6whiskey

While deployed for the army, the infantry soldier will improve their environment—leaving it better than it was—helping support the successes of the overall mission. After the intended duties of each section’s orders and responsibilities, there can be available time on the Forward Operating Bases (FOB’s) to have personal time and conduct separate activities. I decided to volunteer my previous construction skills in partnership with my soldiers, building support elements for the army—taking place inside an abandon vehicle warehouse, referred to as the “Wood Shop.”

Inspired by the military iconography of my immediate surroundings, I created things such as unit crest emblems, furniture, a barber chair, K.I.A. memorials (the Battlefield cross), a movie theater and utilitarian objects for communal living environments. I scavenged for these materials from the burn pits and around the FOB, in combination with wood shipments for structural buildings. Each time objects were delivered from one FOB to the next, our vehicle call sign for the truck was 6whiskey (wood shop = whiskey). This construction became a common theme during the deployment, improving the moral and welfare of our fellow soldiers.