Have gear, will travel: Embark Marines wait for trucks

[thedrifter]

Have gear, will travel: Embark Marines wait for trucks
Submitted by: 3d Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification Number: 2004318174817
Story by Staff Sgt. A.C. Mink



CAMP UDAIRI, Kuwait(March 18, 2004) -- Marines are used to waiting - waiting in line for shots, waiting in line for the computer, waiting in line for a haircut. However, the embarkation Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 are waiting for the trucks that will take the rest of their equipment north into Iraq.

"I had 170 pieces of rolling stock gone by the third," said Warrant Officer Sean Melanphy, embark officer, MWSS-374, "but all outsized cargo, containers and heavy equipment are waiting for the transport."

Plagued by schedule delays, changes and cancellations, the cargo sits waiting to go forward, and the Marines sit with it.

"We arrived in country February 23," said Cpl. James L. Hicks. "Now we are waiting to go up north until it's all gone."

Prepared to be there for quite awhile, the Grangeville, Id., native added. "We're just going to do what it takes to get the job done."

Added to the difficulties is the constant threat of ordnance and incidents along convoy routes, making the way treacherous for both equipment and personnel.

"Much of this equipment is mission essential for sustainability," said Melanphy, of Fairhaven, Mass. "We're ready to get it out of here. All we need is the trucks to do it."

According to Melanphy, the transport is not only coming from Marine Corps assets.

"We have to rely on the Army or local contractors to haul our heavy equipment," said Cpl. Chad T. Hutchinson, a 21-year-old heavy equipment operator whose hometown is Lewiston, Id.

In addition, the coordination can be time-consuming and a lack of communication with their forward unit adds to the difficulty, according to the MWSS-374 Marines.

This is the first deployment for the squadron also known as the "Rhinos." The mission of the squadron, which is based out of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., is to operate and support expeditionary airfields.

Lt. Col. Glenn A. Murray, commanding officer, Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 3, is at the other end of the trail, waiting for the gear to arrive.

"Without that equipment, we are mission capable, but not sustainable," said the New London, Ohio, native, reemphasizing Melanphy's comment.

"Overall we're doing good," added Murray. "The Wing is doing significantly better than some of the other major subordinate commands. We're going to meet our current timeline."

That's good news to the Marines in Udairi, but they aren't packing their bags just yet.

"We're here until the last of that cargo is forward," said Melanphy. "That's our job."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2...79?opendocument

Ellie