Shoddy wiring 'everywhere' on Iraq bases

**Merlin** · 27th March 2009 09:19

The article title says it all.

Shoddy wiring 'everywhere' on Iraq bases, Army inspector says

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Thousands of buildings at U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan have such poorly installed wiring that American troops face life-threatening risks, a top inspector for the Army says.

"It was horrible -- some of the worst electrical work I've ever seen," said Jim Childs, a master electrician and the top civilian expert in an Army safety survey. Childs told CNN that "with the buildings the way they are, we're playing Russian roulette."

Childs recently returned from Iraq, where he is taking part in a yearlong review aimed at correcting electrical hazards on U.S. bases. He told CNN that thousands of buildings in Iraq and Afghanistan are so badly wired that troops are at serious risk of death or injury.

He said problems are "everywhere" in Iraq, where 18 U.S. troops have died by electrocution since 2003. All deaths occurred in different circumstances and different locations, but many happened on U.S. bases being managed by various military contractors. The Army has has reopened investigations in at least five cases, according to Pentagon sources.

Of the nearly 30,000 buildings the Army's "Task Force Safe" has examined so far, Childs said more than half "failed miserably." And 8,527 had such serious problems that inspectors gave them a "flash" warning, meaning repairs had to be completed in four hours or the facility evacuated.

He said the majority of those buildings were wired by contractor KBR, based in Houston, Texas. KBR has faced extensive criticism from Congress over its performance in the war zone. KBR has defended its performance and argued it was not to blame for any fatalities.

Military electrocutions became a national issue about a year ago, after the January 2008 death of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A decorated member of the Army's Green Berets, Maseth was electrocuted in his shower at a U.S. base in Baghdad that once served as one of Saddam Hussein's palaces. ...

**Johnny W** · 27th March 2009 17:00

This was a problem even before Iraq. In Bahrain in the early 90's, many of our offices were set up in temporary buildings that reminded me of poorly constructed mobile homes. When the rainy season hit, you could hear the electrical problems. They actually had to shut our office down for a few days until things dried out.

But I do believe that KBR is not completely to blame. Its more a lack of oversight and preparation on the part of the military. The military use to do a lot of this type of work themselves, but most of it was outsourced. If they are going to outsource, then they need personnel qualified in this type of engineering to oversee what the contractors are doing and ensure its acceptable.

**Merlin** · 29th March 2009 09:44

KBR (Kellog Brown & Root) has many contracts in Iraq. Some of these contracts, like the bad wriing and electrocution ones, suffer bad reputations, giving the company a bad image.

Iraq vets may sink KBR contract in Texas county

Mar 27, 2009 [HoustonChronicle] SAN ANTONIO — A small Texas county is rethinking a $617,000 contract with KBR Inc. to build a rural, mile-long road near the home of two anti-Iraq war veterans trying to stop the deal with the defense contractor.

KBR is the lone finalist for the Hays County project, but former soldiers Bryan Hannah, 22, and Gregory Foster, 28, helped put the approval in doubt after criticizing the company's battered image at a commissioner's court meeting in San Marcos this week.

That led a KBR official in attendance Tuesday to deny allegations of exposing U.S. soldiers to toxic chemicals and deadly showers in Iraq in order to save a contract for a small, four-lane road leading to a new suburban high school near Austin. ....

Houston-based KBR, which oversees maintenance at most U.S. facilities in Iraq, has been criticized after soldiers there have been shocked or electrocuted while using showers or appliances. The family of one electrocuted soldier has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against KBR, which denies responsibility.

KBR, a popular target for opponents of the war, also faces a lawsuit from soldiers who allege the company knowingly exposed them to carcinogens while guarding an Iraqi water pumping plant. ...

**Merlin** · 30th May 2009 15:04

Don't know why it takes KBR such a long time to issue a statement refuting the faulty-wiring deaths. It is expected that they'll deny it.

KBR denies claims of faulty-wiring deaths in Iraq

30 May [BI-ME] IRAQ. A statement was issued today by KBR's Interim President of Government and Infrastructure William Bodie in response to a New York Times editorial ‘KBR Does it Again’ published this week,

The editorial contains several plainly false statements, the statement said. The piece demonstrates a lack of understanding of the electrical issues in Iraq and KBR’s level of involvement and responsibility.

