Phoenix native hauls U.S. out of Iraq

Photo By Jeffrey Allen | Staff Sgt. Brandon Dejarnette, a vehicle operator with the 70th Medium Truck Detachment, is caught in a candid pose after a long day on the road, followed by three hours of uploading his trucks.  

IRAQ

11.01.2011

Story by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri 

United States Air Forces Central           

IRAQ - Staff Sgt. Brandon Dejarnette, a vehicle operator with the 70th Medium Truck Detachment, recently deployed to an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia from the 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

Dejarnette, a native of Phoenix., directly impacts Operation New Dawn in a big way - by bringing supplies out of Iraq.

Each day, Dejarnette and members from his unit drive into Iraq to bring cargo, supplies and vehicles out of the country to support the withdraw of U.S. forces in the country.

"It's a great feeling to know that we're accomplishing stuff here," said Dejarnette, an assistant convoy commander. "We're an all-enlisted crew who are getting the mission done. It's a great feeling."

In recent months, the 387th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, which the 70th MTD belongs to, has increased its amount of missions trucking out cargo from Iraq by approximately 200 percent.

"When we first got here last month, the squadron was averaging about 11 missions per week," said Lt. Col. John O'Connor, 387th ELRS commander and native of Albany, Ga., before going on to say that the squadron is on track to average about 35 missions per month.

Dejarnette is on his fourth deployment of his Air Force career.

• Date Taken: 11.01.2011
• Date Posted: 11.12.2011 05:26
• Story ID: 79944
• Location: IQ