Winterization

SPC Bailey Bullock
166th Engineer Company
2nd Platoon

I know this may sound a little cheesy to many of you, but I believe the new mission many members of the 166th Engineer Company have drawn is one of honor. Once you hear what it is you may think I'm crazy, or that I could really use some R&R, but I truly believe it. This new mission is one of winterization. We have been tasked with assessing and doing the necessary work on many of the smaller bases in our area to ensure that the troops have what they need to make it through the coming winter with as little problems as possible. I know it doesn't sound very grand when I say it, but let me explain from recent personal experience why I think this.

I have just returned to FOB Sharana from a winterization mission. I can't say where, but I can say that it was on an infantry Combat Outpost (COP). The troops on this base have a straightforward mission: seek out and destroy the enemy and help the local populace as much as they can. This second part comes in the form of such things as helping the locals establish and secure polling sites, meeting with local leaders to help firm up their infrastructure via new schools and new construction, and finding and meeting needs where they can. These soldiers are on the front line with the enemy and with the local people. Now put in your mind the idea that most of the soldiers are under the age of 25; many are already veterans of the Iraq war, and here they are again doing their job professionally and efficiently, often times under harsh conditions. These men are “Soldiers' Soldiers”.

As a soldier myself, I believe if you aren’t on the front line doing the fighting, the next most important mission is helping the ones who are. To me it is a matter of Honor. Those on the front line put themselves in that position and therefore deserve the best that we have when we are working in a supporting role for them. So this is where I found myself, along with the other members of my team, a little over two weeks ago.

Officially, each team sent out is given specific tasks that have to be completed, such as insulating pipes or installing heaters, etc. After these tasks are completed we are at the disposal of the unit there; we can then build them anything they want and need as long as we have the materials.

The team I was a part of had this exact experience. We were tasked with insulating pipes, some minor electrical work (such as installing lights and outlets), and building covers for water tanks so the water doesn't freeze when the snow comes. When we arrived we set to completing those things right off the bat, and we successfully completed them in about five days. It was at this point that we began work on the things the unit there needed in addition to those essential tasks. We were able to raise and cover their generators, build large storage sheds for their fuel and other essential equipment and materials, and do things as small as repairing a dining facility door so that it would shut and lock properly. None of these things were major in and of themselves, but they were all things that were needed. We had the knowledge and ability to do the job.

This is what made my team and me feel honored to have the mission. We got to do work that was truly needed by our fellow soldiers and contribute to them successfully completing their mission, even if it was a minor contribution. This is why we are over here: to contribute to this fight in the best way we can. The winterization missions allow us to see that more clearly. I am proud that the 166th Engineer Company has drawn this mission, and I have no doubt that our teams will have an impact on the units that they serve out in the field.