CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - In 2011, Combat Logistics Battalion 8 deployed to Afghanistan, where the battalion’s tire shop serviced little more than 300 tires during their six month tour.
Cpl. Ethan Nash, an automotive organizational mechanic with Organic Maintenance Platoon, General Support Combat Logistics Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, did that many and more during the same amount of time.
When Nash deployed to Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, he wasn’t expecting to become the noncommissioned officer in charge of the tire shop.
“We literally taught him the job and said, ‘Ok, you got it,’’ said Maj. David Mills, the GS CLC commanding officer. “He’s a fire-and-forget kind of weapon.”
Nash, however, took the assignment head on and reached an impressive feat in servicing more than 500 tires during his six-month deployment.
Throughout the deployment, Nash, a Denver native, has supported the entire area of operations, helping units aboard the camp including Regimental Combat Team 7, Combat Engineer Battalion 3, II Marine Aircraft Wing, Army units in the area and even Honeywell Technology Solutions Incorporated, a vehicle service provider here.
Nash learned to drive a forklift while in country in order to assist him in moving around the large tires. Once he gets the tires close enough to the shop, it is up to him and one other assistant to maneuver the tires into the shop and onto a machine to complete a job.
“We can do trailer tires in about 10 minutes tops,” said Nash. “It gets tiring,
but the hardest part is it gets repetitive after a while.”
Mills, however, says Nash is too humble about the work he does.
“He makes it sound like it’s no big deal, but it’s back-breaking work,” said Mills. “It’s not necessarily rocket science to put together a tire, but these are 600-pound tires. He’s really done a tremendous job.”
Gunnery Sgt. Zebulon B. Perciful, platoon staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge, recalled one of Nash’s finer moments.
“We got an emergency call from Dwyer asking for (40) tires,” said Perciful. “He had all 40 tires ready to go, palletized, along with five tram tires and 10 7-ton tires, done in less than 2 days and staged for the convoy.”
Mills said Nash’s positive attitude is never lacking and he is known for taking on any challenge headfirst. Nash had only two assistants over the course of the deployment, never having more than one lance corporal working with him at a time.
“He’s the guy you always want on your team,” boasted Mills. “If there’s a hard job, he’s the one who gets it done.”
