Public Affairs Office did an article on me
#1
02-21-2008, 11:43 PM
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Ft. Gordon (Augusta) GA
Posts: 8,268
Public Affairs Office did an article on me
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?sc...p&id=14983
I fixed a phone for the Public Affairs Office. When theuser found out that I am a mechanic, sent to work on phone lines, he decided to to an article on me.
I fixed a phone for the Public Affairs Office. When theuser found out that I am a mechanic, sent to work on phone lines, he decided to to an article on me.
#2
02-22-2008, 12:05 AM
RE: Public Affairs Office did an article on me
Gotta Luv It!!
Mechanic Ensures Ramadi Communication
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq – These days, he may not be under a military vehicle repairing it, but he is helping in another way by laying the communication wire to keep Ramadi connected.
Spc. Robert Vickers, with Company C, 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion attached to Co. B, 1-3rd Brigade Troops Battalion, took on a new profession earlier this year in Iraq when he was approached to become a cable system installer and maintainer.
“At first I was mad because I am a mechanic and that’s all I know,” he said. “I’m enjoying it now, because I’ve learned a good marketable skill. At the moment, I am still cross training and learning something new everyday on the job.”
Vickers, 26, from Atlanta, Ga., had worked on cars for many years in the nearby area. The experience of working on cars with his dad when he was younger influenced his decision to become a mechanic for the Army.
“Being a mechanic is my life’s passion,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for 12 years now. First, I worked at the All Tune and Lube in Atlanta. After that, I was working as a mechanic at a Chevy dealer. All my training, like now was, on the job.”
Vickers may not be working on his life’s passion in Iraq, but he’s enjoying the experience in a new field regardless.
“The work I do here is very rewarding for me,” he said. “When you can bring someone’s phone up and restore the communication they need, it’s great to be a part of that. Learning something new is the best part. It’s a new experience; it’s something when I get out and retire I can say I was apart of that.”
Restoring communications is challenging for Vickers because each day brings something different.
“Once, I was running down a phone line for the Marine’s mess hall and got most of it done, but when I put the line down, I couldn’t find the jump, so I had to get help to finish it off.”
Vickers said the pride in his work and the outcome of the completed orders are a result of the training he received from his coworkers.
“My training is really only as good as the people who trained me up allow for,” he said. “In order for me to do my job, I rely on the guys here to guide me in the right direction, and I rely on them a lot.”
Growing up in East Hampton, N.Y., Vickers didn’t expect to enter the military. Standing at 6’1, he ran cross country and loved rock music, never believing he’d be in the Army and working in Iraq.
“I grew up about two hours away from New York City,” he said. “After 9-11, I was mad and my life was going no where. I needed some direction and wanted to be a part of something better, which brought me to where I am.”
Vickers said that for the first month in Ramadi, he was working in a motorpool. Then he was pulled into his current job and has not looked back.
“This is something I can look back on and be glad of I did,” he said. “I work with a great team. This work has given me a better understanding for what the people in this field do.”
For Vickers, one of the main things he’s learned from this job is the perspective from another field of work and the value of good leadership.
“The experience allowed me to see something different and see how the other side lives,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to do this if it wasn’t for the team I was with.”
He added, “They have been there every step of the way to help me, and guide me to make sure I know what I’m doing, and If I make a mistake, to help me fix it.”
LOL Your hair looks a little long in this pic
Mechanic Ensures Ramadi Communication
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq – These days, he may not be under a military vehicle repairing it, but he is helping in another way by laying the communication wire to keep Ramadi connected.
Spc. Robert Vickers, with Company C, 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion attached to Co. B, 1-3rd Brigade Troops Battalion, took on a new profession earlier this year in Iraq when he was approached to become a cable system installer and maintainer.
“At first I was mad because I am a mechanic and that’s all I know,” he said. “I’m enjoying it now, because I’ve learned a good marketable skill. At the moment, I am still cross training and learning something new everyday on the job.”
Vickers, 26, from Atlanta, Ga., had worked on cars for many years in the nearby area. The experience of working on cars with his dad when he was younger influenced his decision to become a mechanic for the Army.
“Being a mechanic is my life’s passion,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for 12 years now. First, I worked at the All Tune and Lube in Atlanta. After that, I was working as a mechanic at a Chevy dealer. All my training, like now was, on the job.”
Vickers may not be working on his life’s passion in Iraq, but he’s enjoying the experience in a new field regardless.
“The work I do here is very rewarding for me,” he said. “When you can bring someone’s phone up and restore the communication they need, it’s great to be a part of that. Learning something new is the best part. It’s a new experience; it’s something when I get out and retire I can say I was apart of that.”
Restoring communications is challenging for Vickers because each day brings something different.
“Once, I was running down a phone line for the Marine’s mess hall and got most of it done, but when I put the line down, I couldn’t find the jump, so I had to get help to finish it off.”
Vickers said the pride in his work and the outcome of the completed orders are a result of the training he received from his coworkers.
“My training is really only as good as the people who trained me up allow for,” he said. “In order for me to do my job, I rely on the guys here to guide me in the right direction, and I rely on them a lot.”
Growing up in East Hampton, N.Y., Vickers didn’t expect to enter the military. Standing at 6’1, he ran cross country and loved rock music, never believing he’d be in the Army and working in Iraq.
“I grew up about two hours away from New York City,” he said. “After 9-11, I was mad and my life was going no where. I needed some direction and wanted to be a part of something better, which brought me to where I am.”
Vickers said that for the first month in Ramadi, he was working in a motorpool. Then he was pulled into his current job and has not looked back.
“This is something I can look back on and be glad of I did,” he said. “I work with a great team. This work has given me a better understanding for what the people in this field do.”
For Vickers, one of the main things he’s learned from this job is the perspective from another field of work and the value of good leadership.
“The experience allowed me to see something different and see how the other side lives,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to do this if it wasn’t for the team I was with.”
He added, “They have been there every step of the way to help me, and guide me to make sure I know what I’m doing, and If I make a mistake, to help me fix it.”
LOL Your hair looks a little long in this pic
#4
02-22-2008, 12:15 AM
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Ft. Gordon (Augusta) GA
Posts: 8,268
RE: Public Affairs Office did an article on me
lol.. I do fix a lot of trucks with duct tape, WD-40, and a hammer!
#6
02-22-2008, 01:26 AM
RE: Public Affairs Office did an article on me
ORIGINAL: rocketrotary
lol.. I do fix a lot of trucks with duct tape, WD-40, and a hammer!
lol.. I do fix a lot of trucks with duct tape, WD-40, and a hammer!
long live the rednecks
