14
community
june26
2012
Keeping the Wheels Rolling, Civilians Play a Key Role
KUNAR
PROVINCE,
Afghanistan - When the most advanced
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected,
or MRAP, vehicles roll into Forward
Operating Base Wright for repairs, it’s
not the men and women in uniform who
fix them up.
It’s a group of civilian men and
women headed up by AECOM-CACI
Field and Installation Readiness Support
Team, or AC FIRST, who do the bulk of
the repairs to these advanced military
vehicles.
“We’re a support team for
the FOB, and we’ll do anything and
everything,” said Celestino Marrero,
a Fayetteville, N.C., native and FOB
supervisor for AC FIRST.
“ W e
can’t repair actual battle damage, but we
can do just about everything up to that
point.”
The maintenance shop run
by AC FIRST consists of a vehicle
maintenance shop, welders, and even
a weapon maintenance shop that fixes
everything from crew served weapons to
M9 pistol side arms. They are capable
of providing service on the vehicles
including engine overhauls, drive train
work, transmission labor and even some
supplemental armor issues. The shop
also has field service representatives from
most of the major MRAP manufacturers,
who specialize in the specific variations
of the vehicle that are used in the Kunar
province.
“Basically we help with
anyone who comes in on a convoy,” said
Marrero. “We can fix them up, get them
field mission capable and back out on the
road so they can continue their mission.”
The biggest customer for the
shop is the Provincial Reconstruction
Team, whose team mechanic Navy Petty
Officer 3rd Class Bryan Brys, a native
of Terre Haute, Ind., is the sole military
presence in the maintenance shop.
Andrew Shepherd, a contractor with AECOM-CACI Field and Installation Readiness
Support Team, and native of Vernonia, works on an M9 pistol at Forward Operating
Base Wright. Members of AC FIRST provide maintenance for vehicles and weapons to
military members on the FOB. Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Christopher Marasky
“They support me with
everything that I need,” said Brys, a
Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class, and the
mechanic responsible for all of the PRT’s
vehicles. “There’s a lot of things that if
I can’t handle it myself they’ll help me
out.”
One particular incident involved
a dead starter in one of the team’s
Cougars, just one of the variations of the
MRAP. Replacing the starter would have
taken Brys five or six days, but with the
assistance of the motor pool, the job was
completed in only three hours and the
Vernonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue
Golf Benefit
Sunday, August 5th, 2012
7:30 AM
(Jamboree Weekend)
Vernonia Golf Course
15961 Timber Rd. East
Vernonia, OR 97064
Please join in supporting “Toy & Joy” to
purchase toys for local kids for Christmas
Format:
Entry Fee:
vehicle returned to duty the same day.
Vehicles aren’t the only area
in which the maintenance shop assists
the FOB and other military members
passing through, as the base houses a
Scramble, Shotgun Start (4 person teams)
$ 95.00 per person or $350.00 per foursome
Due by: July 29, 2012 (Before July 1st
receives an additional $10 off per person)
Entry Fee includes: Green fees, 1 Cart per team, Gift Bag, Team
Photo, Surf & Turf Brunch and Raffle Ticket
weapon repair shop as well.
“As far as our weapons area,
that’s our biggest concern,” said
Marrero. “Some of the weapons can jam
up or have other issues, and people’s
lives depend on those, so that’s our
biggest priority.” The team has a pair
of former military members, one Army
and one Marine, who work in the
weapons maintenance shop. According
to Marrero, they excel at fixing all types
of weapon systems.
“These guys have been doing
what they do for a long time,” said
Marrero. “They can tear down a complete
weapon, repair it, and put it back together
and get it back to serviceable.”
Being
civilians
working
alongside the military in a combat
zone such as the Kunar province is a
rewarding effort, according to Marrero.
“I love it, I’ve been around the
military all my life,” he said. “Working
with the military out here gives you a
good feeling in that you’re helping out
the soldiers. I helped these soldiers stay
safe since I made sure that their vehicles
were good.”
It’s an effort that is greatly
appreciated by the team, particularly
Brys, who says he’d have a difficult time
without his civilian counterparts.
“If we didn’t have these guys,
it’d take us a great deal of time to get
things done, such as getting various
parts or doing repairs,” he said. “Without
them there, if I was doing it by myself,
it’d take forever.”
“Working with the guys is
awesome, I could trust them to do
anything I need, but we all work as a
team,” he said. “They’re awesome and
they do a great job.”
Tomato Cages Needed
The Vernonia Community Garden is in need of your unloved, not in
use tomato cages. There are many tomato plants planted for the Vernonia
Cares Food Bank and as the summer progresses, they will need support. If
you would like to donate new or used cages, please contact Penny Costley
(503) 429-0196 or Pat Stacklie (503)429-7563 for pick up. They may be
dropped off at the Community Garden site by the old high school tennis
court behind the district office as well. Thank you for your SUPPORT!
New Dairy Princess Crowned
continued from page 9
of Key Club for the Pacific Northwest,
4-H Ambassador and a member of two
4-H clubs since the 4 th grade, where she
has shown both dairy cows and rabbits.
Mikela, and her parents, are active
members of Warren Grange where she
is on the Rosebud Drill Team and holds
local and state offices. Her passions, past
and present, include tap dancing from age
three at recitals of Oregon Performing
Arts School in St. Helens, and taking part
in team sports such as softball, volleyball
and synchronized swimming.
Columbia County Dairy Women
serve milkshakes, sundaes, floats, ice
cream and of course, milk, at various
events. Proceeds from these events fund
scholarships awarded annually to the
outgoing County Dairy Princess and to
three qualifying graduating seniors from
Columbia County.
For questions about Columbia
County Dairy Women, the Dairy Princess
program or about scholarships, contact
Diane Larson (503)312-6130 or Pam
Heimuller (503) 369-1634.
VERNONIA
E
C
I
V
SER PAIR
& RE
Silkscreen printing
Brunch, Raffle & Awards following the tournament.
Individual registrations are welcome
Make checks payable to:
Vernonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association
501(c)3 Tax deductible
For more information, please contact Randy Carlton: 503-429-8252,
503-791-8309 or Email: vernoniagolfbenefit@gmail.com
Printing while you wait for small orders
Warranty on all parts and labor
Now offering
2 and 4 wheel
alignments
58605 NEHALEM HWY. S.
Next to Storage, Too
503/429/7972
Vinyl lettering and heat transfers
Teams, groups, special events
Hoodies, dress shirts, aprons & more
No order too large or too small
No set-up fees
711 Bridge Street, Vernonia
(503) 433-4278
kavila@kaptanskraft.com
