Written by By U.S. Army Spc. Kimberly K. Menzies
Task Force Currahee Public Affairs Office
Paktika Province, Afghanistan – U.S. Army mechanics with Task Force Red Currahee repair and maintain U.S. Army vehicles to help keep the infantrymen and logistics moving at Forward Operating Base Waza.
The mechanics from Company E, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, recognize the importance of ensuring that the fleet vehicles are available and functioning.
“Without working vehicles, infantrymen would have to walk all patrols, which would be dangerous and could put them at a big risk,” said U.S. Army Pvt. Dustin Buckner, a Red Currahee mechanic native of Severville, Tennessee.
“We are continually working on the vehicles to make sure that they are mission-capable,” said U.S. Army Spc. Eric Lindemann, Red Currahee mechanic and native of Flint, MI.
Lindemann said they regularly encounter challenges when repairing vehicles, but try to face those issues head-on to provide dependable transportation.
“The biggest test for us is overcoming our parts and tools supply shortage,” he said.
“We order parts once a week and then wait for the supplies to be flown in, but we have to replace some parts so frequently that we run out of our supply before we receive more,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Hartless of Houston, TF Red Currahee.
“The mechanics here do their best to manage the supply challenge and to make these vehicles work, so everyone is ready for any upcoming missions,” Hartless said. “Sometimes, we will have to remove certain working parts from vehicles that are inoperable to repair other vehicles,” Lindemann said. “Regardless of the challenges, we get the vehicles running for the next early morning patrol.”
