Va. Shipyard Workers On a Lifesaving Mission

They opened shop in what Madeira called a "gigantic carport" and figured out that 20 Army trucks could be squeezed into 10 repair bays.

On average, Madeira said, the team could complete work on 10 trucks in 24 hours. The shipyard employees work day and night shifts, with employees in motion almost all the time.

Most of the volunteers are in their mid-forties, and despite the busy pace, most of the injuries have been minor, such as bruised hands and pinched fingers. Coping with the heat -- the temperature has reached 112 degrees -- is a major challenge, but the Army has provided weather tips and instructions on how many bottles of water to drink each day.

Working under a sunshade, the shipyard employees remove a truck cab that lacks armor and weighs about 1,500 pounds and install a new, armored cab that weighs about 4,000 pounds. The truck also gets heavy-duty shocks, armor around the gasoline tank and an air-conditioning unit for the cab.

One night, seven trucks, loaded with ammunition, showed up for a rush outfitting. The Navy employees had been told to expect three. But they refitted the trucks in 23 hours, and "when the last few trucks pulled out," Madeira said, "there were soldiers and mechanics with tears in their eyes. . . . The young soldiers who picked the trucks up were in awe of what they had and what they got."

He added: "The mechanics were starting to realize the significant impact they have in saving lives."

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