Heat striking deployed warfighters in Iraq

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Debbie Aragon
  • 407th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  An enemy can take many forms, but here, heat is one of the biggest enemies faced by warfighters.

“There are many enemies outside the wire of the base, but ‘big red’ is everywhere and doesn’t play any favorites,” said 1st Lt. Dennis Turriff, of the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron.

There are ways troops can arm themselves for battle against “oppressive heat,” said Maj. Melburn Stephens, commander of the 407th Expeditionary Medical Group’s public health flight.

One of them -- drinking plenty of water -- is stressed at all levels within the 407th Air Expeditionary Group.

“Staying hydrated is critical,” Major Stephens said. “Drinking adequate amounts of water is essential to replace water lost through sweating, respiration and elimination.”

It is better to drink small amounts of water throughout the day than to drink large amounts all at once, the major said. Additionally, troops should avoid caffeinated and carbonated drinks because they cause people to lose body fluid and are not effective because they delay hydration.

One Air Force career field that spends most of its time working outside here is civil engineering.

“Every person on our team is taught to recognize their limitations and each crew doesn’t leave the shop without coolers full of ice and water,” said Master Sgt. Edwin Dumlao, of the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron.

Replacing electrolytes lost through sweating is also important, Major Stephens said.

“Sports drinks like Gatorade replenish electrolytes lost, but a balanced meal is the most effective way to replace electrolytes,” he said.

Leaders here also use work/rest cycles to help beat the heat, but they realize there are times when it is not possible for troops to adhere to them.

“Supervisors determine if work/rest cycles are necessary to complete the mission, and they understand in a deployed environment some risks must be taken,” the major said.

“Most of the time, we have no choice but to press through the heat,” Lieutenant Turriff said. “Our troops know and understand their mission and its impact on the installation. They often revel in the fact that they endure the harsh weather to secure all coalition forces on Tallil.”

The same can be said for civil engineers.

“It’s hard to complete the mission if we were to follow all of the rest cycles as directed, and all of my guys understand that,” Sergeant Dumlao said. “We have to push hard in the mornings while it’s relatively cool, then slowly draw down in the afternoons when temperatures are reaching 120-plus degrees.”

“Although one person may recognize he or she is getting overheated, friends and co-workers may continue to work, unaware they’re showing signs of heat stress,” Major Stephens said. “Or your buddy may want to ‘tough it out’ until the job is done.”

When off duty, security forces people beat the heat by injecting a little playfulness into their days by going on “the occasional search-and-destroy mission,” Lieutenant Turriff said.

They plan the logistics of their mission which includes water bottles in the freezer for at least 12 hours and a water gun, he said.

Often times water “grenades” are used to augment the other small arms, he said. They then patrol for their comrades and lay waste to them with ice cold water that takes their breath away.

The lieutenant said his squadron’s Airmen often hear others complaining about the heat as they go from air-conditioned location to air-conditioned location.

“Rarely will you hear one of our guys complain about the heat,” Lieutenant Turriff said, “because they know there’s nothing they can do about it.”

They also know temperatures are going to continue to climb in the coming weeks.

“We were told that it reached 145 degrees in August last year,” Lieutenant Turriff said. “Many of our troops want to see temperatures that high just to say they were here, worked through it and excelled.”