SGT. RICHARD CHANCE receives the Combat Infantryman Badge from Lt. Col. Phil Appleton at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Contributed photo Staff Sgt. Pat Caldwell
By Staff Sgt. Pat Caldwell
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq — The day Sgt. Richard Chance’s Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle crew ran out of water, the enemy did not arrive in the form of an improvised explosive device, but instead appeared as invisible waves of heat on a stretch of Iraqi roadway more than 7,000 miles from home.
Chance, a member of Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, remembered the day well, even though the episode occurred two months ago.
“Coming back from [Victory Base Complex, Iraq] near Baghdad, the AC in our truck went out before we got out of the gate,” he said.
Chance, a resident of The Dalles, and his crew were suddenly enclosed in a 30,000-pound metal oven. The same armor that kept them safe from roadside bombs and small-arms fire was now burning hot.
“I figure in the truck, it was 150 degrees,” Chance said.
The crew, Chance said, did not have a lot of options. Their mission of escorting a logistics convoy was the number one priority. The mission came first, so they toughed it out.
“We went through four cases of water in 2.5 hours,” Chance said.
The air conditioning in Chance’s MRAP was fixed after the mission, but the episode underscores the harsh conditions soldiers from the 3rd Battalion deal with on a daily basis. Chance said air conditioning in an MRAP is crucial during the Iraq summer, when temperatures routinely hit 115 or 120 degrees during the day. But he said no amount of air conditioning can take the heat away.
“It doesn’t matter. You’re still going to sweat,” he said.
Chance, who came to live in The Dalles when he was eight years old, is one of the veterans in Alpha Company. Chance served with the 3rd Battalion when it first came to Iraq in 2004. He emerged from the 3rd Battalion’s first deployment with plenty of accolades. He earned a Bronze Star with V device, a Purple Heart and a Combat Action Badge during the battalion’s 2004-2005 deployment.
In June, Chance earned another honor. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge in the wake of a roadside bomb attack earlier that month. Chance received the honor during a ceremony at Joint Base Balad. The roadside bomb attack happened just after Chance returned from his leave.
“Yeah, welcome back to Iraq,” he said with a smile.
Chance said while the roads his company travels on during its convoy escort missions are still dangerous, the MRAPs proved to be a game-changer in terms of survivability for soldiers.
“The MRAPS, they are saving a lot of Joes,” Chance said.
Chance spent eight years in the U.S. Navy as a jet mechanic. He left the Navy, and after the deadly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, he decided to get back into the fight.
“I found out the [3rd Battalion] was getting ready to deploy, and I joined,” he said.
With two tours of duty in Iraq under his belt, Chance secured the opportunity to see the strengths of the modern U.S. military. He has formed some definite opinions during two deployments, he said.
“I think we have the best military in the world, but that is because it is all volunteer,” he said.
Chance also said he believes his unit performed well while deployed. “I think Alpha [Company] has done well with the mission it got,” he said.
With his current deployment winding down, Chance said he plans to keep his crew vigilant. He also added there is a checklist of items he wants to complete when he returns home.
“I want to spend some time with my grandma in Baker City. Then go hunt elk, second season,” he said. -------------------------- Congratulations SGT Chance! It has been an honor to have supported you during your deployment.
Your GHC | 
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