Barstow native serves Marine Corps in Iraq as civilian

Deserts and Marine Corps bases are nothing new to Barstow native Anthony Peralta, but living in Iraq is.

Peralta deployed to a forward operating base in Iraq, where he works as a heavy mobile equipment mechanic, in September. His job involves maintaining and upgrading the Marine Corps’ Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, MRAP. Although Peralta is working with the Marine Corps in Iraq, he is not a member of the armed services or a contractor. He is directly employed by the Department of Defense as a civilian marine.

“While we are civilians we are expected to live by the Marine Corps’ core values of honor, courage and commitment,” Peralta said.

Peralta isn’t contractor now, but he began his career around Marine Corps bases as one. He was hired by Defense Support Services to work at the Marine Corps Logistic Base, in Barstow in 2007. However, less than a year later Peralta took a job with the Department of Defense at the base.

Peralta left an extensive family and hometown behind when he accepted a position at the Marine Corps Logistic Base in Albany, Ga. in February. He said he took that job in order to be able to be sent to serve overseas.

“I took a deployable position as part of the maintenance center (in Albany’s) forward branch,” Peralta said. “I decided to come to Iraq for my country.”

A forward operating base has the possibility of being a dangerous place to work, but Peralta said the base he works at hasn’t been attacked since he got there. Peralta said workers aren’t allowed off base so he hasn’t met many Iraqis, but Peralta has seen some of the houses that used to belong to Saddam Hussein's children.

Peralta said the actual work he does hasn’t changed in Iraq, but the obstacles he faces to get the work done have. He worked nine-hour shifts rebuilding and upgrading vehicles at the logistics bases. Peralta said he now has to deal with uncertain hours, tool shortages and unpredictable Iraqi weather.

“In the states just about everyone has their own tool box and has access to specialty tools.” Peralta said. “In Iraq sharing is big, nothing is yours, it's everyone’s. Some days the weather makes things difficult because of sandstorms and whatnot.”

One thing Peralta didn’t have to get used to when he got to Iraq was the heat. He said that the temperature reached 110 degrees when he first got to Iraq, but that he can wear a sweatshirt at night finally. However, Peralta said beyond the heat the Iraqi desert is completely different from the Mojave Desert.

“It's not like Barstow with the shrubs and grass.” Peralta said. “It's pretty much all sand with the occasional tree. We call the sand here "moon dust" because it's so fine. It reminds me of baby powder.”

Trying to keep in touch with family members back home has been a source of frustration, according to Peralta. He said he can talk to family and friends through email and has a phone set up through his computer, but the time difference, Iraq is nearly 11 hours ahead of Barstow, makes communication hard.

Despite all the downsides to living and working in Iraq, Peralta said serving his country, helping the marines and the sense of adventure could draw him back to the country.

“There are difficult things that you have to overcome, but the pride you gain from working for the marines is worth it,” Peralta said. “You get to experience and see things you never would any other time. It's not like too many people plan vacations to Iraq so I get to see a part of the world many do not.”

All correspondence with Peralta for this story was done through email.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or dheldreth@desertdispatch.com