| Bravo Company soldiers are masters of all trades as they repair equipment ranging from air conditioning units to night vision goggles to weapons to vehicles. |
| By U.S. Army Spc. Jon H. Arguello | |
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KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Nov. 2, 2005 — Few units in the United States Army are as diverse in their skill set as support battalions. The 173rd Support Battalion (Airborne), 173rd Brigade (Airborne) is no exception, especially Bravo Company. The company's best description would be general or miscellaneous support, but don't get the wrong impression. Bravo Company soldiers don't have a lot of time waiting around for things to do.
"They've done a great job," said U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Norman Van Winkle, of his soldiers' performance during the first half of their deployment. "They are very dedicated and they never shy away from missions." The 64 soldiers of Bravo company "provide direct support to all units around Kandahar Airfield and throughout Regional Command - South." What is direct support exactly? From air conditioning repair to night vision goggles to weapons repair, Bravo Company maintains all of it. "Every shop has been a standout performance," said Van Winkle, of Fort Bragg, N.C. "Our [communications, electronics, missiles and armorer] platoon for instance took on the responsibility of maintaining and installing [electronic counter measures] on trucks. They had very little training and took it upon themselves to become subject matter experts. And it's because they know how important it is." The platoon is responsible for repairing radios, missile systems, such as the Javelin and improved TOW system, small arms weapons and other electronic devices. "I couldn't have asked for a better group of soldiers," said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth McCoy, from Birmingham, Ala. "They do an outstanding job. A lot of the stuff is new to them and it has high visibility because it saves lives. The contribution of the entire platoon is really something." Knowing that their jobs directly save lives is one of the reasons they work so hard, said U.S. Army Spc. Ernest Johnson, from Bridgeport, Conn. "This is the best job in the Army. We're not out there killing bad guys, but we're doing a lot for the mission here and you can feel you're helping." Since arriving in Afghanistan in March, the platoon has installed about 300 counter improvised explosive devices electronic systems. Overall, they have completed more than 1,000 missions. Another section from the platoon works on weapons. Sometimes the lack of qualified armorers increases the challenges. "Most of the units submit jobs but don't have armorers, so they're not sure what's wrong with the weapon," said Staff Sgt. Alan Rojas, from Aiea, Hawaii. "So the first thing we do is take it apart and figure out what's wrong with it." As challenging and demanding as the jobs the soldiers of Bravo Company have, they all seem to look at the positive. "It's good when we're at the [forward operating bases]," said U.S. Army Sgt. Demetrius Matthews, from Westover, Md. "You provide the support right there and 20 minutes later, that weapon is on a mission." |
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But the lifesavers who install the electronic measures, fix targeting acquisition systems and repair weapons, aren't the only hard working soldiers in Bravo. Company B also maintains and repair vehicles from wreckers to humvees. The company dedicates one mechanic to inspecting the damage and repair of vehicles. "My goal is to get the vehicle or piece of equipment back on the road as soon as possible," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Yusef Davis, from Longbeach, Calif. "It's important, not just with vehicles but with every piece of equipment, especially equipment that provides whatever comfort to the guys on the line, like heaters or air conditioners." The first six months of Bravo Company's deployment has been challenging to say the least along with their various responsibilities, they have a large and diverse group of customers, basically everyone in Regional Command - South, including its mother unit, the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Their workload is heavy, repairing hundreds of vehicles battered and abused by the extremely rough Afghan terrain, maintaining electronics in a dusty, harsh climate and other jobs. Even the operations sergeant, U.S. Army Sgt. Christy Mangual from Winnsboro, La., trained as a generator mechanic has several other duties from master driver responsibilities to fixing soldiers' pay problems. Still Bravo's soldiers maintain a good attitude. "I really enjoy training and teaching soldiers," said Mangual. "This is a much better environment to train in because there are fewer distractions for the soldiers. We basically spend all of our time actually doing our job." The first six months of Bravo Company's deployment has been challenging to say the least along with their various responsibilities, they have a large and diverse group of customers, basically everyone in Regional Command - South, including its mother unit, the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Their workload is heavy, repairing hundreds of vehicles battered and abused by the extremely rough Afghan terrain, maintaining electronics in a dusty, harsh climate and other jobs. Even the operations sergeant, U.S. Army Sgt. Christy Mangual from Winnsboro, La., trained as a generator mechanic has several other duties from master driver responsibilities to fixing soldiers' pay problems. Still Bravo's soldiers maintain a good attitude. "I really enjoy training and teaching soldiers," said Mangual. "This is a much better environment to train in because there are fewer distractions for the soldiers. We basically spend all of our time actually doing our job." Van Winkle hopes that the second six months will bring more time for the soldiers to relax and enjoy more personal time. "These soldiers have been working very hard and staying on top of their game as far as knowledge of their profession. We're looking forward to a slower pace come for the next six months due to rain and snow. Hopefully they'll have a little more time to do the things they like to do." Their commander acknowledges just how hard his soldiers have worked and said their performance will be the same if not better throughout the next six months. "It has been challenging and rewarding," said U.S. Army Capt. Daniel Bidetti. "From combat maneuver training to inventorying equipment before we left, to our workload now, it has been challenging. It's been rewarding. We've done very well supporting the brigade and [Regional Command]-South. Our guys will continue to drive on and continue to be ready to support the brigade and other units." |
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