Master Sergeant Schindler

Bruce Crummy The Forum

Master Sergeant Rodney Schindler of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, battalion operations NCO for the Headquarters and Support Company of the 142nd Engineer Combat Battalion based in Fargo, waits with his M-16 rifle to go to the firing range at Camp Carson in Colorado.

The 142d battalion was activated for Operation Iraqi Freedom late January of 2003. They were sent to Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colorado for training before being sent to Iraq. Two weeks in Kuwait were spent gearing up for the push northward. The battalion reached its destination at LSA Anaconda, just north of Baghdad in May of 2004. Through out the tour of duty the battalion completed over 1,200 missions while supporting over 80 different units. The various projects included the renovation of the runway strip at LSA Anaconda, the construction of troop housing, numerous transportation missions traveling over 800,000 miles across Iraqi roadways, support for Company B Task Force Neighborhood in downtown Baghdad, support for Company A at Camp Redskin, support for Company C at Camp Ashraf, over 54,000 meals were prepared in the field until the dining facilities opened. After that, the cooks were responsible for the training and observation of the local nationals that prepared over 5,040,000 meals. The troops returned home during the month of April of 2004. The 142d proudly served as part of the largest engineering effort in the history of the United States Army, while supporting the 130th Engineer brigade and the V Corps.