JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Among the
vessels at Joint Base Langley Eustis’ Third Port sits a shop that keeps boats
afloat through meticulous detailed work.
The 558th
Transportation Company, 10th Battalion, 7th Transportation Brigade
(Expeditionary) welding shop ensures ships’ crews stay safe underway through quick
and reliable metal fabrication services within the port.
While the
metals technologists work solely on ship materials, their job encompasses an
array of detail oriented work, from a boat’s hull to pipes on its air
conditioning unit.
“Welding
is insanely important,” said U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Cole, 558th Transportation
Company allied trade specialist. “When you look around, anything you look at
has welds on it, has been machined and put together somehow. If you don’t have
a good weld, it’s a danger to anyone who uses that item.”
According
to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jessy Kingrey, 558th Trans. Co. welding shop
maintenance control sergeant, the brigade’s welding shop, is co-located at
Third Port to provide fabrication services sooner than if the job was
contracted out to the civilian sector.
By not contracting
services, the shop also saves the installation and the Army money on
transportation, time and resources.
“Our shop
is here to make repairs last,” said Kingrey. “Not only can we repair metals, we
can replace them and make them better at the same time.”
Although
the welding shop works on mostly restoration services, the job also allows welders
to be creative with their work.
For
example, Cole said he spent a week building an oxygen bottle fixture completely
by hand, ensuring every groove and bolt was perfectly aligned.
“Welding is an awesome trade to know – it’s an
art form,” said Cole. “Every item that you do is like your trademark. Welds
last for years and years. It’s kind of like your stamp on the world.”