386th AEW transit keeps Marines moving

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Cynthia Spalding
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) --  Airmen from the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron recently helped move the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to a forward location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

After being aboard the USS Kearsarge, USS Ponce and the USS Carter Hall of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group for more than four months, members of the 26th MEU traveled here, where they loaded onto a C-17 Globemaster III and continued their journey.

More than 1,300 Marines, Sailors and 370,000 pounds of cargo were transported with the help of 386th ELRS Airmen.

Senior Airman Chelsea Eckenrode, a hazardous materials joint-inspector assigned to the 386th ELRS, started making plans for the Marine unit when she was tasked with organizing how her squadron would provide a smooth transition to get the Marines and their equipment to their forward location.

This proved an arduous task, considering that the cargo movement included AH-1 Whiskey Super Cobras, she said.

"There's a lot of planning to do when you move a large group of people," Airman Eckenrode said. "Receive, prepare, inspect, stage and uploading is part of what has to be done. Not everything is done by one service, however, which is why it is called a joint-inspection."

Working with the travel management office to ensure all documentation was prepared, contacting bioenvironmental for liquid collections and coordinating operations with the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-17 crews were all on the list of things that had to be accomplished.

After everything passed through their checks, they moved to the next step: getting the load planned. From the number of personnel and the correct size and weight of an additional loading ramp to the securing of any moving pieces of cargo, the 386th ELRS Airmen had a lot to organize.

"We're considered the loadmasters of the ground," said Airman Eckenrode. "Getting the cargo air capable is my job, and it's not always simple. It's not every day you have to figure out how to get a helicopter air capable and ready to load on a C-17."

As the joint-inspector, she's not allowed to be involved with packaging the cargo herself, as this could add a bias in her inspection. She has to ensure that the Marines have the proper guidance in strapping down their cargo and getting it inspection-ready.

"Everything went very smooth, all things considered, and we got 'the birds' loaded," said Marine Capt. Timothy L. Burk, a helicopter pilot assigned to the 26th MEU. "Both services worked on a task that is not done very often. We were able to put our heads together to come up with a solution that resulted in success. Now we can complete our mission."

For the members of the 386th ELRS, moving 1,300 passengers and processing 370,000 pounds of cargo, as well as continuing their everyday mission, is just business as usual.

"It's what our mission is: getting personnel and cargo safely from one place to the next regardless of what service it is," said Master Sgt. Dave Gilman, the NCO in charge of the 386th ELRS cargo section.

When the Marines arrive to their forward location, the ELRS Airmen there will be waiting for their arrival, ready to help unload, just as the 386th ELRS Airmen helped load here.