Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Lia Aragon | Staff Sgt. Frank A. Barbara, Warrior Express Service Team staff noncommissioned...... read more read more
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, Afghanistan - Three Marines frequently travel with one goal in common – to supply service members with services they can’t otherwise access.
The Marines, with Marine Corps Community Services, Disbursing and the Postal Office, form the Warrior Express Service Team, which frequently travels to surrounding FOBs and patrol bases every three weeks. The team traveled to Forward Operating Base Delaram II to deliver their services to Marines and sailors there, May 19.
“We bring a little comfort of home here to the FOBs,” said Staff Sgt. Frank A. Barbara, WES Team staff noncommissioned officer in charge.
Barbara is a Morale, Welfare and Recreation specialist and offers an array of products to service members. Items range from food to uniform items, rank insignia, shorts and socks, to electronics, magazines, video games and protein powder.
“The first time we go to a FOB, we take general products and a lot of food,” said Barbara. “We won’t spike sales or make everyone happy, but we’ll satisfy the majority. From there, it’s our job to ask every individual service member what they want.”
Barbara said he makes a list of what the service members ask for as a shopping list for the next trip out to the FOB. Barbara has traveled through FOBs Payne, Hanson, Delhi, Geronimo, Camp Dwyer, and Patrol Base Castle.
“My goal is to make sure I bring out anything they could possibly need,” said Barbara, a Yokohama, Japan-native. “The worst thing you can hear as a PX Marine is, ‘Hey, they got anything in there?’…‘No, they don’t have (anything)’ because that means you didn’t do your job.”
The WES Team also offers service members a chance to withdraw cash and send mail.
Lance Cpl. Stephen Hemming, a postal clerk with General Support Combat Logistics Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, has worked with Barbara and disbursing Marines on multiple missions.
Hemming, a Gwinn, Mich., native, provides service members with postal boxes, tape and labels so they may pack on the spot and pay to send out packages. Hemming inspects the contents of every package before sealing and certifying it.
When a unit is set to redeploy, it’s common to see long lines at the post office, he said.
“At [Camp] Dwyer, it was really busy because [service members] were leaving, but now it’s really slow,” said Hemming. “All the major holidays are usually busy. Christmas is the busiest because people like to send out gifts.”
After Hemming inspects the packages, he delivers them to the Camp Leatherneck post office where they are later routed with the rest of the mail.
Because it takes money to purchase items or mail packages, it is important to offer service members a way to make transactions. The cash for the services is made available by disbursing representatives with Headquarters and Service Company, CLR-2. Service members’ transactions are logged using their identification information, and their pay is debited the following pay cycle.
“Based on their rank, they can pull out anywhere from $200 to $500,” said Barbara.
Despite the frequent traveling, the Marines stay upbeat throughout their workdays. Barbara can be heard greeting every one of the 90 to 150 customers whole-heartedly, and seen smiling for 10 straight hours. He chalks it up to the satisfaction of serving Marines.
“I love it, I highly enjoy making sure I’m taking care of Marines,” said Barbara.
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2013 04:25 |
| Story ID: | 108433 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, AF |
| Hometown: | YOKOHAMA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | GWINN, MI, US |
| Web Views: | 226 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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