Tad Wendler checks his welds for holes inside the Stryker battle damage repair facility at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar. The Qatar base contains the only Stryker repair facility in Southwest Asia capable of complete structural overhauls. It is the seventh battle-damaged Stryker he has repaired, and over the past 10 months he has replaced punctured and warped plates, removed cracks, and studied a 300-page configuration manual.

In May 2009, Wendler completed pre-employment screening that included welding assessment tests at the National Logistics Center in Auburn, Wash., about 30 miles northeast of Fort Lewis. Then, GDLS officials sent him to London, Ontario, to pass a stringent 30-day certification at a Stryker assembly plant. (GDLS paid for lodging and a rental car, and furnished a daily allowance.)

Wendler attended a welder's equivalent to military boot camp in London. Strict examinations tested his abilities in manual metal arc and metal inert gas welding, using rigorous standards. He suggests other welders should learn from their mistakes by asking lots of questions: Never cover up errors, and always ask for help if necessary, he said.

"It was the hardest testing I've ever been through," said Wendler. "My instructor said they accepted a thousand resumes before they found me. I am extremely proud to say I passed."

Wendler returned to Auburn, selected Camp As Sayliyah from a list of available U.S. military installations, and signed a one-year contract.

"For the most Stryker welding experience," says Wendler, "Qatar is the place to go."

In June 2009, Wendler arrived at the Doha International Airport, after flying more than 7,000 miles to the peninsula nation in the Persian Gulf. The hot, humid air outside caused him to instantly break a sweat. Summer temperatures regularly surpass 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Qatar receives three inches of annual rainfall. (By contrast, Olympia, Wash., is one of the U.S.’s leading cities for rainy days, and gets more than 50 inches of rain per year.)

Strykers first rolled into Afghanistan during the summer of 2009, after almost six years in Iraq. The 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division remains the first and only unit in Afghanistan. The 3rd SBCT, 2nd ID and 4th SBCT, 2nd ID are serving in Iraq. Nearly 1,000 Stryker vehicles support the three brigades.

Explosions from roadside bombs quickly struck Strykers assigned to 5th SBTC, 2nd ID, from Fort Lewis. In October 2009, six vehicles were shipped to Camp As Sayliyah, the only battle damage repair facility in Southwest Asia capable of complete structural overhauls. In total, 35 Strykers have arrived for repairs from Afghanistan, according to GDLS reports on April 26.

Every month, GDLS contractors in Qatar restore six battle-damaged Strykers to factory specifications. They have returned 214 vehicles to deployed troops since 2005. On occasion, the same vehicle is damaged more than once, which allows the contractors to examine the effectiveness of their work. Engineers arrive several times each year to identify structural vulnerabilities for future retrofits.

Eight Stryker welding areas sit at the heart of the Qatar warehouse, which is filled with fumes of oil, grease and paint from six mechanic stations. Assistants from the Philippines, Nepal and Egypt keep tools organized, panels prepared and floors swept. Rock music often blasts in the background. Fastened high on the wall is a Washington state flag.