Sgt. Trent Gregory, 24, of Clinton, Mo., heaves a plywood sheet into place.
Sgt. Trent Gregory, 24, of Clinton, Mo., heaves a plywood sheet into place.
The rush to finish the camps places a huge burden upon the Army’s engineers. Yet work progressed steadily over the past few months. The engineering mission is two-fold throughout the theater, said Lt. Gen. Robert Flowers, the Army’s senior engineering officer. While engineers work to improve Iraqi infrastructure, others work to build better base camps, Flowers said. Soldiers call the process “improving the foxhole.” Basically, troops always try to make living conditions better for themselves and forces that follow. “That’s job one,” Flowers said. “Making sure our forces are taken care of as far as force protection and quality of life.”