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Airmen save lives, money in Iraq

  • Published
  • By Maj. Joseph Coslett
  • 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force - Iraq Public Affairs
BAGHDAD --  Three Airmen help keep mortars and rockets from falling into the laps of military Service and U.S. State Department members stationed at Forward Operating Base Union III, Iraq, by building essential overhead covers on buildings.

Capt. Joshua Poulton, Master Sgt. Erik Forestell and Master Sgt. Don McKee, 467th Expeditionary Prime BEEF (Base Engineer Emergency Force) Squadron facility engineer team, ensure contractors keep to what they promise on contracts, otherwise, lives may be at stake in more ways than one.

The importance of putting an overhead cover on the building is, "to keep mortars from landing in your lap," said Sergeant McKee, FET team member, from Dublin, Ga. "We oversee contracts to ensure the government is getting a quality product for their money. When we don't do our job, we get shoddy workmanship."

Another example of protecting the base population and servicemembers is ensuring electrical work is up to standards.

"I inspect the electrical installs on Union III construction projects ensuring contractors utilize safe practices," said Sergeant Forestell, FET NCO in charge, on his 22nd deployment from Pittsfield, Mass. "If not, Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines would electrocute themselves on the FOB. Imagine if we had to call back to parents and let them know their son or daughter was injured due to a careless mistake."

During a routine visit, Captain Poulton, FET leader and Chantilly, Va., native, has a discussion with one contractor to find they have damaged some water lines while working on a foundation for the dining facility.

"What are those pipes and why are they broken?" the FET leader said. "What do they go to? What kind of water is that and do you know where it is coming from?"

"This is just water coming from the abandoned manhole," an Iraqi contractor said. "See, there is no more water."

"I still see it moving," Captain Poulton said.

"No, just a little; you will see in one hour there will be no more water," the contractor persisted.

"That is something we always have to worry about with a backhoe because of non-existent maps combined with digging creates problems," the FET leader said. "We oversee contracts and get eyes on a project and assess whether they are doing a good job."

If building contractors do not perform to code, the results can have international consequences costing the U.S. credibility and money.

"Before us, another company put in some automatic transfer switches," said Captain Poulton, stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan. "Usually we run on city power and when the city power goes off the automatic transfer switch turns on the generator power. The wire going to one of the generators failed because the cable was not installed correctly causing that run of wire to literally blow up."

The ensuing damage cost the contractor close to $100,000 to come back and, for several months, had to repair the destruction caused by the explosion. The incident could not come at a worst time.

"In that particular instance there was a conference the next day with the U.S. and Iraqi ambassadors," he said. "We had to work through the night to get the generator up again, so the building would have power again. It would have been international news if the conference was interrupted."