Embarkation specialists make missions possible

Photo By Master Sgt. Dengrier Baez | Marines with III Marine Expeditionary Force loaded a pallet of bottled water into a KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft on the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma flight line, to be transported to Atsugi, Japan, in support of Operation Tomodachi in March. Embarkation specialists are responsible for embarkation of personnel and equipment boarded on aircraft and naval vessels.  

OKINAWA, JAPAN

05.13.2011

Story by Sgt. Brandon Saunders 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

OKINAWA, Japan - Every Marine is a rifleman, however, each individual military occupational specialty plays a key role in accomplishing the Marine Corps’ mission. Embarkation specialists are the Marines responsible for ensuring units have the required gear, while maintaining accountability of the gear from start to finish.

The embarkation specialists with Headquarters Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, contribute to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force’s ability to mobilize and track assets when ordered to deploy.

“The Marine Corps is expeditionary by nature,” said 2nd Lt. Douglas T. Grey, a logistics officer with CLR-37. “We need to be ready to deploy at a moment’s notice, this cannot be done without embarkers.”

CLR-37 embarkation Marines support their respective unit’s deployment readiness by keeping a unit deployment list. This tracks all information of that unit’s deployable gear. The UDL allows the specialists to differentiate various types of gear using a computer.

Once this information is tracked and sorted, embarkation specialists physically inspect the mobile containers used to store and transport gear. Embarkation specialists also inspect the mode of transportation on which the gear is being loaded. Once inspected, they physically load the gear.

“Without embarkers, nothing gets moved,” said Sgt. Jeremy R. Jones, embarkation chief for CLR-37.

Embarkation specialists have recently been providing these services in preparation for Talisman Saber, an interoperability exercise in Australia, taking place this summer, as well as Operation Tomodachi, the recent humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission in northern Japan.

“We put in time after hours to ensure cargo and [passengers] are ready on the logistical side,” said Jones.

Embarkation specialists also track personnel aboard aircraft and Naval vessels.

“Because there’s always an operation, exercise or humanitarian mission going on, we’re always on the clock,” said Lance Cpl. Joshua A. Critton, embarkation clerk with CLR-37.

Without the Marine Corps embarkation specialist, operations would not happen. These units provide the necessary gear to accomplish the mission.

• Date Taken: 05.13.2011
• Date Posted: 05.13.2011 01:06
• Story ID: 70302
• Location: OKINAWA, JP