COB ADDER, 2010 - Soldiers of the 121st BSB are training the IA's 10th Motorized Transport Regt to operate the Iraqi unit's new fuel tankers.
Prior to receiving 15 new tankers, officials of the Iraqi unit requested training from the U.S. Army bn's logistics training and advisory team.
The team serves as a bridge between Iraqi and U.S. forces and synchronizes training in an effort to increase the IA's ability to sustain itself. Sgt. 1st Class Jason Tellez, the team's lead NCO, along with petroleum experts from the bn's distribution co., contacted the CEO of the tankers' manufacturer, Int'l Trucks, and collected manuals and schematics to assist in conducting the training.
The tankers arrived with all the basic issue items, Tellez said, but the technical manuals were in English. The training team had the manuals translated into Arabic and, together with the bn's fuel specialists, focused on establishing a permanent fuel handler's course in conjunction with the new equipment training. Since no baseline Iraqi field manual existed for fuel ops, the team referred to the U.S. Army standards.
Tellez, a former instructor from the Army's Quartermaster Center and School, demonstrated the proper preventive maintenance checks and service procedures for the vehicles, while honing in on identifying specific types of leaks. Even a small fuel leak on a tanker could lead to a catastrophic fire, Tellez noted.
