In January 2016, 1 ESU was tasked with the design and implementation of a 110 personnel camp in support of Op IMPACT 2.0 in Erbil, Iraq. The camp in Erbil was needed to support a tactical aviation squadron as well as Joint Task Force Support Component (JTFSC) and Joint Task Force-Iraq (JTF-I) command elements. Later, the additional deployment of a Field Hospital to take over the American role 2 medical facility caused the scope to increase.
After the return of the Operational recce in May 2016, the Specialist Engineer Team (SET) continued discussion with the tactical aviation squadron and the JTFSC, and a preliminary design was completed before deployment.
On 13 June, 2 SET arrived in theatre and spent the first two weeks finalizing the design and writing the Statements of Work (SOWs) for nine different construction contracts. The largest contract was managed by Defence Construction Canada (DCC). Understanding DCC contract policies and procedures was a steep learning curve for the SET, but soon it became clear that the experience and skills of DCC were one of the greatest assets for the team. Total cost for the camp construction is $4.6 million, making it one of the largest projects that 1 ESU has undertaken.
Concurrent to the design phase, site survey, and ground preparation, the installation of a temporary rental camp was undertaken. The month of Ramadan meant limited manpower for the construction of the rental camp, and numerous problems with the materials and construction of the units risked delaying completion. The 2 SET senior NCOs stepped up and took on the roles of tradesmen, which is normally the responsibility of the JTFSC Theater Opening Engineers, and assumed the responsibility for the camp maintenance. Working with the contractors and passing on efficient work methods, the rental camp was completed just in time for the move from the hotel to the rental camp on 11 July.
The role of the SET is design build, including all components of project management, especially quality control. Supervising multiple contracts and infrastructure was a full time task for the team, but due to the delay of the JTFSC Engineers’ VISAs for both the theatre opening and sustain engineers, the SET became responsible for the daily maintenance and repair of the camp. From unplugging faulty plumbing, cleaning AC units, repairing broken door handles, and the replacement of multiple poor quality generators, the SET tradesmen ensured the camp remained in good working condition.
The following statistics give a better appreciation for the work that occurred over the three month period:
- 6000 m3 of gravel placed and compacted,
- 1500 m3 of concrete poured,
- 1500 m of main electrical cables installed,
- 4000 m2 of floor space for accommodation, industrial, and administrative purposes.
After more than 3 months of designing, problem solving, supervising, and building, the SET redeployed to Canada. Despite short deadlines and limited personnel, the construction of Camp Érable was a success and provided the infrastructure needed for current and future CAF operations in Iraq.
