VMGR-252 air crews make mission possible in Iraq

Courtesy Photo | Corporal Matt Hunter directs a Humvee into one of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252's KC-130Js so that it can retrieve a piece of cargo carried by the aircraft from Al Asad, Iraq, to Baghdad. Hunter is a loadmaster, and in that capacity serves many roles in the preflight, in-flight and post-flight phases of the squadron's missions. Photo by: Cpl. James D. Hamel  

AL ASAD, IRAQ

11.02.2005

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

Cpl. James D. Hamel
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing


AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 30, 2005) -- Keeping the KC-130Js of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 in the air requires maximum cooperation between the squadron's multiple moving parts.

While maintenance Marines on the ground ensure the planes can fly, and pilots are at the controls, it is the air crew that ensures the mission is accomplished safely and efficiently.

"Without the air crew, no one would be able to fly," said Capt. Michael S. Roberts, a pilot with VMGR-252 and Cleveland, native. "The difference between a good and bad crew is the difference between an unsuccessful or successful mission."

The enlisted air crew is comprised of two components, crew chiefs and loadmasters. Each Marines" job is different, and each job evolves throughout the flight.

"Everyone has a preflight routine," said Staff Sgt. Brent J. Greenberg, a crew chief with VMGR-252. "Mine is on the maintenance side of things, making sure the plane can fly."

While the crew chief is busy checking the plane's serviceability, loadmasters prepare the plane to take on cargo.

"Before takeoff, we're worried about cargo shift," said Sgt. Michael G. Torres, a loadmaster and Willows, Calif., native. "If things aren't tied down properly, passengers can get hurt. We're also concerned with maintaining proper center of gravity. If the plane's center of gravity is off, it can endanger the flight."

In the air, the air crew assumes a new task. Loadmasters sit in the rear of the aircraft, watching for small-arms or rocket fire from the ground. They are, said Torres, "The eyes in the back of the bird." That role is taken a step further during refueling missions, when loadmasters direct the fuel hose to the refueling jets.

Meanwhile, the crew chief sits in the cockpit, sharing many tasks with the pilots.

"I back up the pilots," said Greenberg. "I try to take some of the tasking off them. If we have an emergency procedure, I troubleshoot and advise the mission commander if we can continue."

It's an odd role for an enlisted Marine, essentially serving as an in-flight backup pilot, but Greenberg said crew chiefs are the only enlisted personnel in the military who can take the aircraft on test runs, where engines are cranked up to test their serviceability, so it's a role he fills comfortably.

The air crew teams together when the plane lands, serving the same purpose to finish the mission. As Roberts noted, the aircrew is extremely important, but in such a new aircraft, their contributions are especially invaluable.

"From a testing aspect, the experts are still watching to see the capabilities of this aircraft," said Master Sgt. Wyatt L. Lamson, the squadron's acting sergeant major, about the KC-130J. "They're exceeding expectations, and conditions (for success) couldn't be better, especially considering (our young crew)."

• Date Taken: 11.02.2005
• Date Posted: 11.02.2005 14:17
• Story ID: 3573
• Location: AL ASAD, IQ