Published: July 30, 2008
Two Scoops of Hooah Please
By Maj. Enrique T. Vasquez, CAB 1ID PAO
COB Speicher, Iraq - The hot scorching desert sun can be quite unforgiving for service members serving in northern Iraq. The yearning of everything American like baseball, hotdogs and ice cream can create feelings of homesickness among those deployed.
However, no matter how dismal conditions may get in Iraq, Soldiers always seem to know how to brighten each other's day.
That is exactly what the Soldiers of the 601st Aviation Support Battalion at Contingency Operating Base Speicher did this past fourth-of-July; they paraded an ice cream truck to the rest of the base thus drawing smiles and laughs from the Soldiers on the COB.
Sgt. Patrick Stundahl (left) passes a Fighting-six ice-cream cone to Spc. Casimer Rzanca on a hot summer day in northern Iraq. Both Soldiers belong to the 601st Aviation Support Battalion's and were the chief architects behind their unit's ice cream truck project.
Photo by Maj. Enrique T. Vasquez |
Searching for ways to improve moral and keep his Soldiers occupied on something positive Lt. Col. Donald Nitti, 601st ASB, battalion commander asked his Soldiers to see if they could find the resources to build an ice cream truck or van just like the ones that traverse hometown America.
Within weeks Nitti's Soldiers located a vehicle, freezer and sound system. Then with some careful innovation and meticulous creativity the Soldiers from the 601st bomb team, command and automations section, began to make Nitti's vision of an Ice cream truck slowly materialize.
"To achieve the mission we needed to find a truck body that would support the basic frame of a typical ice cream truck. Therefore we began to look for a box model vehicle," said Capt. Scott Davis, Headquarters Support Company, 601st.
"The idea was to come up with a vehicle with sliding windows, PA system and design that represented an everyday ice cream truck down to the smallest detail," added Davis.
Staff Sgt. Caddel Bachelor (right) from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Combat Aviation Brigade, Infantry Division poses with his favorite ice-cream treat in front of the 601st Aviation Support Battalion's newly renovated ice cream truck on July 4th at Contingency Operating Base Speicher.
Photo: Capt. Kemetta Gary |
The HSC members quickly contacted a logistics yard and located an old Air Force boxed van with sliding doors and panel sides.
"For a while we did not know what kind of truck we were going to use. However, the motor pool found a big box van at a reutilization yard on post," said Spc. Casimer Rzanca, driver HSC.
"When the civilian employees working for directorate of logistics at COB Speicher heard about what we were trying to do; they decided to donate an old Air Force box van for our use," said Davis.
"The DOL donation was deeply appreciated and really helped the project take-off."
The resourcefulness of Soldiers is something that should not be underestimated especially in a war zone. The HSC Soldiers hand crafted ornamental details added some decorative accessories all to help bring the old faded van to life.
Soldiers of Combat Aviation Brigade, Infantry Division lineup to receive ice-cream treats from the 601st Aviation Support Battalion's newly renovated ice cream truck on July 4th.
Photo: Spc. Casimer Rzanca |
"So after bringing the van to the unit, I started with the idea to add the giant 12 foot magnum bar to the top of the van. Then Sgt. Patrick Stundahl from A Co. suggested we add the chocolate drips to the bar," said Rzanca.
"I then added some detailing to the fenders in the form of classic flames. Sgt. Stundahl suggested we add some wooden ice-cream decoratives to the hubcaps too, " added Rzanca.
"Then I added a sign board and an actual ice cream menu. In addition, I came up with a 'caution running Soldiers' sign for the back of the van."
"We named the different ice creams after the our sister units; Demon Pop, Nightmare Bar, Fighting-six cone, Guardian bar and Eagle Cone," said Rzanca, referring to the other units of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
Staff Sgt. Caddel Bachelor (right) from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Combat Aviation Brigade, Infantry Division poses with his favorite ice-cream treat in front of the 601st Aviation Support Battalion's newly renovated ice cream truck on July 4th at Contingency Operating Base Speicher.
Photo: Maj. Enrique T. Vasquez |
Bomb team Soldiers then installed a freezer, while members of the automations shop ripped appropriate sound and music tracks to further bring this once dormant vehicle to life.
"I helped compile some of the ice-cream truck sound bytes like pop-goes the weasel and various chimes and sounds. However, it was Spc. Rzanca that actually put together the 'Happy Music' sound track together for the ice-cream truck," said Sgt. Melanie Allen, HSC automations section.
After several weeks of work the 601st ice cream truck, with it's giant magnum bar, custom hubcaps and decorative panels finally made its long awaited début. So on one of the hottest days in Iraq with temperatures well over 100 degrees the newly painted shiny blue ice-cream truck took to the streets and roads of COB Speicher blaring it's wide assortment of music, sounds and chimes including the song "Don't Worry Be Happy."
"As we drove the truck around, the Soldiers we encountered were astounded and could not believe what they were seeing and hearing. Many were astonished and actually thought the ice cream truck was a joke," said Rzanca.
"However, after some of the first customers walked up and saw we were actually passing out ice cream they came over and laughed and smiled with us."
The Soldiers seemed ecstatic about the whole ice-cream truck affair.
"I thought that was the best morale booster yet, the ice-cream truck even had my theme song going on," said Capt. Kemetta Gary, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, CAB, 1ID.
"You saw a lot of smiles among the Soldiers as the truck drove up playing 'Don't Worry Be Happy'. I felt like a little kid again because I actually found myself running up to the ice cream truck along with the other Soldiers. The whole event definitely brought back some childhood memories," said Gary.
One of the chief architects of the ice cream truck refurbishing had this to say about what his unit did.
"The project reminded me of how Frosty the Snowman came about, everybody helped Frosty come to life just like everyone helped bring the ice-cream truck come to life," said Rzanca.
"I think it is a good thing we are doing with the ice cream truck because it puts a lot of smiles on the Soldiers' faces and you can tell it is good for morale. We actually drove the truck around, throughout the CAB areas and we are now planning to make this a permanent event; driving the ice-cream truck around every Friday," said Rzanca.
So if you want to boost the morale of your unit, Spc Rzanca said, "build an ice-cream truck, it will definitely put a smile on their face."
Search News
