Another teaching moment for Iraqis, learning that preventive maintenance is necessary.

Chief Petty Officer Edward M. Lubas examines the drive shaft of a pump at a station along with Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority engineers outside Baghdad International Airport, July 23. Photo by Staff Sgt. Luke Koladish

Sgt. Thomas Jeffrey Phillips, Navy Chief Petty Officer Edward M. Lubas and Bilingual Bicultural Engineering Advisor Majeed Al Tamimi stood, July 23, at the edge of an empty canal that disappeared into the horizon.

The team from the 364th Civil Affairs Brigade, Camp Victory, listened as the diesel back-up generator was fired up, popped, sputtered and then died.

After a few adjustments were made by Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority mechanics, the pumps were primed. Water progressed from a muddy trickle to a steady flow, bringing a satisfying end to the project that started back in April.

“It’s good to see they were able to pull everything together and get it working,” Phillips, a Gilbert, Ariz., native said.

“To see all that water barreling out and filling the canal was a pretty good feeling.”

More than two months ago Director General of ICAA, Sabeeh Al Shebany, expressed the increasing water levels beneath the runway were a priority for any assistance the 364th could provide said Lt. Col. Howard A. Schaffer, Beaverton, Ore.

“They said the water table beneath the Baghdad International Airport was too high and they thought there might be an issue on our side of the canal system (Victory Base Complex),” Schaffer, the 364th Civil Affairs Brigade economic development officer, said.

A series of pumps had been completed as a Command Emergency Relief Program in November of 2007 to ensure the water table beneath Baghdad International Airport did not compromise the integrity of runway.

The civil affairs team was concerned that those pump stations might be the problem. After a survey of the sites, Lubas, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., immediately saw the problem.

“The mechanical seals were bad, the control units were covered in dust that causes shorts, back-up diesel pumps were non-operational and there were some holes in the piping system causing a lack of pressure,” explained Lubas.

Despite the disarray of the equipment the team decided that with proper maintenance and a few repairs the pumps could be operational again.

“The first part was explaining to the Iraqis they didn’t need new equipment, they just need to replace a few parts and maintain what they had,” Phillips said.

In subsequent visits Lubas outlined steps for a maintenance program, coordinated with Iraqi engineers what repairs had to be done to get the pumps operational, and formed standard operating procedures.

“They were running the pumps in manual position and with a power grid so unstable once power went out the pumps would shut down and the pressure would bleed out and it wouldn’t turn on again.”

Part of the new SOP was to keep the pumps running automatically so they would stop when the water reached a certain level, but still keep water in the pipes to keep the system charged and ready to resume as the canals filled.

“I was astonished today how much work they have done to get to the pumps operational, and they did it on their own, with their own parts,” Lubas said during the last scheduled visit to the canals.

The water level at the first pump station had already decreased two feet and the water at the second pump station was flowing easily and smoothly. The BIAP canals merge with other canals until they reach the farms needing irrigation.

“They have been shown how it works, they got the parts and they got it working,” Majeed said.

“Whether or not they will keep maintaining and keeping it running is now up to them, we are finished with the project.”

DVIDS
Story by Staff Sgt. Luke Koladish

Coalition forces captured a suspected senior Special Groups leader Wednesday morning during an operation at Baghdad International Airport.

Intelligence sources report that the captured man is part of the most senior social and operational circles of Special Groups. Most notably, he is believed to be responsible for the planning of the June 24, 2008 bombing of the Sadr City District Advisory Council meeting, where six Iraqis, two U.S. State Department employees and two U.S. service members were killed. Ten other Iraqis were wounded in the blast. The man has been known to travel in and out of Iraq to neighboring nations including Iran and Lebanon, where it is believed he meets and helps run the Iranian-backed Special Groups in Iraq.

In order to maintain the safety and security of the passengers and patrons of the airport, Coalition forces waited for the wanted man’s plane to land, and in cooperation with airport authorities, detained the man without incident.

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