Courtesy Photo | AL ASAD, Iraq (Jan. 2, 2005) -- Cpl. Mark J. Wilson fixes a pallet for air delivery...... read more read more
2nd Marine Logistics Group
Lance Cpl. Wayne Edmiston
AL ASAD, Iraq (Jan. 6, 2006) -- There are many ways to avoid obstacles. You can go through them, under them or around them. Air Delivery Platoon, Combat Logistics Battalion 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) soars above them.
The platoon has air dropped 335,030 pounds of supplies, keeping 30 logistical vehicle systems and 60 Marines off the roads, as of Jan. 2, 2005, said Master Sgt. Sirisak Longnecker, the platoon's officer in charge.
The Marines, many of whom wear gold jump wings on their uniform, are responsible for palletizing, packing and loading supplies for air delivery.
"We can drop anything from boxes of water, to 5-ton trucks," said Cpl. Jerry L. Fortenberry, an air delivery specialist with the platoon. "We are also responsible for packing the parachutes for personnel."
These Marines spend a lot of time on the ground preparing supplies for drops, but to earn the gold jump wings, also known as the Navy and Marine Corps parachutist insignia, they must complete military parachutist school at Fort Benning, Georgia as well as five jumps in the Fleet Marine Force.
The Marine Corps" air delivery specialist field is small, consisting of roughly 200 Marines. Many go on to earn the title of jumpmaster. The jumpmaster program is in addition to their normal training and is known for its difficulty. It has a nearly 60 percent failure rate, said Fortenberry.
"This creates a greater respect and sense of responsibility for our job," the Habersham, Ga., native added. "Knowing that you or someone else could be using the parachute you pack makes you check and double check your work."
Jumping out of aircraft is a skill they all learn by being parachutists. But setting up supplies for air drop is what they pride themselves on.
The air drop capability is valuable because of the threat of improvised explosive devices and ambushes that could lie in front of a convoy.
The process for supply drops is a long and tedious one. It requires an extremely accurate system of checks and double-checks.
"It's all about the attention to detail," said Lance Cpl. Max Rodriguez, an air delivery specialist with the platoon. "Before anything is loaded on the bird, everything is inspected. It's a huge responsibility."
Rodriguez, a San Juan, Puerto Rico, native, is just one part of a team that is trained in every aspect of air delivery. From fabric repair, which is vital to the upkeep of any air delivery system, to making sure the supply load is put on the aircraft flawlessly.
"We even repair the parachutes and make sure they are ready for use at all times," Fortenberry said
All of the checks and balances have been proven worth while, because of the results the platoon has produced.
"Keeping one Marine off the road makes all my hard work worth it," Rodriguez concluded.
| Date Taken: | 01.10.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 01.10.2006 11:41 |
| Story ID: | 5057 |
| Location: | AL ASAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 270 |
| Downloads: | 54 |
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