patrol base in Iraq with 30 US soldiers and 300 Iraqi soldiers.
I fix about evey thing.
I actually grew up in the Army as a wheeled vehicle Mechanic witch is how I got here.
I help out and train the Iraqi Mechanics.
Being on a small Patrol Base we have Two 350 KW generators a main one and a backup.
from what I've been told they were put in about a year ago one of witch I was told had a bad curcuit card
the other ran great until November. It ran for six months with no servicing just adding oil. Them I got here.
on the main bases they have the same large generators those get serviced by civilians and they don't come out here. they have sent local contactors to service them but they show up with a tool box and an oil filter "no oil".
So I have gotten a crash course in power generation. I have never worked on generators but I figure after all it is an engine. I figure I can fix anything if I have the right manual, oh I don't have the manuals for them. I did manage to get the backup gen running, good thing the main generator blow a fan belt and now won't start. I have always been able to at least get it running once it quits. oh well I'll work on it tomarrow.
So I've been out for a couple of days.
I was on a dismounted search mission with the IA.
We got droped off at 01:00 a few days ago to walk in to our objective.
the Cav air assaulted in on black hawk to of the birds saw our Infra Red strobes and thought we were the Landing Zone and drope those trooper tow KM north of the actual LZ.
We searched a village a Masque and secure an abandoned compound for a base camp.
We droped our Packs and search the palm groves for weapons. we finished up around 14:00 and finally got some rest.
The next day up at 03:00 to escort the detainees to the transports and then on to search more palm groves we finished around 13:00 returning to the transports to wait for our ride.
one of our trucks struck an IED inroute no damage. all total we probably walked 20 KM in those to days. that would be bad if we weren't waring 80 lb of body armor and equipment.
once back to the patrol base we found the in ternet was down and then we had a como blackout. Then today we had to go sit on a IED at the same spot as yesterdays IED we sat for 11 hours until EOD showed up finally
so how was your week?
I was on a dismounted search mission with the IA.
We got droped off at 01:00 a few days ago to walk in to our objective.
the Cav air assaulted in on black hawk to of the birds saw our Infra Red strobes and thought we were the Landing Zone and drope those trooper tow KM north of the actual LZ.
We searched a village a Masque and secure an abandoned compound for a base camp.
We droped our Packs and search the palm groves for weapons. we finished up around 14:00 and finally got some rest.
The next day up at 03:00 to escort the detainees to the transports and then on to search more palm groves we finished around 13:00 returning to the transports to wait for our ride.
one of our trucks struck an IED inroute no damage. all total we probably walked 20 KM in those to days. that would be bad if we weren't waring 80 lb of body armor and equipment.
once back to the patrol base we found the in ternet was down and then we had a como blackout. Then today we had to go sit on a IED at the same spot as yesterdays IED we sat for 11 hours until EOD showed up finally
so how was your week?
Been talking online to a great lady that saw me on the web. I know she's older but she's so intence. We've been on IM for hours almost like phone sex. never been it to phone sex but any way she sure seems like she'd be a fun person to be around...
Got my new bunk built, I love it I can sit up to get out of bed, I don't have to roll out and try not to hit my head.
Our generator started acting up again this time it was tripping the breaker I couldn't figure out why. The contractors came out and though they had it fixed I new better it died after dark as predicted. They found fire and smoke coming for the ground were a cable goes under aperently it was shorting out. Its good now just no power to the Iraqi sleep tents maybe tomarrow.
The Iraqi leadership kept sending thebest mechanics on mission to drive trucks or whatever and leaving the most inexerianced guy to fix trucks. This practice finally bit them in the ass, The last two trucks he fixed came appart on missions, funny I haven't seen him sinceNow they have been keeping the good guys in the motorpool.
Our generator started acting up again this time it was tripping the breaker I couldn't figure out why. The contractors came out and though they had it fixed I new better it died after dark as predicted. They found fire and smoke coming for the ground were a cable goes under aperently it was shorting out. Its good now just no power to the Iraqi sleep tents maybe tomarrow.
The Iraqi leadership kept sending thebest mechanics on mission to drive trucks or whatever and leaving the most inexerianced guy to fix trucks. This practice finally bit them in the ass, The last two trucks he fixed came appart on missions, funny I haven't seen him sinceNow they have been keeping the good guys in the motorpool.
Well the roommate that I was complaining about got voted off the team the other day.
the guy never did any thing and they finally got rid of him. so for a couple of days I've got my own room so I've got some construction going on. I decided to build a post and beem bunk. When we moved in he tore out the old bunk that was in here and slept on a cot so when he left I got my opertunity to be creative and try my hand at some more complicated carpentry. I'm supposed to have a new roommate in aday or so. plent of time.
the guy never did any thing and they finally got rid of him. so for a couple of days I've got my own room so I've got some construction going on. I decided to build a post and beem bunk. When we moved in he tore out the old bunk that was in here and slept on a cot so when he left I got my opertunity to be creative and try my hand at some more complicated carpentry. I'm supposed to have a new roommate in aday or so. plent of time.
I live on patrol base in Iraq with 30 U.S. and 500 Iraq Army soldiers. Its really starting to get on my nervse, I am allways busy around here either making improvments to the place that benifit every one, or keeping the vehicles running so we can go on missions and patrols. My roommate and I are the same rank, doesn't lift a finger around here, He either sleeps all the time or watches movies or plays video games. He is signed up for online coarses so they leave him along I guess. These guys would rather grab me from working on somtime than drag this guy out of bed, I don't get it.
I guess I'm looking at it the wrong way, Maybe it's just Because I'm GOOD.
I guess I'm looking at it the wrong way, Maybe it's just Because I'm GOOD.
speaking of bikes
last june I was riding home from Ft Drum, it was about 8:30 PM. knowing the strech of road is well patroled I glanced down at my speedo 60 MPH, eyes back to the road "DEER" impact. All I can figure is that I didn't have time to react I stayed one two wheels and came to a stop abut 200 ft later. walking back to the body I called a friend to bring my jeep to bring home my prize and then the cops for my deer tag. I moved the deer to the side and moved my bike back to the deer. useing the copes headligts I removed the remains of my fender. I didn't know the shifter lever was bent until after the deer was loaded and I started home again, not being able to shift into second gear I stopped and realize the problem and bent it back. The dear went to the butchers the next day and I had a hell of a storey for my co-workers.
last june I was riding home from Ft Drum, it was about 8:30 PM. knowing the strech of road is well patroled I glanced down at my speedo 60 MPH, eyes back to the road "DEER" impact. All I can figure is that I didn't have time to react I stayed one two wheels and came to a stop abut 200 ft later. walking back to the body I called a friend to bring my jeep to bring home my prize and then the cops for my deer tag. I moved the deer to the side and moved my bike back to the deer. useing the copes headligts I removed the remains of my fender. I didn't know the shifter lever was bent until after the deer was loaded and I started home again, not being able to shift into second gear I stopped and realize the problem and bent it back. The dear went to the butchers the next day and I had a hell of a storey for my co-workers.
we went out on a raid this morning. we were trying to catch a a ring leader of an IED cell. we didn't find him but we did get his brother who works with him. its a good mission when you can go in and get out with out firing a shot. on the way out one of the guys backed his truck in to a ditch still no injuries good mision
