U.S. Soldiers Build Iraqi Army Supply, Support Capacity

Defend America News ^ | Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Malec

[SandRat]

U.S. Army Warrant Officer Clifford Merrill, supply system technician, 589th Brigade Support Battalion, Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, highlights numerous shelving units that will be filled with supplies to support members of the 9th Iraqi Army Division on Camp Taji, Iraq. The 589th Brigade Support Battalion soldiers support a Military Transition Team mission by helping Iraqis set up five warehouses, which will soon be under their control. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Malec
U.S. Soldiers Build Iraqi Army Supply, Support Capacity
A small team of U.S. soldiers work diligently to train their Iraqi counterparts on the mechanics of operating a fully functional supply and support area.
By U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Malec Fires Brigade 4th Infantry Division CAMP TAJI, Iraq, May 10, 2006 — In a quiet corner of Camp Taji stand five large, refurbished warehouses designed to become the hub of repair parts for the 9th Iraqi Army Division. The empty warehouses will soon be filled with a wide variety of goods, from simple tools and gauges to a myriad of other materials designed to keep a standing Army up and running. The buildings will be placed under the operational control of the Iraqi army. "At first glance, the mission seems very simple – provide full assistance with the initial set up of the first supply and support area, then have the Iraqi army personnel take over and fix up the rest of them, following the philosophy of teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime." U.S. Army Warrant Officer Clifford Merrill, supply systems technician A small team of soldiers from the 589th Brigade Support Battalion, Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, are working diligently to train their Iraqi counterparts on the mechanics of operating a fully functional supply and support area. “At first glance, the mission seems very simple – provide full assistance with the initial set up of the first supply and support area, then have the Iraqi army personnel take over and fix up the rest of them, following the philosophy of teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime,” said Warrant Officer Clifford Merrill, supply systems technician, 589th Brigade Support Battalion. “Once we know they have a firm grasp on the first warehouse, we’ll move to the second one and we’ll be with them,” said Merrill, who joined the Army in September 1990, and is currently on his second tour in Iraq. “And once that one is going, they’ll have the process down, and we’ll get all of them handed over,” he further explained. Also on his second tour in Iraq is Sgt. Charles Keels, supply specialist, 589th Brigade Support Battalion and a member of the seven-man team that calls itself “the Magnificent Seven.” “I went to Desert Storm, so in a way, this is kind of the same situation because we had to build up a warehouse there,” said Keels, who joined the Army back home in Deqeen, Ark., in 1988. “Now we’re helping the Iraqis rebuild theirs, so it’s the same job.” “As with any mission worth doing, there are always a few challenges,” noted Keels. “Back in the states, we are working with parts that have stock numbers, but here, these parts have no stock numbers whatsoever so we are going by visibility,” he said. He learned how to count in Arabic, which makes his job easier,” said Keels who grinned as he posed for a photo with his new Iraqi friends.	Five warehouses are currently refurbished and set to be restocked to support members of the 9th Iraqi Army Division on Camp Taji, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Malec “We’re learning more Arabic (and) we’re learning the counting system so we can better understand how they store stuff around here,” said Merrill. “They want to follow a system they have in place now, so they can understand it, take it, and run with it when we pack up and leave.” Both Keels and Merrill said the experience provided them a chance to foster new and strong friendships with those they are helping out. “They feel like a family to us here,” said Merrill. Most of these guys, he added, can speak limited English to the soldiers, who in turn try to speak a little Arabic for them as well. Keels said his Iraqi counterparts have invited the soldiers for tea and have developed a friendship. “Today they fed us lunch,” he said. “It was the first time I ate Iraqi food, and it was great – it doesn’t get any better than this.” Aeo Salah, who commutes to Camp Taji every day from Baghdad, has worked with the U.S. military for more than 2 years now, said the project of setting up the warehouses gave him hope. “I feel much better about the future of Iraq,” he added. “Things are much different now since 2003 … things are definitely getting better all the time.” “I would like to help my country,” said Husscin, another worker, “and I would like to help my army because when my army is strong, my country is strong.” “I would not have missed this for the world now,” said Merrill. “I have my family back home. I love my family, but this is an experience that I will probably never go through again.”

[SandRat]

Making Top notch Supply personnel and logisitic's crews in Iraq

[hsalaw]

“We’re learning more Arabic (and) we’re learning the counting system so we can better understand how they store stuff around here,” said Merrill. “They want to follow a system they have in place now, so they can understand it, take it, and run with it when we pack up and leave.”

There is absolutely nothing the US military can't do, including learning a foreign language. I was wondering how our troops communicate with their Iraqi counterparts, and now I know - a little English here, a little Arabic there; it all works out.