Photo By Cpl. Ryan Young | Sergeant Anthony Bates, chief refueler with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, hands a...... read more read more
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CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 has been supporting an important rotary aircraft landing zone in western Iraq since October 2008, running round-the-clock operations to provide airfield service to aircraft when needed.
The Marines of MWSS-273 Detachment D, also known as the Sweathogs, have spent the last seven months striving for excellence in their services to aircraft using the Camp Korean Village landing zone.
This remote location is the westernmost major landing zone in Iraq, supporting multiple units located within its reach, according to Staff Sgt. Shannon Robinson, the fuels staff non-commissioned officer-in-charge with detachment D.
The Sweathogs are responsible for major roles on the airfield such as refueling services, moving cargo and producing weather information, said 1st Lt. John Shubeck, the MWSS-273 Detachment D officer-in-charge.
"The airfield crew owns the bird once it lands," said Robinson. "The Marines do what they need to fast and with no loose ends."
As soon as an aircraft lands , every Marine is in place and performs their tasks with a sense of urgency, according to Lance Cpl. Joshua Johnson, a heavy equipment operator with MWSS-273. An aircraft crew may have multiple tasks to accomplish throughout the day and the Sweathogs know that a mistake on their end can affect the mission.
"If we don't run a tight operation out here, we are holding up everything," explained Shubeck. "The entire Marine Corps strives to be efficient and the Marines out here are no exception."
The Sweathogs working on the airfield have not sacrificed safety in the name of progress. Since October, the crew has offered their services to more than 1,200 sorties with zero mishaps, according to Shubeck.
"The Marines have done all their work out here accident-free," said Shubeck.
A large credit to the Marines' success in safety is given to their constant contact with each other while operating the landing zone, according to Johnson.
"Communication has been the biggest thing keeping us fast and safe," said Johnson. "I have operated out there without a radio to talk to others and it is easy to get confused when there are so many moving parts."
In addition to supporting the aircraft and its crew with traditional services, the Marines here have taken their work ethic one step further by making sure the aircrew get hot chow upon landing, said Sgt. Orlando Bradford, the Joint Cargo and Passenger Operations Terminal non-commissioned officer in charge. Aircrew members normally have to submit a request to receive the meals, but it is a standard practice here for the Marines to have meals readily available for aircrews when they land during an appropriate timeframe.
"Our idea of support is that as soon as anything is asked for, it is in their hands," said Robinson.
According to Capt. Pascal Gonzalez, a pilot with Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Squadron 266, the rapid service, readiness, and smooth operations the Marines offer have not gone unnoticed by crews landing at Korean Village.,.
"The Korean Village landing zone is run as smooth as they come," explained Gonzalez. "We had an aircraft break down there and the crew was immediately taken care of by the personnel there while the aircraft was being fixed."
With the end of their deployment to Iraq on the horizon, the Marines of MWSS-273 plan to continue their quality support to aircraft aboard Camp Korean Village all the way to the end and pass their work ethic on to their replacements.
For more information on the ongoing mission in Iraq's Al Anbar province, visit www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil/iimeffwd.
| Date Taken: | 04.13.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 04.13.2009 20:53 |
| Story ID: | 32352 |
| Location: | CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, IQ |
| Web Views: | 579 |
| Downloads: | 404 |
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