Most notably, the editorial states that “Pentagon investigators linked faulty KBR wiring to the electrocution of four soldiers intent on relaxation.” That assertion is absolutely false. There is no “link” between “faulty KBR wiring” and electrocutions, nor is KBR aware of any Pentagon investigation that has made such a link, it said. . ...

**Merlin** · 30th May 2009 15:22

Meanwhile things are happening back in the US.

Definitive report should be issued about electrical problems plaguing troops in Iraq

30 May [LasVegasSun] The death of Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth in Iraq in January 2008 was classified by Army investigators as negligent homicide. He was showering when an improperly grounded water pump caused him to be electrocuted.

In a report about the incident, CNN quoted Maseth’s mother as saying, “I truly couldn’t believe he would be electrocuted ... in the shower.”

Subsequent news reports have stated that at least three Iraq-based troops have died while showering and that others have been killed in other types of electrical incidents. Also, dozens of troops in Iraq have sought treatment for shocks, the Associated Press has reported.

Negligent wiring by Houston-based KBR Inc. caused Maseth’s death, the Army investigators concluded. The case is now under legal review, the AP reports.

KBR holds the Pentagon contract for maintenance at U.S. barracks and other facilities throughout Iraq.

In response to the shocks and electrocutions, the military sent a task force, whose work is ongoing, to inspect thousands of those facilities. The Associated Press obtained a copy of a report the task force sent to commanders in September.

The report noted there were “unmitigated electrical-related hazards” throughout Iraq, including hazards that can cause electrocution.

In recent days there have been developments that cry out for a thorough investigation. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said documents show that KBR has received $83 million in bonuses for its electrical work, with $34 million of that coming after Maseth’s death. ...

**Merlin** · 28th July 2009 14:55

A Petagon report on these electrocution deaths in Iraq have just been released.

'Multiple' failures led to Iraq electrocution, Pentagon says

27 July WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Green Beret sergeant was electrocuted in Iraq in 2008 because of failures by the U.S. military and a major defense contractor, which did not properly ground and inspect electrical equipment, according to a Pentagon report out Monday.

Nine of 18 electrocution deaths reported in Iraq were caused by "improper grounding or faulty equipment," including the January 2008 death of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, the Defense Department's inspector-general found.

Investigations remain open in five of those cases, according to a summary of the report obtained by CNN.

The new report concluded that "multiple systems and organizations failed," leaving Maseth "exposed to unacceptable risk." ....

It found that Maseth's commanders failed to ensure that renovations to the palace had been properly done, the Army did not set standards for jobs or contractors, and KBR did not ground electrical equipment it installed at the facility. ...

But Maseth's mother, who has filed suit against KBR in her son's death, said she was "pleased" by the findings. ....

Maseth's death led to congressional hearings in 2008 and demands for a full investigation by the military, which resulted in the report out Monday.

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, who pushed for the investigation, said Monday's report should not be the end of the process. ....

Another report is being prepared by the Army's Criminal Investigation Division, Casey said.

Maseth's family and that of Christopher Everett, another soldier mentioned in the report, have sued KBR over their deaths. ....

**osage18** · 28th July 2009 15:11

When I got to Iraq in 2005, we were told by the outgoing unit:

"If you are in the shower and your leg starts to tingle, you've got about five seconds to get out of the shower before you get electrocuted".

Nice.

**Merlin** · 30th July 2009 07:58

There are more death claims against contractor KBR.

Claims against contractor dismissed in soldier's death

29 July (CNN) -- Judges in Texas and Florida have dropped military contractor KBR from lawsuits brought by the family of a soldier who was electrocuted in Iraq, the company announced Tuesday.

Sgt. Christopher Everett died while using a power washer at an American base outside Ramadi, in western Iraq. His was one of nine electrocution deaths in Iraq blamed on "improper grounding or faulty equipment," according to a Pentagon inspector-general's report released Monday.

KBR was one of the contractors Everett's family has sued in connection with his death. But federal courts in Louisiana and Texas have thrown out the family's claims against the Houston, Texas-based company, KBR announced Tuesday.

KBR's work in Iraq and Afghanistan has come under extensive criticism from members of Congress. The company has defended its performance and argued that it was not to blame for any fatalities.

Monday's report from the Pentagon's inspector-general criticized the company in the death of another soldier, Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, who was electrocuted in his shower in his Baghdad quarters. ....

