Spc. Henrique Leavitt, wheeled vehicle mechanic, 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, drains dirty motor oil during semiannual services at his unit motor pool Feb. 10, 2016. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Nancy Lugo)
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Nancy Lugo
1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
A skeleton crew of mechanics from the 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion are working around the clock to catch up on semiannual services during their brigade’s gunnery exercises.
While the majority of the 299th BEB mechanics are supporting 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, gunnery exercises, the small crew, maintained the same hours as its battle buddies in the field, working and sleeping at the unit motor pool, to accomplish its objective.
Spc. Henrique Leavett, wheeled vehicle mechanic, 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, checks the motor oil on a humvee in the unit motor pool Feb. 10, 2016. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Nancy Lugo)
“The goal is to catch up on services because we were behind,” said Sgt. Randy Heger, team chief, Forward Support Company E, 299th BEB. “Right now we are going great. I can see we will make our goal.”
Spc. Henrique Leavitt, wheeled vehicle mechanic, 299th BEB, agrees.
“It is a group effort getting the services done, and the admin part of it — we can get it all squared away in case we get deployed tomorrow,” he said.
The mechanics are making the most of their time in the motor pool by getting to understand how each member of the team works best.
“We get to know each other better, and that makes us more productive when we work together,” said Pfc. Jade Thomas, wheeled vehicle mechanic, 299th BEB.