Task Force SAFE still making a difference
Oshkosh man helps inspect potential electrical problems in Iraq
By Doug Zellmer, The Northwestern April 30, 2009
An Oshkosh man is in Iraq to help inspect electrical installations in military buildings that could potentially be death traps for U.S. soldiers.
Dan Schneider, a master electrician, is working as a civilian contractor in the Forward Operating Base in Kalsu, located about 30 miles south of Baghdad. He is assigned to Task Force SAFE — Safe Actions for Fire and Electricity.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth was electrocuted in his shower in Iraq on Jan. 2, 2008 and is one of at least three soldiers killed while showering since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Scores of soldiers suffered shocks between September 2006 and July 2008, according to a database maintained by KBR Inc., the Houston-Based contractor that oversees maintenance at most U.S. facilities in Iraq. About one third of all inspections so far in Iraq have turned up major electrical problems, according to interviews and an internal military document obtained by The Associated Press.
Schneider said he’s been in Iraq since October and expects to stay at least through around mid-September. His group has inspected more than 2,500 structures for electrical and fire hazards. Those include guard towers, administrative buildings and medical clinics.
“Anything with electricity and we’re going to inspect it,” he said.
Faulty electrical grounding is among the most common problems found, the task force reported.
“Everyday we find something that could possibly cause an electrocution,” said Schneider, 59. “We’re finding that a lot of the stuff is installed by British standards, which are different than in the United States. They use different grounding systems than we use in the states and that is part of the problem.”
Schneider said he’s part of one of 30 teams of electrical and fire inspectors that are dispersed throughout Iraq. He said the 30 teams have more than 100,000 military facilities to inspect.
“It’s been an adventure. When I first came over here the money was the big incentive, but once you get here and see what’s here and what you do to hopefully improve the situation it becomes more about the mission than the money,” Schneider said. (click HERE for the original article)
Thursday, April 30th 2009 at 7:42 am |
I still think Task Force SAFE could be one of the DCMA’s better decisions of the war.
My personal thanks to the Team members.
Be Safe
Saturday, June 20th 2009 at 7:50 pm |
My name is MAJ John Pires (the first OIC of the TF SAFE Standards and Inspection Team) and I would like to thank everyone who volunteered to support TF SAFE over the past year. I greatly appreciate your involvement to enhance the safety of our Troops in Iraq. Although DCMA-I/A was a driving factor in developing and implementing the TF SAFE S&I Team, it is important to recognize the other organizations that contributed to the team’s success as well. TF SAFE was a multi-organizational effort that included members from various MNF-I/ MNC-I staff elements, the LOGCAP LSU, JCCI, USACE, the 249th Prime Power BN, and SBH. I was fortunate enough to have served with these great Americans and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. The lessons I learned from my commander as well as other members of TF SAFE are priceless and as a result, I feel I have grown as a military officer. I would also like to thank my S&I Team staff, the master electricians, and fire protection specialists who worked extraordinarily well under very stressful circumstances to accomplish our mission. The tireless efforts of these professionals have made a significant impact in making coalition facilities safer for our Troops and civilians. Again thank you for your service to our Troops and please continue to support the TF SAFE S&I team.
Vr
MAJ John Pires
Ms Sparky’s Response:
Major Pires,
As you know I have been following Task Force SAFE from it’s inception. Those personally involved in the tragic deaths and injuries of our soldiers and civilians and those fighting to make changes look at the implementation of Task Force SAFE as the first positive step in the effort to provide a safer living and working environment for our soldiers and civilians in the LOGCAP theater of operations.
For my readers who are not familiar……I can not over emphasize the enormity of the task. Nearly 90,000 buildings required inspection. The immediate development and implementation of functional inspection plans was crucial. The logistics of hiring, training, housing and tooling up inspectors was enormous. And lets not forget about the politics.
One would think the mission of Task Force SAFE, providing safer working and living conditions for our soldiers and civilians, would illicit 100% support from the DoD and the LOGCAP contractors. Especially those contractors who dare spout “(our) commitment to the safety of all employees and those the company serves remains unwavering.” This has not always been the case.
