Soldiers, sailors practice joint-service seaport loading

Photo By Sgt. Laura Bonano | Sailors and Soldiers use tag lines to control a crane-operated sling Aug. 5 to transport cargo between ships during the Seaport Operations Company 13-2 training exercise. The exercise, taking place at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., provides experience and hands-on training for perishable skills involved in the stowing, preparing and uploading of cargo.  

VA, UNITED STATES

08.06.2013

Story by Sgt. Laura Bonano 

350th Public Affairs Detachment

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – Soldiers with the 743rd Seaport Operations Company completed what they thought would be a routine convoy mission Aug. 4 during the Seaport Operations Company 13-2 training exercise with combined efforts from the Naval Cargo Handling Bn. 10 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

The mission eventually became more than just practice in driving vehicles onto a ship, and instead broadened the Soldiers’ skill sets when it comes to completing missions in unfamiliar territory.

Staff Sgt. Timothy Nickerson, the platoon sergeant of operations with the 743rd SPOC, said the original mission was to conduct a convoy of four vehicles to Port 3 on base. Once they made it to port, they would drive two Load Handling System vehicles and two Humvees onto a Navy Landing Craft Utility watercraft. The vehicles would then be lifted by crane to a smaller Army Landing Craft Mechanized ship for transport back to base.

“We have excellent drivers,” Nickerson said. “There was a tight configuration on the ship deck and the cargo hold, but they’re able to maneuver around very well.”

The unit waited with engines running to load up the vehicles onto the ship. But first, the large hatch on the ship had to be lifted and reconfigured before vehicles belonging to the 390th SPOC from Ceiba, Puerto Rico, could be sling loaded from the smaller LCM and off-loaded.

“This operation is a little bit different, because we usually only work with hatch covers at the beginning and end of a mission,” said Senior Chief Bill Lynch, a logistics specialist with NCHB 10.

Sailors and Soldiers worked together to safely control the massive hatch cover, which can swing and become dangerous while in the air. Servicemembers at four corners of the hatch held tight onto tag lines attached to the sling, making sure it was controlled at all times.

Once the hatch was lifted, the vehicles were ready to be driven onto the ship, then members of the 743rd SPOC drove up the ramp and positioned the vehicles for the lift through the hatch.

Once the vehicles were in place, they learned they would actually be the ones hooking their vehicles up to the sling. The drivers of the vehicles said they had never actually hooked vehicles up to be lifted before; they usually only drove them.

Soon, members of the NCHB 10 began directing the Soldiers on how to hook up the sling and inspect the vehicle before it was lifted. The servicemembers checked and rechecked the sling attached to the vehicle.

Chief Petty Officer Darryl Hubbard, the operations chief with NCHB 10, stood by to supervise and make sure the crew understood what they were doing. He stressed the importance of working in and around the hatch opening, where the cargo comes in and out of.

“There’s always a challenge whenever you’re doing an operation or exercise, but it’s how well you deal with that challenge,” Hubbard. “We’re learning how to work in a joint environment, we’re learning each other’s culture. As long as you make that adjustment, you can continue and have a smooth flow of cargo.”

Once the Soldiers and Sailors hooked up and lifted the first vehicle, the rest of the cargo was off-loaded much faster, as each member of the crew had become more familiar with the process.

At the end of the day, as members of the 743rd SPOC prepared to leave the port, Nickerson thanked his crew for their efforts.

“My guys did an excellent job, and they did it efficiently and quickly,” he said.

He said the most important thing is even though they were in an environment they were not familiar with, they adapted to the challenge and did what it took to complete the mission.

• Date Taken: 08.06.2013
• Date Posted: 08.07.2013 11:58
• