Deploying troops leave nearly 500 cars behind

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Nearly 500 cars will be stored in vacated motor pool lots at the U.S. Army Garrison at Baumholder while soldiers of the 1st Armored Division, 2nd Brigade are deployed for 15 months in Iraq.


Deploying troops leave nearly 500 cars behind
By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, April 1, 2008

BAUMHOLDER, Germany — The first group of soldiers took their shiny German sports cars, motorcycles and beat down jalopies for a final spin over the weekend before parking them one last time.

Nearly 500 cars belonging to 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division soldiers will be squeezed into a vacated motor pool lot, where they will sit for the next 15 months or so. The brigade is headed to Iraq in the coming weeks.

Jeff Morrison, a deployment specialist supervising the Baumholder storage effort, said there are a couple of simple steps that soldiers should take to better ensure their cars survive the long hibernation.

“We tell them to leave their hand brake down and disconnect their batteries,” he said, explaining that an activated hand brake will cause the brakes to rust over time; a disconnected battery will better retain power.

All week, soldiers will be driving through the inspection line, where workers do a quick once-over of the car’s condition for insurance purposes.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=53740