Lt. Col. Kelly Lawler from Monticello, N.Y., the commander of the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, speaks before the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Forward Operating Base Hammer Passenger Terminal, Oct. 11.
Lt. Col. Kelly Lawler from Monticello, N.Y., the commander of the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, and Maj. Clyde Fleming from Hinesville, Ga., the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division's aviation officer, cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the Forward Operating Base Hammer Passenger Terminal, Oct. 11. Story by Spc. Ben Hutto
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq - The FOB Hammer Helicopter Passenger Terminal opened officially with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 11.
Lt. Col. Kelly Lawler from Monticello, N.Y., commander of the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, and Maj. Clyde Fleming from Hinesville, Ga., the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division's aviation officer, cut the ribbon to the facility.
"The purpose of this facility is to keep Soldiers out of the weather and to help take the stress out of waiting for an aircraft," said Fleming.
"We were doing fine with the system we had, but this facility will definitely cut down on some of the confusion we sometimes experienced.
The main goal is to eventually make this pax terminal like the ones you see on other enduring FOBs."
The 3rd Brigade Aviation Element worked with the 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron, civilian contractors and the FOB Hammer Mayor Cell to get the facility up and running.
"They were all very cooperative and went above and beyond the call of duty to make everything happen," Fleming said.
Soldiers waiting for flights will now get to relax in an air-conditioned facility with a refrigerator, large screen high-definition television and DVD player.
"The non-commissioned officers of the aviation cell will run the facility," Fleming said. "They will do an outstanding job."
Fleming singled out Sgt. Ryan Woodcraft from Clare, Mich., an NCO in the 3rd BAE, as the Soldier most responsible for successfully opening the station.
"Sgt. Woodcraft was given this mission and he ran with it," Fleming said. "I helped him with some of the major roadblocks, but he was responsible for all of the legwork and coordinating everything. He did an outstanding job."
The 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div., is from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.
Lt. Col. Kelly Lawler from Monticello, N.Y., commander of the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, and Maj. Clyde Fleming from Hinesville, Ga., the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division's aviation officer, cut the ribbon to the facility.
"The purpose of this facility is to keep Soldiers out of the weather and to help take the stress out of waiting for an aircraft," said Fleming.
"We were doing fine with the system we had, but this facility will definitely cut down on some of the confusion we sometimes experienced.
The main goal is to eventually make this pax terminal like the ones you see on other enduring FOBs."
The 3rd Brigade Aviation Element worked with the 557th Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron, civilian contractors and the FOB Hammer Mayor Cell to get the facility up and running.
"They were all very cooperative and went above and beyond the call of duty to make everything happen," Fleming said.
Soldiers waiting for flights will now get to relax in an air-conditioned facility with a refrigerator, large screen high-definition television and DVD player.
"The non-commissioned officers of the aviation cell will run the facility," Fleming said. "They will do an outstanding job."
Fleming singled out Sgt. Ryan Woodcraft from Clare, Mich., an NCO in the 3rd BAE, as the Soldier most responsible for successfully opening the station.
"Sgt. Woodcraft was given this mission and he ran with it," Fleming said. "I helped him with some of the major roadblocks, but he was responsible for all of the legwork and coordinating everything. He did an outstanding job."
The 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div., is from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.
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