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AL ASAD, Iraq ? Lance Cpl. Tyler Davis is the only trained generator mechanic in security battalion and is responsible for all generator maintenance in the unit.

Photo by Cpl. C. Alex Herron

Marine brings power to Al Asad

7 Jun 2005 | Cpl. C. Alex Herron 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing

Without generators Marines here would not be able to accomplish the most minuscule of tasks, such as turning on a computer or turning the light on at night.

Security Battalion has its own generators that supply their power and that power is vital for the communications equipment that is needed to run the patrols and convoys throughout the Al Anbar province. The battalion has taken on security responsibilities while deployed to Iraq making many of their Marines perform different duties outside of their original military occupational specialty.

With generators of their own, security battalion has the responsibility for providing daily maintenance. The Marines have several generators that run 24 hours a day.

All of the responsibility for the generators rests on the shoulders of Lance Cpl. Tyler Davis, a utilities mechanic who recently received a combat meritorious promotion. Davis is the only Marine in the unit formally trained in generator maintenance. He along with another Marine, an Avenger anti-air weapons system mechanic, are responsible for the repair and upkeep of all of the generators within security battalion.

“Davis gets up every morning at 6 a.m. to check the generators and make sure that they are working properly. He checks them and if he finds something wrong with them he corrects the problem before it causes a major break-down,” said Chief Warrant Officer Stefan Browning, the maintenance officer with security battalion. “He is very intelligent and able to think on his feet when a problem surfaces.”

After graduating from Sunrise Mountain High School in Phoenix, Ariz., Davis enlisted in the Marine Corps in October 2003. He chose wiring and electronics as a military occupational specialty and is gaining more experience than he expected.

“I picked my (military occupational specialty) because I wanted to have a skill I could use. Not necessarily one I would use to get a job with, but one I could use in everyday life,” Davis said. “Out here I’m gaining a lot of experience because I’m doing not only generator work, but lighting and air conditioning repair as well.”

A lot of the knowledge and hands-on experience Davis has gained has been through trial and error.

“I have learned a lot on my own here,” Davis said. “This has been a great experience for me being able to have the trust and confidence my superiors have in me to fix almost anything and everything.”

With this being Davis’ first deployment he has a sense of pride in his service to the United States and Iraq.

“It is great to get exposure to a war like this. Just the experience alone is enough for me, but to know I am serving at a historic time adds to the thrill of serving in Iraq,” Davis said. “Just being apart of history while it is happening is an honor and I would tell everyone it is something they should experience.”

Everyday Davis wakes up, not to be the one to catch the insurgents, but to be one of the many support personnel the Marines on the front lines need to fully complete their mission. Without Marines like Davis, the command posts would be unable to support operations throughout Iraq keeping tabs on every aspect of the battlefield and making key decisions that affect the outcome of a battle.

Editor’s Note:   Provisional Security Battalion is comprised of Marines from 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, from Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, N.C.  Due to the lack of enemy aircraft, these Marines augment and serve a vital security role for Al Asad, Iraq.


*For more information about this story please contact Cpl. Herron at herronca@acemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil *

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing