Motor transportation maintenance Marines keep troops rolling

[thedrifter]

Motor transportation maintenance Marines keep troops rolling
Submitted by: 3d Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 20045118517
Story by Sgt. J.L. Zimmer III



AL ASAD, Iraq (May 11, 2004) -- With a multitude of vehicles and a limited staff, the Marines of motor transportation maintenance section, Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing have kept the rolling stock here on the move for nearly three months.

"There is a whole lot of gear that we maintain on this base," said Staff Sgt. Michael C. Greenfield, motor transportation maintenance chief, MWSS-273. "We repair everything from the (logistical vehicle system) to the (medium tactical vehicle replacement) and Humvee all the way down to all-terrain vehicles."

With a crew of Marines from various units throughout the Marine Corps, which includes a few relatively new Marines, the maintenance Marines have formed a very tight unit.

"I was only with (MWSS) 273 for about one month before we deployed," said Lance Cpl. Matthew J. Richtercorson, a 22-year-old motor transport mechanic, MWSS-273 and Belfast, Maine, native. "This job keeps me on my toes. I never know what's going to come into the shop broken."

Richtercorson added that his job requires him to not only fix vehicles, but also analyze what is wrong with them.

"I have to troubleshoot and diagnose a vehicle when it comes in to be fixed," he said. "I can figure out what is wrong with a vehicle. Anything from leaks, to electrical and fuel problems, and I know what to look for."

Cpl. Michael C. Page, motor transport mechanic, MWSS-273 and 24-year-old Orlando, Fla., native also arrived at his unit shortly before the deployment and has enjoyed his experiences here.

"This is my first deployment," he said. "The deployment side of maintenance is different. Out here we have to make things happen from nothing. There are long hours and the demand is high, but I like it."

He added another reason he enjoys doing his job is the knowledge that he is helping others accomplish their mission.

"Supporting the other Marines helps me," he added. "It's part of the job, but I know they are able to do their job because I am doing mine."

Page also said he never knew he had a talent for taking things apart until he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

"I had never touched a wrench in my entire life," Page said. "If my car broke down I would take it to a mechanic. I came into this field knowing there are people who are mechanically inclined."

A proud Greenfield added that his Marines have shown ingenuity and have been very productive since their arrival in theater.

"I have the best group of mechanics in the Marine Corps," he said. "The best thing about them is they are very resourceful. That is the reason why our gear stays up and running."

Although playing a direct role in their development, Greenfield doesn't feel that he is the sole reason his Marines are so successful and hard working.

"I could say at the end of this tour that I was the reason for the productivity of the Motor-T maintenance section," he continued, "but I am not. It was a collective effort of all the dedicated Marines in all the sections."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200451181551/$file/MTMechs1-lr.jpg

Lance Cpl. Matthew J. Richtercorson, motor transportation mechanic, Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, repairs a shock on a Humvee, May 10 at Al Asad, Iraq. Richtercorson, a 22-year-old Belfast, Maine, native, has been with MWSS-273 for nearly four months, half of that time has been spent here in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Photo by: Sgt. J.L. Zimmer III

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/BC1D13813B29F77885256E91004266DD?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

MASS-3: glue between air-ground team
Submitted by: 3d Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 200451055925
Story by Staff Sgt. Houston F. White Jr.



AR RAMADI, Iraq(May 10, 2004) -- Cast in the uncommon role of an aviation unit collocating with the 1st Marine Division in a combat zone, the Marines of Marine Air Support Squadron 3, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, are capable of accomplishing an impressive array of missions here.

According to Staff Sgt. Rodney B. Dantzler, air support operations chief, MASS-3, the primary goal of the unit is to tie in the air and ground picture for the 1st Marine Division.

"Our role here in Iraq is to provide them with casualty and medical evacuations, as well as providing them with rotary wing and fixed wing assets," said the 36-year-old Jacksonville, Fla., native.

Dantzler added that the direct air support center is made up of a main command element, as well as external air support liaison teams and one air support element. He also provided a brief breakdown of personnel.

"We have network operators, who are the enlisted Marines working inside the DASC, and then we have controllers, who are also called helicopter directors or senior air directors and are the Marine officers working there. We also have regular (communicators)," he added "that include (air traffic control communications technicians), as well as (electronics maintenance technician) Marines."

The data passed from the DASC Marines to combat personnel in the air and on the ground must be as accurate as possible, explained 2nd Lt. Mike Chan, air support controller, MASS-3.

"It's important that the pilots know where to go for their mission, any ground schemes of maneuver and that they have the newest information updates on any threats on the ground, before they depart to their zones," said the 25-year-old New York City native.

Chan added that because of the ever-changing nature of events on the battlefield, the DASC constantly updates information, which helps keep pilots and ground forces safe -- his top priority.

"There really are no words to describe the satisfaction of saving someone else's life," he emphasized.

Powering the crucial communications equipment used by the DASC is a constant challenge that the Marines of the MASS-3 utilities section are more than capable of handling, according to 20-year-old Cpl. Travis S. Yost, air conditioning mechanic, MASS-3.

"It's a great responsibility that the utilities section has right now, as far as power is concerned," confessed the Big Springs, W. Va., native. "Challenges that arise here with our generators and air conditioners are the extreme heat, wind and large amounts of sand blowing everywhere."

"Just as with any piece of equipment, it is important for us to perform preventative maintenance and limited technical inspections, because our main goal is to keep a constant flow of power to the DASC and communications sections of MASS-3. So far, we've been accomplishing that goal extremely well," he added.

In addition to aviation operations, MASS-3 also helps perform duties pertaining to ground movement, added Cpl. Adam M. Youngman, motor transport operator, MASS-3.

"We maintain the upkeep of vehicles so that when they go out on convoys they are in top condition and have armor installed in case they take enemy fire," said the 21-year-old Hartford, Vt., native. "We have our vehicles running convoys for personnel, equipment and security all the time."

Simultaneously performing functions that rest at opposite ends of the Marine Corps spectrum has served as a bonding influence instead of a divisive force between the unit and its dual commands, mentioned Sgt. Kevin E. Rankin, motor transport mechanic, MASS-3.

"We do grunt things out in the field and we do air wing things as well, so we pretty much have a taste of both worlds," noted the 36-year-old native of Jeffersonville, Ind. "Because of the environment that we're in with the enemy everywhere, our Marine Corps camaraderie always stands above the basic separation between the air wing and division back in the rear."

The value of possessing such a flexible asset in a combat environment isn't lost on Maj. Gen. James N. Mattis, commanding general, 1st Marine Division.

"MASS-3 is the glue that holds the Marine air-ground team together," he offered. "They give us the information which allows us to coordinate our efforts to maneuver, track down and kill the enemy.

"You can have all the high-tech equipment you want, but (achieving success) eventually comes down to the individuals who put it to use," Mattis added.

Not surprisingly, the newly appointed commanding officer of MASS-3, Lt. Col. David F. Aumuller, native of Worthington, Ohio, also has a high opinion of the Marines under his command.

"I want to make it clear that I'm not biased, but the Marines of MASS-3 are the best Marines in the best Marine Corps in the world," he concluded.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20045106938/$file/Mass-3-Story-1-lr.jpg

Lance Cpl. Jeremiah J. Frye, aviation radio repairer, Marine Air Support Squadron 3, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, monitors the radio network used by aircraft supporting 1st Marine Division, in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, May 7. The 21-year-old native of Mount Vernon, Ohio, makes sure that radio interface between the aircraft and the direct air support center is clear at all times. Photo by: Staff Sgt. Houston F. White Jr.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/E4C65A57110BECD385256E900036E12E?opendocument

Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. forces raze cleric's office

By Knight Ridder Newspapers and The Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Fighting between U.S. forces and the militia of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ratcheted up yesterday, with the Army destroying al-Sadr's Baghdad office and engaging in firefights in southern cities and in the Sadr City slum of Baghdad.
Reports, which were not confirmed by the U.S. military, indicated U.S. forces and al-Sadr militiamen battled for nearly two hours near Karbala.

In fighting that erupted after U.S. forces arrested an alleged al-Sadr financier and other supporters at the office, the Army killed 35 Iraqis before demolishing the office yesterday with rounds from tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles and possibly helicopters, said Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, a spokesman for military operations in Iraq. No Americans' deaths were reported.

It wasn't clear, however, whether the military offensive would defeat the armed opposition to the occupation or fuel it.

A recent coalition-funded poll suggests that al-Sadr's popularity is growing even among Iraqis of different religious sects and ethnic groups. He's emerged as the most outspoken anti-American figure, and continues to deliver blistering sermons encouraging Iraqis to resist the occupation, especially in light of the prisoner-abuse scandal.

An aide to al-Sadr vowed yesterday to step up the campaign against the U.S.-led occupation.

"The second phase of the fight has not been born yet," the aide, Hossam al-Husseini, said in the southern city of Najaf, where al-Sadr has taken refuge. "This is a struggle for independence. It will end when the Americans leave Iraq."

The insurgents struck a blow over the weekend in southern Iraq, blasting an oil pipeline, setting off a huge blaze and slashing Iraq's daily oil exports by a fourth.

The fire erupted Saturday after insurgents bombed a pipeline carrying oil to a terminal south of Basra. Jabber Luyaibi, director general of Iraq's Southern Oil Co., said engineers managed to divert oil to a second pipeline.

But an official for the State Oil Marketing Pipeline told Dow Jones Newswires that the alternative pipeline was too small to handle the additional flow and that, as a result, Iraq's petroleum exports fell by one-fourth to 1.2 million barrels a day. Repairs were expected to take at least two days.