**Shek** · 30th July 2009 12:37

While I don't think it was KBR related, we had a soldier in a sister battalion killed in 2004 in a pool that had an electric heater. The engineers in the brigade quickly got tasked to go around and assess all wiring in the brigade areas.

**osage18** · 30th July 2009 14:58

Originally Posted by Shek

While I don't think it was KBR related, we had a soldier in a sister battalion killed in 2004 in a pool that had an electric heater.

God man, that just boils my blood; what a waste of a life. Terrible.

**Shek** · 30th July 2009 19:00

Originally Posted by osage18

God man, that just boils my blood; what a waste of a life. Terrible.

We did an OIF 1.75/2 rotation. The brigade ended up losing only around 20 soldiers, but here's how the ten casualties played out - all accidents and all in the first two months of the deployment.

3 died rollover
3 died on unauthorized waterborne operation
2 Kiowa pilots crash looking for the 3 above
1 dies handling ordnance cache prior to EOD checking it out
1 dies in the aforementioned electrocution.

**osage18** · 30th July 2009 19:22

Originally Posted by Shek

We did an OIF 1.75/2 rotation. The brigade ended up losing only around 20 soldiers, but here's how the ten casualties played out - all accidents and all in the first two months of the deployment.

3 died rollover
3 died on unauthorized waterborne operation
2 Kiowa pilots crash looking for the 3 above
1 dies handling ordnance cache prior to EOD checking it out
1 dies in the aforementioned electrocution.

I remember the drownings and Kiowa crash becuase I don't think we had left Mosul yet...

**Gun Grape** · 2nd August 2009 06:45

Originally Posted by osage18

When I got to Iraq in 2005, we were told by the outgoing unit:

"If you are in the shower and your leg starts to tingle, you've got about five seconds to get out of the shower before you get electrocuted".

Nice.

Originally Posted by Shek

While I don't think it was KBR related, we had a soldier in a sister battalion killed in 2004 in a pool that had an electric heater.

Where were the Commanders?

How hard is it to say "The Pool/Showers or whatever are off limits until we get the Engineers to inspect this stuff?

That reeks of Incompetence. And yes I know they have a lot on their plates but by 2004-2005 that stuff should have been addressed.

**Shek** · 2nd August 2009 14:49

Originally Posted by Gun Grape

Where were the Commanders?

How hard is it to say "The Pool/Showers or whatever are off limits until we get the Engineers to inspect this stuff?

That reeks of Incompetence. And yes I know they have a lot on their plates but by 2004-2005 that stuff should have been addressed.

This was Jan 04 and the issue of shoddy wiring had never come up to my knowledge before then. The first reports that hit the media of KBR wiring issues was 2005 from what I recall, although I could be totally off there. This was a larger combat outpost and so I believe someone at some point had contracted out to local Iraqis to wire it up and there had never been an incident.

**Merlin** · 8th August 2009 08:03

The electrocution death was found to be "accidental", not "negligent homicide".

US Army finds Iraq electrocution death accidental

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has found that the death of Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth, who was electrocuted while showering at a Baghdad base in January 2008, was accidental, the Defense Department said on Friday.

A Senate panel had said in May that the electrocution of Maseth, as well as three other soldiers and a contractor, was linked to wiring work carried out by engineering company and military contractor KBR Inc. ....

The chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee said at the time the panel had learned that Maseth's death had been reclassified from "accidental" to "negligent homicide."

But the Defense Department said in a statement on Friday that after an 11-month probe, the Criminal Investigation Division concurred with the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Medical Examiner in finding the manner of Maseth's death to be accidental.

The Defense Department said the investigation had concluded that "there is insufficient evidence to prove or disprove that any one person, persons or entity was criminally culpable in the death of Maseth."

KBR maintains that it was not responsible for his death, and noted the Defense Department inspector general had affirmed "there were missteps by several governmental entities, not just KBR," a spokeswoman for the Houston-based company said.

KBR was part of Halliburton Co until two years ago. Former Vice President Dick Cheney served as Halliburton's chief executive from 1995 to 2000, when he became George W. Bush's running mate.

The Defense Department said there have been 18 electrocution deaths reported in Iraq since March 2003, including 16 service members and two contractors, with 14 occurring away from military facilities or during electrical system maintenance work.

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