108th Armor mechanics 'keep em' on the road' 

By Sgt. David Bill 
48th BCT Public Affairs 

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MICHAEL, MAHMUDYIAH, Iraq — In the sweltering heat of central Iraq where tools get so hot that they’re put in ice chests to cool them off, Task Force Roughrider’s maintenance team keeps the vehicles rolling so Soldiers here can do their missions. 

“Keeping the vehicles on the road is our biggest challenge” said Staff Sgt. Steve Hullett, 43, of Conyers. “We work on everything in the area including Iraqi vehicles.” Hullet is the maintenance platoon sergeant for Company A, 1st Battalion 108th Armor, 48th Brigade Combat Team. 

The difficulty he faces, he said, is the lack of personnel as his work load increases. 

“At least 22 of our mechanics have been pulled for tower guard duty, so they’re not available to do the work.” Hullett said. “With six mechanics at FOB Row and six at FOB Joe, that leaves only six here at FOB Michael.” 

Having seasoned NCOs doing the majority of the daily maintenance work is good, but having so many of the younger mechanics on guard duty leaves the 108th in a bind because the less experienced Soldiers aren’t getting the valuable experience that comes from working in this harsh environment. 

“These guys are really great,” said Capt. Michael Esola, of Manville, N.J., and the 108th’s maintenance officer said of his NCOs. “Parts are flowing and vehicles are getting fixed, yet we need to get the younger mechanics more experience.” “The guard duty issue is being worked so we can run 24 hour services. Brigade is supporting us on this issue.” 

As for the environment issues...“In the humidity of Fort Stewart, we always had trouble with the M1A1 Abrams tank’s turret,” said Sgt. 1st Class Phil Padgett, 48, of Dalton and Company A’s motor sergeant. “In this heat, however, it’s the Abram’s hull that’s given us problems.” 

Working in the motor pool where there is little or no shade, and everything gets extremely hot before noon, is tough. Sometimes, a vehicle comes to in for maintenance having just completed an all night mission with a mechanical problem, Padgett added. The mechanics’ goal is to have it ready for the next day’s mission. 

“It’s really gratifying when you see a vehicle you’ve worked on all night roll out – on time – the next day,” Hullett said with a proud smile. 

On one particular day, Hullett and Padgett focused on two M1A1’s, one that had hydraulic problems, another with intermittent electrical trouble. Since they didn’t have any junior Soldiers to do the work, they tackled it them selves. Working together, they started first with the hydraulic problem. They deduced from the tank commander’s description of “I just heard a ping and then everything quit working,” that the vehicle’s main hydraulic pump was the culprit. 

That, the pair agreed, comes from their years of experience. As Hullett and Padgett worked through in the heat of the tank’s cramped engine compartment, they tightened a loose fitting on the pump. When that did not solve the problem, they decided that the pump had burned up, and replacing it was the best option. 

From there, the pair then decided to split up. 

Padgett went to work on the electrical problem in the other tank, while Hullett tackled removing the pump from his Abrams’ gear box. Hullett later discovered the real problem. The drive shaft , he said, on the hydraulic pump that goes into the gear box had sheared off. 

“We’ve replace four or five pumps already,” Padgett explained. “It’s the heat that’s doing it,” he continued. 

“The heat is wearing everything out, from pumps to generators,” Padgett said with a grim look on his face. Pointing to the tank on which he was working, he said, ”The electrical system problem on this one has been an ongoing issue.” 

Since the electrical fault was intermittent, it doesn’t always happen when the mechanics look at it, Hullett said. But it’s big trouble during a combat patrol when the electrical system goes out on a main battle tank. So, Padgett has been following procedure by replacing the regulator, first, not the right fix, he said. Hullett said Padgett then replaced the generator, but didn’t solve the problem. On this day, he replaced the “hull network box,” which distributes electrical power throughout the vehicle. 

Padgett, with help from Sgt. Michael Ramey, 24, and a Bradley fighting vehicle mechanic, conducted a continuity check on the Abrams’ wiring harness to eliminate possible electrical shorts in the wire. “Now, if the tank goes out tomorrow and the fault is still there, it goes to depot level maintenance,” Padgett said. “Replacing the wiring harness is its job.” 

While the two tanks were being worked on, an Abrams from Griffin’s Troop E, 108th Cavalry, had its “pack pulled.” That involves mechanics removing the vehicle’s engine and transmission. 

“The engine is probably blown,” said Spc. Sherod Morrison, 29, of Atlanta, who supervised the work. “Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services (PMCS) would catch many of the problems that are brought to the maintenance teams.” 

“We’re just fixing them so the tank crews can continue their missions.” 

Hullett said his team tries to conduct service checks on vehicles as they come in for other problems to try and keep up. This includes checking or replacing air filters, tracks, road wheels and other parts, he explained. 

One the other hand, Padgett said, “It’s not like those quick lube places back home. 

“There’s so much more involved in what we do than just getting them in and turning them out.” So much more, he said as he watched another tank roll out of the motor pool and on to another mission.