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The story of building a spa from scratch in the middle of a war zone Meet the Pirate Platoon |
Eric Arthur Blair
(George Orwell)
Hot Tubbin' In Iraq -
US Soldiers Build Hot Tub Out of Scrap and Spare Parts in the Middle of a Combat Zone.
by Richard Scott Blades and M.R. Rauscher
Baghdad, Iraq & Racine, WI - Daily mortar attacks, a seemingly endless succession of twelve to fifteen hour duty shifts, an environment of unending stress the need for constant vigilance - the prospects for any true relaxation would seem faint, even impossible. But the resourceful members of a US Army maintenance platoon of the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the "Pirate Platoon," have managed to create a haven of home-style luxury in the middle of what was recently a combat zone.
They've constructed a full-size "California-style" hot tub in a bunker using old spare parts, bits of discarded scrap, and a generous dose of American ingenuity and know-how.
It started out as a joke. The notion of a hot tub in bunker area in a combat zone, dubbed “Mortar-Rita-Ville” by the soldiers because of the almost daily mortar attacks, seemed funny and incongruous. But the men and women of the “Pirate Platoon” have learned over multiple deployments (some are in their third) that staying busy - even in their scant off-duty hours - would make the time pass faster. A funny idea quickly evolved into a plan.
Members of the platoon worked on the project during precious hours and days off, collecting materials that had been discarded as junk. The tub itself was fabricated from a damaged 1,000 gallon water storage tank. They removed the top of the tank, drilled access holes for the water jets and plumbed the tub with scrap PVC pipe and a swimming pool filter that in a strange twist of fortune was found discarded along a roadside. They then built a surrounding deck out of surplus scrap lumber which they were surprised to find readily available in the middle of a desert nation.
Construction and engineering of the tub were well under control but what the "Pirate Platoon" didn't anticipate were the difficulties associated with maintaining the quality of the tub water in a home-made hot tub in the middle of a desert. The platoon made contact with Todd Taylor, the product support manager from Pacific Sands, Inc. (OTCBB: PFSD) a Midwest manufacturer of nontoxic pool and spa treatment chemicals. Mr. Taylor and CEO Michael Wynhoff enthusiastically accepted the challenge, swapping dozens of emails with "Pirate Platoon" Sgt. Bryan Lindsay on design, maintenance, water chemistry, and general tips for hot tub care. Taylor and Wynhoff followed up on their advice with a complimentary "care package" shipment of Pacific Sands' ecoONE® maintenance chemicals, along with towels, T-Shirts, water filters and, as a bonus and thank-you to the troops, a dozen pounds of Starbucks coffee donated by a local merchant.
The tub was up and running for a "Pirate Platoon" New Year's Eve celebration. The platoon has since enjoyed numerous hot tub parties and the tub has been used for a number of baptisms as well.
The "Pirate Platoon" plans to continue keeping busy in their spare time - future plans for the “luxury bunker” include a cantina, a grill and a built-in shower.
For the complete story and pictures, visit: www.pacificsands.biz
For Reprint & Photo Rights Contact:
Pacific Sands, Inc. (OTCBB: PFSD)
262-619-3261
econews@pacificsands.biz
www.pacificsandsinc.com
© 2006 Richard Scott Blade, M.R. Rauscher & Pacific Sands, Inc.
