thedrifter
06-06-04, 06:58 AM
MWSS-271 building in paradise
Submitted by: MCAS Cherry Point
Story Identification #: 200462115521
Story by Lance Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis
BARBADOS DEFENSE FORCE, CAMP PARAGON, Barbados(May 20,2004) -- "In the snow of far off northern lands, and in sunny tropic scenes, you will find Marines always on the job..."
A detachment of Marines and Sailors from Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 lives the words of our Corps' Hymn in every clime and place, as they work to construct K-span hangars in sunny Barbados during a five month deployment.
The Workhorses' mission is to build two 83 feet long, 68 feet wide, K-Span hangars for the Barbadian Regional Security System.
February 23, a detachment of 44 Marines and two Sailors, from 11 different military occupational specialties, arrived to find a tree-filled lot, littered with rocks and debris. When their gear arrived later than expected, they got to work, determined to make up for lost time.
"When we started, we were already 14 days behind schedule," said 1st Lt. Matthew A. McBride, detachment commander and a native of Beaverton, Ore. "The Marines performed remarkably well, and worked hard to move us only seven days behind. We are making strides."
The typical Marine Corps deployment doesn't normally include beachfront bivouac sites, beautiful weather, and weekly liberty calls in the Caribbean, but the Marines and Sailors of '271 definitely earn their time off.
Their typical day consists of reveille at 6:30 a.m., by 7:30 a.m. they are at the work sight. To counter act the heat they work until noon, break for chow, and resume work at 3 p.m. The Marines work until 9 p.m., often under flood lights after the sunset, and then hit the rack.
The Marines live this routine six days a week, taking a well earned break Friday night through Saturday night.
The project tests the detachment's Marines, most of whom are junior men working outside their specialty area, and on a challenging assignment.
"You have people who are good at their specialty, but each one becomes a laborer on this project. So the amount of cross training has become an excellent opportunity for these young Marines to train outside their MOS," McBride said. "I have cooks out there pouring cement, and hanging casing."
"We are doing this job with only two carpenters, an apprentice, and laborers," said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Baron, senior engineer and a native of North Brookfield, Mass. "The Marines have excelled. This is an unusual job for a MWSS to do, but the Marines have overcome every obstacle they have faced so far."
The project is unusual in that the design of the hangars presents challenges to its engineering and construction. The small angle of the roof required hard work and engineering expertise to hang the frames and casing in such a way that the roof would support itself, and withstand the 150 mile per hour winds of a category five hurricane.
Although they are still faced with a month and a half of work, the Marines and Sailors of MWSS-271 serving in Barbados live up to the Workhorse legacy, and press forward to finish the project on time.
"It's a very un-selfish group; every last man has poured dedication into his job and this project," McBride said. "From one deployment right into another, these Marines are dedicated to mission accomplishment."
"The Marines who are building these buildings are building them despite numerous obstacles that must be overcome," Baron said. "They are doing what they are supposed to be doing, what Marines has always done...the impossible."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20046212170/$file/pfcbrown.jpg
Marines from MWSS-271 work to construct hangars for the Barbadian Regional Security System. Above, Pfc. Zachery Brown, the newest member of the ‘271 Marines serving in Barbados, surveys the bivouac site that he will call home for the next two months. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/150A7899F60F771785256EA700577762?opendocument
Ellie
Submitted by: MCAS Cherry Point
Story Identification #: 200462115521
Story by Lance Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis
BARBADOS DEFENSE FORCE, CAMP PARAGON, Barbados(May 20,2004) -- "In the snow of far off northern lands, and in sunny tropic scenes, you will find Marines always on the job..."
A detachment of Marines and Sailors from Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 lives the words of our Corps' Hymn in every clime and place, as they work to construct K-span hangars in sunny Barbados during a five month deployment.
The Workhorses' mission is to build two 83 feet long, 68 feet wide, K-Span hangars for the Barbadian Regional Security System.
February 23, a detachment of 44 Marines and two Sailors, from 11 different military occupational specialties, arrived to find a tree-filled lot, littered with rocks and debris. When their gear arrived later than expected, they got to work, determined to make up for lost time.
"When we started, we were already 14 days behind schedule," said 1st Lt. Matthew A. McBride, detachment commander and a native of Beaverton, Ore. "The Marines performed remarkably well, and worked hard to move us only seven days behind. We are making strides."
The typical Marine Corps deployment doesn't normally include beachfront bivouac sites, beautiful weather, and weekly liberty calls in the Caribbean, but the Marines and Sailors of '271 definitely earn their time off.
Their typical day consists of reveille at 6:30 a.m., by 7:30 a.m. they are at the work sight. To counter act the heat they work until noon, break for chow, and resume work at 3 p.m. The Marines work until 9 p.m., often under flood lights after the sunset, and then hit the rack.
The Marines live this routine six days a week, taking a well earned break Friday night through Saturday night.
The project tests the detachment's Marines, most of whom are junior men working outside their specialty area, and on a challenging assignment.
"You have people who are good at their specialty, but each one becomes a laborer on this project. So the amount of cross training has become an excellent opportunity for these young Marines to train outside their MOS," McBride said. "I have cooks out there pouring cement, and hanging casing."
"We are doing this job with only two carpenters, an apprentice, and laborers," said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Baron, senior engineer and a native of North Brookfield, Mass. "The Marines have excelled. This is an unusual job for a MWSS to do, but the Marines have overcome every obstacle they have faced so far."
The project is unusual in that the design of the hangars presents challenges to its engineering and construction. The small angle of the roof required hard work and engineering expertise to hang the frames and casing in such a way that the roof would support itself, and withstand the 150 mile per hour winds of a category five hurricane.
Although they are still faced with a month and a half of work, the Marines and Sailors of MWSS-271 serving in Barbados live up to the Workhorse legacy, and press forward to finish the project on time.
"It's a very un-selfish group; every last man has poured dedication into his job and this project," McBride said. "From one deployment right into another, these Marines are dedicated to mission accomplishment."
"The Marines who are building these buildings are building them despite numerous obstacles that must be overcome," Baron said. "They are doing what they are supposed to be doing, what Marines has always done...the impossible."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20046212170/$file/pfcbrown.jpg
Marines from MWSS-271 work to construct hangars for the Barbadian Regional Security System. Above, Pfc. Zachery Brown, the newest member of the ‘271 Marines serving in Barbados, surveys the bivouac site that he will call home for the next two months. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/150A7899F60F771785256EA700577762?opendocument
Ellie