THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, January 10, 1996            TAG: 9601100442
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS            PAGE: A6   EDITION: FINAL 
COLUMN: DUTY CALLS 
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   43 lines

WATER PURIFICATION SPECIALIST: HIS UNIT'S MISSION IS CLEAR

Army Sgt. Rodney Duckett knows wherever he goes in the world for his job, he will make instant friends.

Duckett works with the Army's only saltwater purification training unit, located on the Chesapeake Bay at Fort Story. There, a group of 15 soldiers trains active-duty, reserve and National Guard service members to provide fresh water for combat and humanitarian missions.

With reverse-osmosis water purification filters, clean, clear water is available in overseas sites such as Somalia, Haiti and Germany, and for national disasters such as hurricanes and flooding.

The salt content of Somalia's water was so high, said Duckett, who was deployed there, it caused filters to rust from the inside out.

Up to 36,000 gallons of water a day can be processed through the system, if the source is fresh, 15,000 to 20,000 gallons a day if the source is saltwater.

Because the Army's water purification specialty is a small, highly skilled one, the unit from Fort Story is often deployed, most recently to Germany. Duckett said the frequent deployments ``is just about the only negative aspect of the job.''

The biggest advantage to his job, he said, is ``no matter where I am, I can always stay clean. I can hook up a shower anytime I want.''

Duckett, who is single, calls Oklahoma home. MEMO: ON THE JOB

Sgt. Rodney Duckett, 24

Job: Water purification specialist

Duty station: 82nd Quartermaster Detachment, Fort Story Army Post,

part of the 7th Transportation Group, Fort Eustis

Years in military: 5 1/2

by CNB