THE TENSION: Combat Camera: Soldiers Revamp Lethal Iraqi War Jet

Soldiers with Bravo Company, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade repair a L-29 Telfin at Contingency Operating Base Speicher. (Photo provided by 1st Lt. Brian Crawford and Sgt. Ricardo E. Thongs, B Co. 209th ASB)

Left to deteriorate at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, the L-29 Telfin is being restored by Soldiers volunteering from Bravo Company, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2006-2008. (Photo provided by 1st Lt. Brian Crawford and Sgt. Ricardo E. Thongs, B Co. 209th ASB)

Spc. John Oldham, aircraft structural repairer, with Bravo Company, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, uses his artistic talents to add a 209th symbol to the L-29 Telfin war fighter, July 30. The L-29 was reconstructed by B Co. after being deserted at Contigency Operating Base Speicher. (Photo provided by Spc. Bryanna Poulin, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs )

Innovative Soldiers Revamp Lethal Iraqi War Jet
08.09.2007
By Spc. Bryanna Poulin, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

TIKRIT, Iraq -- Disregarded as rubbish and primarily used by insects, varmints and wild creatures, a piece of junk found new life as an aviation masterpiece through the creative skills and ingenuity of Soldiers at Contingency Operating Base Speicher.

Soldiers from Company B, 209th Aviation Support Battalion, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade took time out of their personal agenda to rebuild an L-29 Delfin war trainer jet to look as if it had never been through the callous elements of Iraq.

“The task was to find an abandoned plane and put it back to the condition of when it was flown,” said 1st Lt. Brian Crawford, platoon leader for Company B. “Besides being a home for wild animals, the fire department used it as a training aid for downed aircrafts … and it was a horrible mess.”
Powered by a Bristol Siddeley Viper turbojet engine, the L-29 trainer originated in Czechoslovakia in 1959 and was designed to be straightforward, rugged but yet, an easy to fly aircraft.

The L-29, which was sold to Iraq between the late 1960s and early 1980s, was ideally used as a primary jet trainer and advanced combat trainer.

“There is a lot of history behind the Delfin, making the restoration significant for the 25th CAB,” Crawford noted.
Fascinatingly enough, this isn’t the first time Company B Soldiers have restored old aircrafts.

“We have previously restored an aircraft at Wheeler Army Airfield,” Crawford said. “The difference in restoring this one though, is the operational tempo in Iraq is higher than in the rear … making it difficult to find time to fix the aircraft.”
Working under stringent conditions with limited time, the Soldiers use on hand supplies and scrap metal to reconstruct the Delfin.

“All the supplies were lying around the shop … we used our own paint and the scrap metal from the airframe shop.” Sgt. Ricardo E. Thongs, Company B, 209th ASB, 25th CAB air structural repair supervisor and also had a direct role in the first aircraft reconstruction at Wheeler. “It (L-29 reconstruction) has taken awhile to complete because we have had other missions and can only work on this (Telfin) when we don’t have regular aircraft maintenance … so this takes back seat.”
More importantly, Crawford and Thongs explained, was Company B Soldiers using their personal time to work on the aircraft, giving the Telfin a more personal touch while instilling a sense of pride for the Soldiers.

“We (209th leaders) made this a volunteer project … so it wasn’t mandatory,”
Crawford said. “These guys work 12-hour days. By volunteering, the Soldiers feel passionate about it, ultimately giving the Telfin better quality.”

“Little by little, Soldiers worked on the plane, boosting the spirits among the company,” Thongs added.
In addition to the time constraints, Soldiers must deal with the unforgiving elements of Iraq and situations unlike those faced in Hawaii.

“Most of the time the work is done out in the sun … it’s so hot that the paint sometimes melts from the aircraft.” Crawford said. “Also, we do more maintenance for aircraft out here than we ever perform in Hawaii … so free time is limited.”
Finally, where the finished Telfin will go is still up in the air but the hard work and dedication is clearly seen as the Soldiers work meticulously putting the final touches on it.

“It’s been an impressive project to see what these guys can do with a pile of junk to a replica of what the Telfin once looked like,” Crawford concluded. “The perseverance that these Soldiers displayed (making the L-29 look how it does) is very powerful and inspiring.”