[AT] OT A squid mechanic was Abrams tanks

[James Peck]

My coworker finished his tank mechanic Army enlistment and headed home to stay with his dad, stepmom, and maybe some siblings. He didn't find a job so this time he joined the Navy. 

During the effort to topple Saddam Hussein, the Army needed more tank mechanics in Iraq. The sailor was hoisted off the heaving deck of a ship at sea by a helicopter winch. He was taken to Iraq and embedded with the Army. He worked on tanks until his enlistment was up.

[cecil Bearden] I remember many years back when they were trying to liberate some hostages ( I think I remember it right ) they lost over 1/2 of the helicopters during the mission to dust in the turbines.  At the time I wondered why it could not be filtered out.  We have a commercial a/c manufacturer, Temtrol,  in Okarche,  a few miles West of here.  They had a contract to supply air conditioners to Iraq, they had to use a hard stainless steel for covers, coils and everything exposed due to being in a constant sandblasting from the wind and sand.

[szabelski at wildblue.net]  The sand in Iraq was a big problem. It’s a very fine dust and gets into everything, clogging filters and causing premature wear.