thedrifter
02-13-09, 07:09 AM
Warfighters receive special ‘express’ service
2/11/2009 By Cpl. Bobbie A. Curtis , 2nd MLG Headquarters and Service Battalion (FWD)
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq —
Living conditions for some U.S. troops in Iraq have increased exponentially since their arrival in 2003. However, for units such as Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, based at Joint Security Station Suwa, Ar Ramadi, Iraq, they must still live without the comforts many take for granted.
That’s where the Marines of the postal, PX and disbursing sections of Combat Logistics Company 51, Combat Logistics Battalion 5, step in to help.
Aside from their normal duties on Camp Ramadi, the Marines of the sections visit the surrounding forward operating bases once every one to two weeks on operations called War Fighter Express Service Team missions. The teams provide postal services, the opportunity to draw money from disbursing, and a chance to shop for comfort items that aren’t readily available to them.
There is no access to regular postal service in these desolate locations and without WES Team missions the Marines may never have the opportunity to send and receive mail.
“If the Marines need to send or receive mail, we handle it for them,” said Lance Cpl. Calvin D. Cowan, a postal clerk with CLC-51. “That’s our job -- if it wasn’t for those little boxes and letters, someone out here might get upset.”
“That’s the best thing about this job,” the Kannapolis, N.C. native continued. “Helping people -- these grunts live out here, they put their lives on the line every day. The least we can do is get out here and show them a little love.”
The PX and disbursing sections team up to form a “dynamic duo,” bringing out enough money to support an entire company of Marines ready to buy the hard-to-get items such as energy drinks, magazines, hygiene gear, and electronics that the PX wheels out to the FOBS in large metal containers on the back of 7-ton trucks.
“We’re here to support all these grunt units,” explained Sgt. Jeremy B. Berg, a Morale, Welfare and Recreation specialist with CLC-51. “We try to serve them a taste of home and what ever else we can provide.”
According to Gunnery Sgt. George D. Brown, the Echo Company company gunnery sergeant, the visits have a very positive effect on his Marines.
“I have some Marines that can’t go to Ramadi every two to three weeks; it’s a good morale booster,” Brown said. “Days would be longer without these Marines; this makes it a whole lot better.”
Berg, a New Braunfels, Texas native, said that the amount of FOBs the CLC-51 Marines provide services to has shrunk with the increase of de-militarization operations in the last several months.
“Before I got here they were servicing about 20 different FOBs,” he said. “Now we’re down to four.”
The decrease in the number of service runs that the WES Team is running is an indicator of the U.S. passing on more responsibility to Iraqi Security Forces.
Though the amount of Marines that the WES Team provides support to is much smaller than they once were, the teams will be here to support the Marines until they leave.
For more information on the ongoing mission in Iraq’s Al Anbar province, visit www.mnfwest.usmc.mil.
Ellie
2/11/2009 By Cpl. Bobbie A. Curtis , 2nd MLG Headquarters and Service Battalion (FWD)
CAMP RAMADI, Iraq —
Living conditions for some U.S. troops in Iraq have increased exponentially since their arrival in 2003. However, for units such as Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, based at Joint Security Station Suwa, Ar Ramadi, Iraq, they must still live without the comforts many take for granted.
That’s where the Marines of the postal, PX and disbursing sections of Combat Logistics Company 51, Combat Logistics Battalion 5, step in to help.
Aside from their normal duties on Camp Ramadi, the Marines of the sections visit the surrounding forward operating bases once every one to two weeks on operations called War Fighter Express Service Team missions. The teams provide postal services, the opportunity to draw money from disbursing, and a chance to shop for comfort items that aren’t readily available to them.
There is no access to regular postal service in these desolate locations and without WES Team missions the Marines may never have the opportunity to send and receive mail.
“If the Marines need to send or receive mail, we handle it for them,” said Lance Cpl. Calvin D. Cowan, a postal clerk with CLC-51. “That’s our job -- if it wasn’t for those little boxes and letters, someone out here might get upset.”
“That’s the best thing about this job,” the Kannapolis, N.C. native continued. “Helping people -- these grunts live out here, they put their lives on the line every day. The least we can do is get out here and show them a little love.”
The PX and disbursing sections team up to form a “dynamic duo,” bringing out enough money to support an entire company of Marines ready to buy the hard-to-get items such as energy drinks, magazines, hygiene gear, and electronics that the PX wheels out to the FOBS in large metal containers on the back of 7-ton trucks.
“We’re here to support all these grunt units,” explained Sgt. Jeremy B. Berg, a Morale, Welfare and Recreation specialist with CLC-51. “We try to serve them a taste of home and what ever else we can provide.”
According to Gunnery Sgt. George D. Brown, the Echo Company company gunnery sergeant, the visits have a very positive effect on his Marines.
“I have some Marines that can’t go to Ramadi every two to three weeks; it’s a good morale booster,” Brown said. “Days would be longer without these Marines; this makes it a whole lot better.”
Berg, a New Braunfels, Texas native, said that the amount of FOBs the CLC-51 Marines provide services to has shrunk with the increase of de-militarization operations in the last several months.
“Before I got here they were servicing about 20 different FOBs,” he said. “Now we’re down to four.”
The decrease in the number of service runs that the WES Team is running is an indicator of the U.S. passing on more responsibility to Iraqi Security Forces.
Though the amount of Marines that the WES Team provides support to is much smaller than they once were, the teams will be here to support the Marines until they leave.
For more information on the ongoing mission in Iraq’s Al Anbar province, visit www.mnfwest.usmc.mil.
Ellie