Posted on 05/05/2009 6:04:22 PM PDT by SandRat
5/5/2009 - CAMP TAJI, Iraq (AFNS) -- Joint expeditionary tasking Airmen and Soldiers here are currently working to arm Iraqi forces with more protective means of transportation.
As U.S. forces change over to the M1151 Humvee, they turn in the older M1114 vehicles to the Taji Redistribution Property Assistance Team here as a means of salvaging the vehicles.
Overall, the team processes M1114 up-armored Humvees prior to distribution to Iraqi army and police.
"We receive M1114s from all over Iraq," said 1st Lt. Victoria Smith, assigned to the 732nd Air Expeditionary Group and the RPAT officer in charge. "We are the central hub or depot point for the receiving and transferring of M114s over to the Iraqis."
The team then accounts for each vehicle turned in and performs an initial safety inspection, storing them until they are ready to be picked up for processing to the next staging point.
"We take these vehicles in from various companies, various battalions, and whoever is in need of turning them in," said Tech. Sgt. Joseph Dietz, the RPAT yard boss. "Instead of scrapping these vehicles, we use kind of like a recycling program.
"In turn, we continue to improve our relationship with the Iraqi government by selling these vehicles to the Iraqi government for a much lower price than they are standard," added the sergeant deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. "Then, the Iraqi government takes (the Humvees), does a little work to them and puts them out in their army and police force for better protection (of their forces) against (improvised explosive devices), insurgents, things of that nature."
Once the M1114s are accounted for and have passed their initial inspection, U.S. Soldiers assist in turning the vehicles over to the Iraqis for the next step in the redistribution process. During a typical pick-up, 150 Humvees are taken to the next stage in the process.
"The Iraqi army along with U.S. Soldiers come over to pick up the vehicles to take them to their next staging point," said Sergeant Dietz, a native of East Islip, N.Y. "We will transfer the M114 to (Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq). They will, in-turn, sell it to the Iraqi (government)."
MNSTC-I is a command that is responsible for helping Iraq organize, train and equip its military and police forces and develop Iraqi security institutions capable of sustaining security with reduced coalition involvement.
While in the hands of MNSTC-I personnel, the vehicles are repainted and any necessary maintenance is performed before they are turned over to Iraqi soldiers and police.
Assisting in the redistribution process, Iraqi soldiers take the vehicles to MNSTC-I for processing, and help bring the Humvees one step closer to being distributed for use on their daily patrols.
"I am so thankful for these vehicles," said Hakem, an Iraqi army private stationed here. "I'm proud to be a part of the process to get them to our Iraqi soldiers and police. These Humvees will help keep them safe."
"This process is really important," said Lieutenant Smith, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., deployed here from Holloman AFB, N.M. "It is important what we are doing in this country as far as helping rebuild the infrastructure. (This will) help get Iraq back on its feet and get them to the point where they can provide everyday security on their own streets."
"We are helping the nation stand on its own," Sergeant Dietz said. "It feels good."
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090326-F-2824A-001.jpg CAMP TAJI, Iraq - 1st Lt. Victoria Smith speaks with Iraqi army soldiers prior to them driving M1114 Humvees to the Iraqi-run section in March at Camp Taji, Iraq. Lieutenant Smith is assigned to the 732nd Air Expeditionary Group and is the Taji Redistribution Property Assistance Team officer in charge. She is deployed from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., and is a Colorado Springs, Colo., native. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala)
090326-F-2824A-002.JPG CAMP TAJI, Iraq - An Iraqi army private directs U.S. and Iraqi soldiers as they drive M1114 Humvees from the Taji Redistribution Property Assistance Team Humvee yard to the next staging point in March at Camp Taji, Iraq. The RPAT works with Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq officials to turn over up-armored Humvees that will be sold to the Iraqi government for use by the Iraqi army and police. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala)
090326-F-2824A-003.JPG CAMP TAJI, Iraq - Tech. Sgt. Joseph Dietz and Army Spc. Justin Anderson take accountability of an M1114 Humvee as U.S. and Iraqi army soldiers drive the Humvees to the Iraqi-run section for further processing in March at Camp Taji, Iraq. Sergeant Dietz is assigned to the 732nd Air Expeditionary Group and is the Taji Redistribution Property Assistance Team yard boss. He is deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and is from East Islip, N.Y. Specialist Anderson is a 419th Command Sustainment Support Battalion light wheel vehicle mechanic deployed from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala)
090326-F-2824A-004.JPG CAMP TAJI, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi army soldiers drive M1114 Humvees to the Iraqi-run section of the camp for processing in March at Camp Taji, Iraq. The soldiers work with the Taji Redistribution Property Assistance Team to process M1114 up-armored Humvees that will be sold to the Iraqi government. The Humveess will later be distributed to Iraqi army and police for use during day-to-day operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala)
heck no, and this is just the beginning of the withdrawal. snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, par for the lib course.
Don’t know.
Are you kidding! These along with everything else are for FREE. You’d think those sand ba$tards would cut us a deal for all the oil that we supposedly were there for in the first place.
All of the Earths evils are rooted in the Rats, why should this be different?
I am amazed at this,They are Oil producers and we are still giving them equipment.
One of these days we are going to learn that you can’t train and equip our enemy . They run behind our backs and make secret deals with Iran and we keep giving them stuff they will turn around and use against our own.
The US Army is being paid by the 2008 budget US Iraqi Security Fund. They are paying new prices for these old beat up utility trucks.
The weapons and radios are removed and put into the new vehicles that are already replacing them stateside.
The Iraqis put their own Iraqi bought radios and weapons on them.
We save the cost of hauling these junkers back to the states and selling them at a loss for scrap.
This deal was done in January 2008. Over 5,000 have already been transfered. 8,500 of these older junk versions of uparmored HMMWVs are to be transfered by the end of summer.
The reason these are junk, is they were the first version of the uparmored HMMWV (M1114) and the suspensions were not beefed up enough. Put that together with 3-4 years of constant use in Iraq, and they are a mess.
Of note, the Iraqis are using their refurbishment program to put these junkers back in operation as a training operation for their mechanics.
The US Army is replacing all of these older vehicles with the newer beefed up versions (M1151/M1152) with removable armor.
PS They are getting these beat up POS as is without weapons or radios. Repairs, radios, weapons, new paint are all from the Iraqi budget.
Thank you for the info.
I wonder if anyone has called to offer them an extended maintenance agreement.
Was tried over a year ago. Failed.
The IA is using this as a training program for teaching their own maintenance personnel.
Where ever possible, the IA is replacing overpriced contract support with trained IA uniformed personnel.
This is Iraqi MoD policy...
Mind you, the spares, radios, M2 .50 cal, and ammo they are using are all bought from the US with Iraqi money.
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