May 20, 2007 To Whom It May Concern: I am a commissioned officer deployed in Balad, Iraq with the Colorado Battalion 2-135th General Support Aviation Battalion. The contents that follow are some observations that have been going on since the start of the deployment in March 2006. Currently we live on the MEDEVAC compound dealing with deteriorating living quarters, air conditioners, electrical code problems, leaking roofs, and trailer floors weakening causing a dangerous condition for the soldiers and deteriorating moral. We have since fell out of the KBR maintenance contract that supports these issues, and could easily be fixed. We have not been on the KBR maintenance contract for approximately 6 months. It is very tough without this contract to get things done. First we have to find the materials to fix the problem, then someone inside the company who has the experience and skills to fix what ever it is that needs fixed. This is not only frustrating for the lack of support from KBR, but it takes soldiers away from the fight and our mission in Iraq because we are doing the job of the maintenance contract. MEDEVAC is one of the most important pieces in this puzzle of Iraq, and we don’t need to be deterring the focus because someone let our contract lapse.
We have been trying since we found out our contract lapsed, to get back on. We have asked our BN to help, and have yet to see any headway on the issue. So this leaves it to us as a company to try and keep things going and try to go through the process. What a long, full of red tape process. Again taking soldiers away from the MEDEVAC mission to try and work the issue. We got lucky and know a person here that is with 1st Kuwaiti who is helping us out. He is doing about 40,000 dollars of work for free, and in return he asked for a ride down to Taji to explore a contract. He is authorized to fly on Army aircraft. Our Alpha company had a mission there, but the ride was denied by our supportive BN commander. The one thing that the BN commander could have done to help, he denied. I hope by now I am painting a picture of the frustration being caused by an issue that should be supported by our higher headquarters, the BN. Logistical issues, pay issues, and leadership issue have been distracters due to the lack of support from our BN. I blame all of it due to the BN commander’s lack of attention for all of his BN soldiers. The BN commander is too concerned about him personally flying air assaults, and has been counseled by the BDE commander about such a topic. Obviously nothing was resolved due to the situation still present. We have been scrutinized from the beginning of this deployment because the perception was fostered that we have it so good where we live and work.
Our company is separated by the runways, and we live on the “Air force” side of the airfield. We have a nice coffee shop and living arrangements that we fell in on just due to the prior units caring and getting the support. I do admit that we have it very good. But this perception has spread through the BN starting with the BN commander. From the return of his Pre-Deployment Site Survey, he has commented constantly how nice we have it and he is “letting us” live and keep our area. These comments don’t take long to spread and foster a negative relationship between the other companies and ours in the Battalion.
We are now to the point that I have personally been told that all the “stuff” we have is because the BN commander allows it. Egotistical? I was told that all the gas, food, maintenance support, etc is his and I will be more than hospitable to everyone that transient through our area. The BN TOC referrers everyone for support to land in our compound and drop off, pick up, get support from us. We are only one Company with 87 personnel, not a BN with a support staff that all subordinate companies should be getting their support from. “You will go out of your way to be overly nice.” This has never been a problem; we are Mid-Western people here and have all the mannerisms and hospitality that Mid-Westerners have. With a company of 87, we are being expected to support every company in the BN. Isn’t this a BN function to support the units? We live and work in the same place. So we have to ship food in to our compound at meals. So when someone who is not in the unit eats, it takes the food away from someone here on the compound that doesn’t have the opportunity to leave and go to the mess hall. We not only have our responsibilities, but being pushed onto us the responsibility of C/1-111, Delta, Echo, for food, aircraft maintenance support, Operations section support, S-6 support, taking our wood that we had to request and get, etc. Which these units should be going to the BN for this support and the BN tells them to go to the “Cutters” and they will take care of you. Our unit nickname is Cutter. We have also been directed to give up three pilots to the Alpha company/BN to fill their void…again the BN should be augmenting the companies not the other way around. Alpha needed two Pilot in command and the BN needed a battle captain.
Not having a contract, spreading our people too thin, plus doing the job of the BN? You can see the strain this is putting on us, and not having the BN commander take the responsibility that goes with his job. He is too concerned about “Air assaults” and the OCFI missions, he doesn’t give the proper attention to what his companies need and have been lacking.

On another note, we have been doing very well getting by and being creative to get things done. Our spirits are high, and it is because everyone cares about how we live and work. We have a coffee shop on our compound that was made by the “outgoing” unit. A lot of people from every branch here on LSA Anaconda visit the shop to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee. We don’t charge money for the service that we have, but people donate money to show their appreciation for our time and efforts to provide them with something to relieve the stress of combat.
The shop is all volunteers from our company, and everyone pitches in to make the coffee shop work. The entire company either directly or indirectly affects the success of the shop. With the donations, we have put it all back into the up-keep of the equipment, supplies, and upgrades to the shop. The rest of the donations go back to the families we have left at home. Family support events for the kids, “Mid way there party”, etc have been sponsored by the donations that the shop gets.
You don’t think I would have mentioned this if there wasn’t something that our BN is trying to do to mess it up. Comments have bred about the donations, and that they should go to the BN to sponsor the whole BN?. The perception is we have thousands of dollars; in fact most of the money goes toward maintenance, Family support group, and re-supply. Again the BN commander said “I am allowing you to keep the coffee shop.” Charlie company does all the work and support to keep this shop going. We receive no support from the BN, nor do they do anything to help. If anything the lack of support we get from them hinders us. They are like an evil step mother, like Cinderella’s, who is jealous of what we have and is doing everything in their power to be vindictive.
I am not the type of person that hold grudges, but works to move forward to get the job done. There are many small pieces to my opinions that I can’t put specific facts to, but the ones I have mentioned are important enough to heighten some awareness of the lack of support. I feel enquiry into this will turn even more issues up like soldier pay issues, company S-4 support from the BN, etc. The BN S-4 did get relieved of duty for the lack of her performance.
Any inquiry or support of these matters would impact and fix the quickly deteriorating moral and exhaustion that this company is experiencing at this time. Thank you in advance for any influence that you may have.

SIGNED,
A CONCERNED OFFICER