Capt. Tom Casey and his soldiers still work in a tent.

The reason for this is simple; he wanted everyone else to have hard structures in order to better do their missions.

"As you can see, we are still in a tent," said the commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (HHT), 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment.

The tent is home to the Base Defense Operations Center, or BDOC.  It is where Casey and his staff make sure that everything on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Blackhawk is taken care of.

And that begins with the squadron's soldiers.

"I thought it was important to make sure everyone else was taken care of first."

Don't misunderstand; the tent that Casey and his soldiers work in isn't exactly one of those dark and dingy varieties from the past.  It is well light; there is good flooring; there is a nice television.

But still, everyone one else is in a hard structure.

HHT's gesture of putting other soldiers first was noted.

"Capt. Casey and his troops are first rate," said Capt. (CH) Gregg Green.

"They have made life here a lot better."

There is a great deal of planning and coordination that goes into the running of FOB Blackhawk, and Kasey is at the center of it.

Everything from overseeing construction projects, insuring security and managing the dining facility to managing service contracts, purchasing fuel and prioritizing work requests all fall under his purview.

"Our first priority is base defense," said Casey.  "From there it becomes a matter of priorities and funding."

And in some instances, determination.

Casey went on to say the Green's persistence paid off in securing the money needed to build the morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) and workout centers.

"I will give the chaplain credit, he never quit lobbying for those facilities," he added.

Casey pointed out that one of the bigger challenges of his job is working with some difficult contractors.

"There are some who have been around, and they are not always patriotic," commented Casey.

"They are simply here for the money."

To blow off a bit of steam, Casey and his soldiers have access to a couple of four-wheel all terrain vehicles, or ATVs.

"Sometimes it is just good to go out and drive around," said Casey with a smile.

The difficulties aside, Casey and his soldiers know they are making a positive contribution to the squadron's soldiers.

"Two months ago we didn't have a MWR facility.  But now I see guys being able to call and talk to their wives on the phone," related Casey.

"It is at that point that the difficulties of this job are more than worth it."