Posted on 12/21/2009 4:09:12 PM PST by SandRat
12/21/2009 - CAMP TAJI, Iraq (AFNS) -- Five Air Force vehicle maintainers deployed to Iraq and assigned to Detachment 3 of the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron here are working to keep security forces personnel on the road, but they aren't working on patrol cars.
The maintainers work on more than 60 vehicles, the most challenging being the mine resistant ambush protected vehicle on which they have had no prior training.
"My Airmen are not sent to technical schools to learn how to work on MRAPs. They're learning how to fix these vehicles while deployed using technical manuals and field representatives," said Master Sgt. Michael Bacu, a Pittsburgh native who is deployed from Dover Air Force Base, Del. "This is a great opportunity for our mechanics to get ahead on a new vehicle because this is a new skill set for us."
Field service representative Brandon Cox, a B.A.E. Systems international technical specialist, is helping the maintainers learn these new skills.
"I've been assisting them in repairing the Caiman MRAP by either showing them or providing the knowledge necessary to work on this vehicle," he said. "These guys have been great; they've picked up the material quickly."
MRAPs are designed to survive blasts from improvised explosive devices and armor-piercing IEDs, contributing to the vehicle's high demand for its life-saving capabilities.
From a mechanics' aspect, it can be a challenge working on these vehicles because it can take two or three hours to get past the armor plating, according to Staff Sgt. Jose Rodriguez, a San Antonio native who is deployed from Cannon AFB, N.M.
His co-worker, Senior Airman Charles Harris, who is deployed from Dover AFB, Del., agrees.
"Sometimes I get frustrated working on the up-armored vehicles, but I take pride in knowing at the end of the day, I am possibly saving someone's life," the San Antonio native said. "Even though we are not directly out there fighting or patrolling, we are ensuring that our names are on those vehicles and that we did the best job we could do."
More evidence you can teach a monkey to do anything...*army snicker*
...even delivery other monkeys to the battle field *bigger snicker*
I know a Navy Hornet driver that was sent to Afghanistan for a year to fill an Army billet. They made him a postmaster. What a waste.
I know the MRAP has been rushed out as fast as possible which probably means they didn’t have the luxury of the normal training regimen, but without a doubt, our guys and gals are up to the challenge! Keeping the troops safe from the slimy cowards who plant IEDs means they have a better chance at sending a few more Jihadi to meet Allah ahead of schedule.
In the Army, the cooks and clerks become infantrymen.
In the Navy, everyone becomes a fireman.
In the Marine Corps, everyone becomes a commando.
In the Air Force, if it hits the fan, you better be able to fix it, write a new program or get it off the ground in a hurry.
I just goes to show that Air Force personnel are the smartest! They don’t need the training to figure out how to get things fixed, they just do it.
God bless all of you Airmen and all other military personnel out in the field and back in CONUS.
May all of you in uniform have a Safe and Merry Christmas!
Amen to that Pocket Rocket!
Bet you didn’t have cable in your foxhole ;)
Yep. They’re American servicepeople, they don’t need no stinkin’ classes.
Would stack the average IQ of the AF against the Army ANY DAY.
He loves those guys!
Says Iraq was paradise compared to Afghanistan.
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