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'Cement Sentinels' Stand Silent Guard
(June 18, 2011) | 
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VICTORY BASE COMPLEX, Iraq (6/15/2011) - For the past several years,
security barriers have been used as protection for U.S. troops and
civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq. These barriers have ranged from the
tried and true sandbags to HESCO barriers and now to T-walls.
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An engineer memorial with a poem for fallen comrades located at West Liberty
on Januay 8, 2011. Courtesy Photo |
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Sandbags, the initial form of protection, are canvas sacks filled with
sand which are then piled as high as needed for protection. HESCO
barriers are large canvas structures with wire frames that are stood on
end then filled with sand or dirt. Although T-walls are more expensive
they offer more protection than sandbags and HESCOs as the concrete can
better withstand and deflect the current weapon of choice for the
terrorists, the 107MM rocket. Most T-walls, reinforced with rebar, stand
12 feet tall, are nine inches thick, weigh more than six tons.
T-walls are the “cement sentinels” that stand on guard 24/7 around our
bases. Placed strategically around entire complexes these “cement
sentinels” protect our troops and other personnel from bomb blasts and
sniper attacks. They surround the base camp as well as individual
buildings within each camp such as containerized housing units, office
buildings, shops, gyms, and dining facilities.
Although they
offer protection, they are often symbolic of a unit's deployment.
T-walls have become a medium to display unit “esprit-de-corps.” Many
units paint the T-walls with their corps colors, mottos, mascots, and
murals. Many of the murals painted on the T-walls show the pride soldier
have in their unit. Many soldiers reflect on previous deployments when
viewing the murals as they travel along different routes in theatre. So
prevalent are T-walls, that miniature T-walls are routinely presented as
going away gifts to remind all of the surroundings.
HESCO
Barriers are portable, easy to erect, and you just add sand or dirt.
HESCOs are well liked by soldiers, since they are filled by machines and
not with shovels.
Most of the early concrete structures were
about three to five feet tall (Jersey Barriers) and built with large
horizontal bases. They filled many purposes, mostly to prevent vehicles
from getting close to buildings, but they were far from perfect, and
they weren't ideal when it came to force protection. The military
decided they wanted taller vertical concrete structures to protect as
blast walls and obscure vision from potential snipers. These new
structures called Texas barriers or “T-Walls” reached upwards of 12 to
18 feet or more in height. Some of the tallest reach 24 feet.
At
some point T-walls outlive their utility. They are difficult to move and
recycle, requiring large machinery. HESCO barriers are easy to remove;
just dump the sand and then send the barrier frame to be recycled.
T-walls, however, are a different problem.
They require
forklifts, cranes, and large trucks to be moved. T-walls of the larger
variety have become symbols of life in Iraq, but even with the trend
towards larger T-walls, there are still several variations of shapes and
sizes around Iraq.
Many soldiers and civilians have taken to
decorating them. Some of the drawings are basic, but most are elaborate
and painstakingly well-done. It is a well known pastime to walk the long
line of barriers to take a picture of each one. At the Baghdad
International Airport there is a row painted with the state flag of each
of the 50 states, and signed by soldiers and civilians from all across
the United States. | |
By Tony Mussi
402nd Army Field Support Brigade
Copyright 2011
Provided
through DVIDS
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