Something Always Needs Fixin’

By Cpl RH

 

A day in the life of a RCEME technician is never the same as the day previous, or the day that follows. High work volumes, multiple jobs on the go, various repair requests, and oddball side projects are all common occurrences. Although the specific nature may vary the work is common to all regardless of rank or trade. This especially holds true here on Op UNIFIER in Ukraine. Inspecting and maintaining a fleet in less than perfect circumstances, recovering host nation and partner nation vehicles while overcoming language barriers, and all the miscellaneous tasks and duties that go along with keeping an operation running smoothly.

 

Yet even with the workload the RCEME Esprit de Corps shines through. In December 2016, during Rotation 2, one of the LUVWs was involved in a vehicle collision which rendered it unserviceable. Due to a lack of necessary parts on hand and the large number of man-hours that would be required to get the vehicle up and running again, it was sidelined as a low priority. Fast forward to April 2017, Rotation 3, the parts have finally come in, however the hours required to complete the repairs were still a major consideration. Despite this, one of the vehicle technicians decided to take on the job as an “after-hours” project, devoting their time on early mornings and Sundays to ensure the repairs were done correctly and that nothing was missed. After long hours of personal time devoted to the project, all while working a regular schedule, performing duties, and completing other small tasks for the camp, the LUVW was once again serviceable and ready to go out with the troops.

 

The hard work and dedication that went into repairing the LUVW is just one of many reasons RCEME technicians are held in high regard. When people need something done that can’t be accomplished by standard means, the first ones sought out to help is the RCEME technicians. Although we may not always know what the days have in store for us, we can take pride in overcoming the obstacles in our path, finding a way to make it all come together in the end when the rest of the world says it can’t be done.

 

Arte et Marte.