Iraqi Army 1st Sgt. Bagiv A’bood, a painter, 1st Mechanized Brigade, 9th Division Iraqi Army, puts a fresh coat of paint on a BMP armored infantry fighting vehicle at Camp Taji, Iraq, July 10, 2005. A’bood, along with Iraqi mechanics, refurbishes and rebuilds the armored vehicles in order to keep the mechanized fleet rolling. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp
Refurbished Iraqi BMP infantry fighting vehicles stand ready for use at the Iraqi Army's 1st Mechanized Brigade, 9th Division motor pool at Camp Taji, Iraq, July 10, 2005. The Iraqi soldiers repair and rebuild all their 1960s-era armored vehicles from Camp Taji's vehicle graveyard and warehouse district. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp
Iraqi Tankers Turn Trash into Treasure
Iraqi soldiers rely on wit, ingenuity and the helping hands of some U.S. soldiers to find ways to get the parts needed to keep their 1960s-era tanks in top-notch shape.
By U.S. Army Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp
Multinational Corps-Iraq
CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Aug. 16, 2005 — To get a starter for a Russian-made T-55AM2 tank, one would just need to … well …
That’s one of the issues the tank soldiers of the Iraqi Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade, 9th Division, face in order to keep their armored vehicles on the move.
However, with a mix of wit, ingenuity and the helping hands of some U.S. soldiers, these Iraqi troops are finding ways to get the parts they need in order to keep their vehicles in top-notch shape.
The 1st Mechanized Brigade is outfitted with 1960s-era T-55 tanks and armored infantry fighting vehicles known as MTLBs and BMPs. To add a vehicle to their fleet, or keep current vehicles on the go, they must either scrounge for parts from Camp Taji’s vehicle graveyard or gather parts from the camp’s abandoned warehouse district.
“If they need a part for a tank or to rebuild an engine, we’ll go get it,” said U.S. Army Maj. Paul A. Esmahan, team chief, logistics advisory support team, 1st Mechanized Brigade. “Once we get the parts or recover a vehicle, they can have things up and running within a day or two.”