By Staff Sgt. Mark Wojciechowski, 133rd MPAD
MUQDADIYAH, Iraq – There is no doubt that the mayor of a city or large town has a lot of responsibilities – keeping up with infrastructure, security and how much work is being done are all on the agenda.
Throw all these tasks into a combat zone and the job of mayor at a forward operating base gets all that much more difficult.
1st Sgt. Kevin Statam of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 32 Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division, is the mayor of FOB Normandy in Iraq.
His responsibilities reach far beyond that of a “normal mayor.”
“I get knocks on my door every couple of hours every night with any issues that may arise. I’ll go deal with it … whatever has to be done,” said the Pensacola, Fla., native.
Statam’s daily duties include being responsible for the security around the FOB, checking on guard points and keeping tabs on the local workers conducting various duties.
“Currently we have them [local workers] refurbishing barracks for incoming personnel,” said Statam.
When the 1-32 CAV first arrived here there was a lot of consolidation that needed to happen, said Statam. This entailed adjusting the “FOB footprint” to suit the needs of incoming units.
During the occasional indirect fire attack, Statam ensures 100 percent accountability of Soldiers on the FOB and also visits the site of the impact with a team who conducts the crater analysis.
Statam, who is also a Desert Storm veteran, has 20 years of service in the Army. The thought of retirement when he returns home has crossed his mind, but he is unsure at this time.
