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Coalition forces team-up for vehicle training

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Darrell Habisch
  • 407th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
ALI BASE, Iraq --  In a display of coalition comradeship, four Airmen from the 407th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron (ELRS) Vehicle Management Flight recently spent four days at Camp Ur, Iraq, training Iraqi Army personnel on basic maintenance procedures to keep their wheels rolling.

Planning for the training mission began after Tech. Sgt. Scott Preston, Logistics Military Advisory Team (LMAT) vehicle maintenance advisor, received an Iraqi request for training.

Coordinating with ELRS, Tech. Sgt. Preston and Master Sgt. Michael Falkowski, 407th ELRS Vehicle Management Flight superintendant, designed a four-day training mission with escort and transportation provided by the Joint Expeditionary Tasking (JET) Airmen of the LMAT team.

At Camp Ur, almost twenty Iraqi soldiers attended the daily hands-on classes. Airmen conducted maintenance training covering most of the basics to keep a vehicle on the move.

According to Staff Sgt. Giles Fish, 407 ELRS fire truck maintenance, deployed from the 19th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark., the Airmen worked with the Iraqi soldiers changing tires, cleaning brake pads and taking off calipers. "They were very eager to learn," he said.

The best teaching approach is to start at the beginning. "We showed them how to work through a problem," Staff Sgt. Fish explained.

"Without a diagnostic computer, a vehicle mechanic can start at the simplest answer to a problem and work the issue until the vehicle is serviceable again," he said.

Language difficulties are always a major barrier to learning. During this training, it wasn't the spoken, but rather, the written word that became almost insurmountable. All the technical specifications in repair manuals and calibration tools are in English. Although the Iraqi soldiers were very interested in learning how to use a diagnostic computer, "It's in English, so that really doesn't help them too much," he said.

"This experience really helped me to see the big picture," he commented. "We're here to help them run their own country and I was a part of that."

The team lead was Tech. Sgt. Damien Moody, 407 ELRS non-commissioned officer in charge of the Customer Service Center and deployed from the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.

He explained that the Iraqi soldiers had varying degrees of experience so the Airmen limited the training to the basics of common, general purpose vehicles, such as trucks, busses and smaller commercial vehicles.

"We stressed preventative and safety maintenance," Tech. Sgt. Moody explained. That meant nothing too in-depth; just what to look for when certain problems crop up,
"Especially in rough terrain like here," he said.

Safety was a big issue during the training. Wearing rings and jewelry around machinery just doesn't mix, Tech. Sgt Moody said. Safety glasses were mandatory and the Airmen demonstrated how to properly chalk and lift vehicles. "We didn't want anyone crushed or killed," he commented.

Iraqi Warrant Officer Quata Tewher, Senior Mechanical Chief explained that "Sometimes during the class we focus on safety. Before, we didn't know or pay attention."

The Iraqi mechanics are responsible for the first and second tier of maintenance according to Warrant Officer Tewher.

"Some of the students are drivers so this is very good information for them," he commented.

Oil leaks, spark plugs, basic tune-ups were all subjects covered in the classroom and hands-on training, according to Senior Airman Michael Richardson, 407 ELRS vehicle mechanic deployed from the 62nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.

"I think we made a difference," he said. "This is what we do on a daily basis and I'm glad we could teach them."