3rd COSCOM truck drivers take a break in the Iraqi shade
US Army Europe News
Release Date: 9/19/2003
Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Carolanne Diggs, 3rd COSCOM
LOGISTICAL SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, Iraq - On a sunny Sunday afternoon with the temperature almost comfortable by Iraq standards - a mere 110 degrees - three members of the 1498th Heavy Equipment Transport Company relax next to a wrecker parked strategically under a tree.
The soldiers, Staff Sgt. James Wilson, Sgt. Nick Herrera and Spc. Greg Thomas are taking a break between trips to and from Iraq and Kuwait. One of their missions was scratched and they're waiting to see if another will be assigned, or if they're heading "home."
This is what they call downtime. So until they return to their National Guard station in Riverside, Calif., they'll count passing miles instead of time.
As for miles, they've racked up about 700,000 as a company - or the equivalent of driving around Earth more than 28 times.
"We've logged those miles since 15 May," said Wilson. "We'll hit a million before we get out of here.
The soldiers have gotten so accustomed to being on the road, the landmarks have become as familiar to them as sights from home.
Thomas to Herrera: "You know when we pass that thing on Tampa we're 15 miles from.you know." Thomas nods knowingly because they've both traveled Main Supply Route Tampa so regularly there's no need to go into extra detail.
The company has nearly 100 vehicles, and with them they move large equipment such as vehicles, individual storage units and military vans from Kuwait to wherever necessary in Iraq.
One of the largest things Thomas, the only driver of the trio, said he had to haul was a D-7 bulldozer which weighs about 70 tons. As large as that is, it still doesn't surpass the M-1 Abrams tank, which tips the scales at about 72 tons.
Lugging all of this around the desert, drivers rely on skill and expertise to avoid not just the enemy, but also injuring themselves and damaging the equipment.
Think 40 vehicles, over 700 hundred miles moving along at around 30 miles per hour - a snail's pace compared to the other moving vehicles on the streets.
A vehicle's cab can reach temperatures of 150 degrees. It gets to a point for some drivers that they look forward to any diversion to get them out of the vehicles for fresh air and an opportunity to stretch their legs. Breakdowns are also something they frequently stop to deal with.
That's where Wilson and Herrera, the mechanics, come in.
"If we don't fix 'em, they don't move," said Herrera. "If we have a breakdown, we set up security and get out there to determine if it can be fixed and if so, how. If not, we have to load it up and tow it."
These stops have to be just as quick as they are efficient because with a convoy that size - both by numbers and the sheer size of the equipment - it takes a long time to get moving again after a stop.
Notwithstanding the possibility of heat injuries or vehicular mishaps, the soldiers realize an imminent threat is always a breath away. Hitting the lifelines, and anything military that moves, is a popular tactic being used by the enemy.
A recent surprise attack on one of their convoys reinforced some lessons for the soldiers.
"We were ambushed near Tikrit and it destroyed one of our HET systems," said Herrera.
The loss of equipment - a value of about half million dollars - cemented a lesson of even greater value. That is improvised explosive devise awareness and the value of wearing the proper equipment.
"We hit one of those IEDs. It was three vehicles. The first truck went around it, the second one straddled it but moved it around enough that by the time the third vehicle hit it, (the IED) went off. And it just looked like one of those portable showers," said Thomas.
Two soldiers were injured - one seriously with third degree burns on his hands and arms.
But, according to the group, the reason the soldier wasn't burnt worse or killed was because he was wearing all of his equipment. (The uniform for driving in a military convoy is ballistic helmet, body armor and desert camouflage uniform with the sleeves rolled down.)
The ambush also opened the transporters' eyes to what to look for on the streets. An IED is usually a common looking item lying in or near the street that is actually an explosive.
Incidents such as these reinforce the soldiers' need and appreciation for downtime. After hitting the road, and having it hit back at times, they value the times between missions when they can unwind in that place they call home for now.
"We're there maybe one day a week," said Thomas. "We're on the road eight days a week. When we finally got air conditioning, we're weren't there to enjoy it."
But when they get to unwind, one favorite pastime is sitting and looking at stars.
"I sit and wonder what my wife and kids are doing," said Herrera. "They're probably wondering what I'm doing. When I look at the stars I wonder if they're looking at the same thing."
The soldiers get plenty of time for stargazing because they spend so much more time on the road than at Camp Victory. They've spent the night just about everywhere there are troops in the region. They have their favorite and not-so-favorite places to rest their heads.
"Tikrit is the best place to sleep," said Thomas. "There are no generators, no noise. You're counting stars one minute and the next thing you know, you're waking up the next morning."
According to Thomas, the worst place to sleep is Baghdad International Airport. "Everything's going through there."
"You have to just put on your headphones and go to sleep," he said.
No matter what it sounds like, these soldiers enjoy what they're doing. "We laugh. We joke. We try to have fun," said Thomas.
And although Kuwait is their unit's center of operations, it's not always exactly where they always want to be right now. Iraq is known for being somewhat cooler than Kuwait.
"You want to talk about hot? Come to Victory. Nothing but sand. You put on your PT (physical fitness) uniform, and it sticks to you, " said Thomas.
The crew almost prefers the improvised convoy air conditioning to those conditions.
"Yeah, we've got A.C. I've got 2/45 A.C. You roll down two windows and drive 45 miles per hour," said Herrera with a smile.
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