MRAP Brings Father and Son Together in Iraq

30 Jan 2009

John Carria Jr. of SAIC and son John Carria III.

Mention Iraq in American households and one of the last things on anyone's mind would be a family reunion.

You haven't met the Carrias.

John Carria Jr. of SAIC and son John Carria III enjoyed a one-day reunion of sorts when son visited father at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Speicher just north of Baghdad in October. What brought them together was a common chassis, if you will: the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle, or MRAP.

Father Works in Iraq, While Son Serves in the Army

Shortly after joining SAIC one year ago, the elder Carria deployed to Baghdad in February as the Joint Logistics Integrator (JLI) MRAP liaison officer. His duties run the gamut of logistical support required by the MRAP Joint Program Office.

Carria's son, an Army second lieutenant, also arrived in Iraq in February, deploying four hours north of Baghdad to FOB Summeral with the 101st Airborne Division. He and his platoon of 50 soldiers became intimately familiar with the MRAP from the five to six missions a week they ran in them, several of those under fire.

No one was hurt, a blessing Lt. Carria and his men attribute in large measure to the MRAPs that carried them into harm's way. Despite some of the complaints heard about the vehicles regarding their maneuverability and visibility, soldiers like Lt. Carria and his troops like them because they fulfill their primary obligation: protecting troops in the line of fire. "They wish they had more MRAPs," his father said.

That's all the motivation — and job satisfaction — for which his father could've asked. The former Marine logistics officer takes the long hours in stride because the people benefitting from his labors aren't just like family, in some cases they are family.

"I took the job because it was a good opportunity to work for SAIC and support the war on terrorism at the same time," Carria said. "The added bonus was having the opportunity to serve there the same time as my son."

Taking the Job Personally

The Carrias bring new meaning to SAIC's penchant for taking the job personally. "Secretary [of Defense Robert] Gates meant it when he said the MRAP was his number one acquisitions priority and we're honored to be a part of that effort," said Mike Gray, MRAP JLI deputy program manager. "But it's not often your job takes on such a personal tone as it has for John."

Lt. Carria's division returned to Ft. Campbell, Ky., in November. Their desert reunion notwithstanding, his father is "very relieved that [Lt. Carria] is gone."

Carria returns home in June to his family in Virginia.

The MRAP logistics contract is valued at more than $100 million per year. The Logistics & Engineering Solutions Business Unit and Systems & Technology Solutions Business Unit were recently reselected for a 30-month contract renewal.

— Written by Regen Wilson