In London, Paul Horsnell, head of energy research at Barclays Capital, said the damage could be repaired quickly, but the attack was disturbing because "quite clearly, now the southern infrastructure is a target."


In other developments:

• U.S. Marines tested a fragile peace yesterday in Fallujah, the coalition's most consistently troublesome area, by sending a patrol to the heart of the city to meet with local leaders. The convoy drew no gunfire as it rode through town accompanied by the controversial Fallujah Brigade, an emerging 1,000-man Iraqi security force supervised by former generals from Saddam Hussein's regime.

• A bomb exploded today in a crowded market in the northern oil city of Kirkuk, killing three people and wounding at least 23, Iraqi police said.

• Members of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council are likely to remain in key decision-making roles after the U.S. returns limited sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30, Iraqis briefed on the plan said yesterday. Two council members and the body's spokesman said U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi had backed away from his earlier recommendation to scrap the council and install a "caretaker" government of technocrats and political outsiders.

• U.S. commanders in Iraq asked Spanish forces to help hunt down or kill an unnamed religious leader, but Spain refused, saying its mission was humanitarian, Defense Minister Jose Bono said yesterday.

• A Dutch soldier was reported killed and another wounded in a grenade attack in the town of Samawa in southern Iraq.

Material from Reuters is included in this report.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001925331_iraq11.html

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Civil Affairs Marines visit villages near Fallujah <br />
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division <br />
Story Identification #: 200459103715 <br />
Story by Sgt. Jose E. Guillen <br />
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CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq(May 7, 2004) --...

[thedrifter]

Beef Jerky ships snacks to Marines in Fallujah


SEAN ADKINS
Associated Press
5/12/2004

YORK, Pa. - Marines stationed in Fallujah, Iraq, will soon carry with them a snack-sized piece of York County as the soldiers continue to battle the war on terror.

Since April, SME Foods in York has bumped up its production of its 3-ounce bags of Big John's Beef Jerky to fulfill the needs of Operation: Beef Jerky.

SME's mission is to manufacture and ship 3,000 bags of beef jerky to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where military pilots will fly the snack food to Iraq. The jerky will be part of the field gear carried by the Marines' second battalion.

The order is the largest ever for SME Foods, said Bill Lenzer, president of SME Foods. The jerky would stretch more than a mile if each bag were placed end to end.

SME Foods has set up a Web site where people can read about Operation: Beef Jerky and donate money to the cause, Lenzer said.

"Think about how good it will make the troops feel that all these people got together to donate money to send them jerky," he said. "This is a way to say that there are people here who support you and care about you."

In April, Brian Ages of Savannah, Ga., contacted SME Foods via e-mail to gather information on how to get beef jerky to the Marines. Ages' son, Henry, and his buddy Jonathan Gerson decided to launch a campaign to get jerky to Iraq.

More specifically, the snack food will travel with the Marines who serve in Iraq with their friend, Lance Cpl. John M. Phipps. Phipps was recently wounded in combat but is expected to survive, according to an e-mail written by Brian Ages.

"The beef jerky can be easily carried," Ages wrote. "It gives them something to keep their stomach going."

At first, Lenzer said, he replied to Ages' initial e-mail with some basic price information and an offer of future assistance. Members of the military and other support groups send e-mails to SME Foods four or five times a week with requests for beef jerky, he said. For more than a year, the company has taken orders from other troops stationed in the Middle East and on aircraft carriers such as the USS Kitty Hawk and the USS Abraham Lincoln.

One day after Lenzer's reply, Ages sent another e-mail asking for specific package sizes and costs. Lenzer said he started to get nervous.

"I mean, if they sent me a check the next week, how was I going to get 3,000 bags of jerky to Fallujah?" he said.

But Ages and Gerson were in no shape to pay for the jerky - regardless of Lenzer's efforts to cut the 562-pound order's price tag from $14,000 to $7,000.

"I'm not losing money on the deal," Lenzer said, "but I'm not getting rich off it, either."

So, Ages and Gerson started Operation: Beef Jerky with hopes of raising enough money to pay for the snack food. Last month, Lenzer said, more than 12 of his regular customers offered financial support after reading about the effort in the company's newsletter. But challenges have been encountered on both ends.

For SME Foods, the challenge is to keep pace with normal snack orders while stockpiling jerky slated for Fallujah. On Monday, the company's four workers packaged 250 bags. On a normal day, SME Foods might produce about 50 bags of Big John's Beef Jerky.

Another challenge is to get people to give to a cause where the donations are not tax-deductible. "People are more willing to donate if they can write it off their taxes," Lenzer said.

Once all the money, or at least half of the funds, are collected, Lenzer said, he will start to ship the order. SME Foods said future plans include shipping jerky to other military groups.

"This is so much more about supporting the troops than it is about SME Foods," Lenzer said.

ON THE NET

SME Foods' Operation: Beef Jerky Web site: http://www.bigjohnsbeefjerky.com/opbeefjerky.php


Ellie

[thedrifter]

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