The Base needs painters, sand blasters, electricians, mechanics, and other tradesmen to work the highly paid jobs for at least the next 18 months.
Joe Johnson and Paul Futch are taking apart an ammo trailer that is pulled behind a Humvee. Johnson and Futch just started working as heavy equipment mechanics at the Maintenance Center at the Albany Marine Base this week.
Johnson said "This is a great experience. If you stay here a short time or a long time, you learn something. You take something to the table, you take something with you."
Futch said, "I've been trying to get on with the military again. I'm retired from the Air Force Reserves. I served in Desert Storm, and I just want to do something to help the Marine Corps."
Johnson and Futch are two of the 15 new temporary employees already on the job at the base, as they get ready for a huge workload. Thousands of pieces of military equipment, everything from hand guns, to radios, to heavy armored military vehicles will be coming to the Albany Marine Base in the next months from Iraq.
Trades Department Manager Don Jensen said "We're trying to get gear in code A condition, all restored. And put it back on our maritime pre-positioning shipping. So that's our first priority. What happens behind that is what our operating forces are going to need at Camp LaJeune and places like that."
The temporary jobs will pay between $17 to $22 an hour, with federal government benefits. The jobs will last at least 18 months, as they handle a daunting workload.
Jensen said "After the Gulf War they gave us 30 months to do the reconstitution effort. This time they're challenging us to try and do it in 18 months." The Maintenance Center usually employs 500 people. This surge is expected to expand their force to at least 700 by January. Jim
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