Photo By Cpl. Logan Kyle | Cpl. Nicholas Garner, a Motor Transportation mechanic with Headquarters and Service...... read more read more
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MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIRFIELD, Romania -- The Marines and Sailors of 1st Tank Battalion travelled more than 6,000 miles to reach Romania's Mihail Kogalniceanu Airfield, but the tactical vehicles they will use while serving as a Security Cooperation Marine Air-Ground Task Force arrived by much shorter and unique means.
Motor Transportation Marines with Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Tank Bn., took time to prepare tactical vehicles at the airfield's motor pool, May 10, to support the battalion during Black Sea Rotational Force 2010, a 3-month deployment as the core of the first Security Cooperation MAGTF to the Black Sea region.
The vehicles were supplied to the battalion by Marine Corps Prepositioning Program Norway. The Marine Corps and Norway have developed a unique relationship for the storage and care of prepositioned equipment and supplies. The method of storage to support the prepositioned assets for a MAGTF is a series of six caves in the Trondheim region of central Norway.
"We worked pretty closely with the Norwegians in acquiring these vehicles," said 2nd Lt. Corey McMillen, the assistant logistics officer for 1st Tank Bn. "We went on a tour of the caves, performed the [joint limited technical inspections] together, and any discrepancies we found were fixed right away. I was extremely impressed with their maintenance capabilities on the vehicles we store there."
Staff Sgt. Troy Ferderer, the Motor Transportation chief, H and S Co., 1st Tank Bn., said receiving the vehicles from Norway has made their job a lot easier.
"It's been downright convenient for us," said Ferderer, an Odessa, Wash., native. "We didn't have to embark these vehicles from California, and we didn't even have to go meet up at some port somewhere and take them off a ship or anything. Marine Corps Forces Europe handled all the delivery, and they were sitting here waiting for us when we got here."
Norway relies on the Marine's prepositioning program as a major cornerstone of the nation's internal defense plan. With deep-water ports in close proximity to the storage caves, equipment can quickly be loaded aboard available shipping for operations in threatened parts of Europe, Africa or the Middle East. This capability was demonstrated by the supplying of equipment and ammunition in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Marcus O'Hair, the fuels noncommissioned officer with H and S Company, 1st Tank Bn., said most of the vehicles arrived in excellent condition.
"They are pretty much brand new," said O'Hair, a native of Cullman, Ala. "None of the 7-tons have more than 500 miles on them. We've got a couple humvees that are giving us a little trouble, but for the most part, they're all in good shape. It has made our a job 100 percent easier."
McMillen said his Marines have worked hard so far and he expects nothing less.
"They're out there to support scout platoon; that's the most important thing as well as when we come to the rear, being able to provide maintenance on those vehicles," said McMillen, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native. "We sent our lead sled dogs in terms of Motor T platoon, and I'm most confident they'll do a great job."
The Marines are working in the Black Sea, Balkan and Caucasus regions to promote regional stability, build enduring partnerships and build the capacity of partner nation's military forces. The Security Cooperation MAGTF is Marine Corps Forces Europe's commitment to a rotating presence of Marines in Eastern Europe to meet U.S. European Command's theater security objectives.
"I think this is going to be a learning experience for both us and the nations we are going to work with," O'Hair said. "I was in Okinawa, Japan, for three years, and I worked with the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force while I was there. Working with those guys was awesome, and I think this deployment is going to similar because you learn a lot of their culture and customs. You make a lot of friends."
Black Sea Rotational Force 2010 is slated to officially kick off May 17 and run through the end of July.
| Date Taken: | 05.14.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 05.14.2010 05:45 |
| Story ID: | 49649 |
| Location: | MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIRFIELD, RO |
| Web Views: | 482 |
| Downloads: | 233 |
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