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On the road again

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Beth Del Vecchio
  • Air Force Central Command Public Affairs
MAIN OPERATING BASE LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan --  Ever find yourself in a bad neighborhood when your vehicle's check engine light or low tire pressure indicator light comes on? As soon as you're back home, you rush to your friendly neighborhood vehicle mechanic and have him take a look, to ensure you aren't in that position again.

For the Airmen of the 466th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight, Operating Location-Delta, that neighborhood is a dirt road in Afghanistan and that friendly neighborhood mechanic is Tech. Sgt. Jason Lubas.

Lubas is a vehicle mechanic deployed to Main Operating Base Leatherneck from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. His mission is to maintain the 26 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles that keep the OL-D EOD technicians on the road.

"The vehicles themselves weigh 51,000 pounds, so the parts are equally as big and heavy," Lubas said. "But I prefer the bigger vehicles. Everything is easier to get to."

At Dyess, Lubas works on vehicles of a smaller scale, ensuring they are safe and serviceable. Here, he does the same, but says he understands more clearly how his job fits into the mission.

"I take care of these trucks, which in turn take care of the guys on the ground," he said. "These vehicles are designed for survivability; to defend against blasts."

The Airmen of OL-D are split among three different forward operating bases: Leatherneck, Dwyer and Delaram. Their armored vehicles serve as a sort of mobile home while they are on missions, which can last anywhere from three days to three weeks. They traverse thousands of miles at less than three miles per hour, in search of Improvised Explosive Devices. If a problem with an MRAP is detected on a mission, the technicians from Dwyer and Delaram make the trip to Leatherneck to visit Lubas.

Airman 1st Class Robert Powell, OL-D technician on Team Vodoo deployed from Petersen AFB, Colo., recently visited Lubas to have some work done. Rattling off a list of weird noises and randomly appearing indicator lights, Lubas listened intently, no doubt creating a "to do" list in his head.

"We're down at Delaram, so if we have issues with our truck, we have to stick around while he works it all out," Powell said. "He always puts our truck first when he can and gets us in and out in a couple hours."

Powell said without his truck, his team can not complete the mission.

"Our team is attached to a U.S. Marine platoon and we complete route-clearing missions," he said. "Without our truck, we can't go out. Without him to get us back on the road, we would be stuck, a total mission stoppage."

Being deployed to work on vehicles that travel outside the wire means a lot to Lubas. He enjoys seeing the fruits of his labor.

"Every time the guys come back safe from a mission, I can see the result of my work. It's very rewarding," Lubas said.