I appreciate the political battle Task Force SAFE has chosen to fight. They are now calling contractors to task who had never been called to task before. In doing so they have highlighted the inadequacies of the Army Sustainment Command and the DCMA’s oversight inabilities. How embarrassing for the DoD.
I feel comfortable speaking for the families of soldiers and civilians who were killed or injured due to shoddy electrical work. Please express their gratitude to your Task Force SAFE team members.
Being the Grandmother of a 6 year old, I would like to thank you for fighting to implementing changes in DoD policy that will directly affect the safety of my grandson, who has his heart set on being a Marine in year 2021.
Task Force SAFE has my unconditional support!
Thank you choosing to serve the United States of America.
Ms Sparky
Sunday, June 21st 2009 at 2:26 pm |
To: MAJ John Pires,
Thanks for stepping up to the plate when most others won’t.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
That’s a big 10-4!!
Sunday, September 20th 2009 at 7:04 pm |
Okay, I completely stand behind what TSF is SUPPOSED to be doing…but does anyone really know what is going on??? No inspection guideline, no going into EVERY CHU?? how ’bout the “drive by inspections”?? It’s all just a numbers game. The more you “inspect” (yeah right) the more you kiss a** the longer you get to stay, sucking up tax dollars…well why not, everyone else is right? How about the “Master Inspector” that is supposed to be the guru to go to with questions that is a high school drop out?? That sits in an office and does what exactly…most of the guys in the field–like he was till he kissed enough a** to be officed in BIOP? How about the “data manager” who sent out 269 social security numbers with names that still holds his place–after 9 months?? of not issuing a security breach notice on the HIGH SECURITY level?? Look it up people this should have been dealt with in 24 hours….still no notice to the peeps with the published info??? How safe do you and your family feel now??? I know I sleep with my pistol loaded in my bedside table. I and my children are GOLD to them!!! Got a REALLY big dog, triple locks on the doors and make rounds of the house to double check ALL the windows and doors!! If you were there in January as TSF…YOURS is out there too!! Got an email telling you that you could cash checks? Then check the damn attachment…even my hero..mssparky..(truly, not being sarcastic, she’s the bomb!) has them. What now? How about not every CHU gets inspected, how bout only one panel gets opened per structure–even if there are 3,4,5 whatever? How bout THEY AREN’T SUPPOSED TO UNPLUG ANYTHING??
How bout, no condition on opening switches, opening a certain amount of outlets, how bout only one door in a multi door CHU (living unit)???? The list goes on. and on and on…Sure TSF is a Wonderful CONCEPT…but why do you thing there’s TS REAP out there? For fun? Or to make sure SBH is doing their job handling TSF??? Definitely NOT doing their job. Management sucks, pay is over the top for them, none of the management are electrician–oh except the high school drop out that is the “Theater Master” guru? WTF? Someone step up! I know these guys are afraid of losing thier jobs…who wouldn’t be at the wage they are getting? But shouldn’t there be some regulation? some rules?? some standards that apply to ALL the bases and ALL the inspections?? Some of the office jobs don’t even need to be run from Iraq making hazard pay! They could easily do it from the US with a HUGE savings to the taxpayer!! And PLEASE step up, TSF management and the SBH/DAAR (the small company that provided SBH the boost with minority to get the contract) team needs to realize that just the name TSF doesn’t mean, that everything is SAFE!! MAKE SOME STANDARDS!!!
So very sick of all this I can’t stand to keep silent…even tho I’m supposed too. Make it right, FOR REAL or get the F out and let someone who has more brains than a box of hair manage it!! Open more than ONE panel in an area that has MORE than one panel, unplug something if you have too to check the outlet, look into the light fixtures and switches. Check the BATHROOMS–uh, hello, isn’t this where we are having the issues?? Okay, could go on forever…but am worn out. More when I have the energy…Something needs to be done about this wasted federal money, hopes of everything “getting better and fixed” and no one in the management giving two turds–oh yeah–they are FINALLY gonna get their PPE’s after a YEAR in the next couple of weeks…quite helpful.
Take a breather on that, and hope the TSF DCMA DoD does something about the under managed overpriced, unprepared humans running the good group of men who went to a dangerous part of our world TO HELP, AND THEN FELL INTO HELL.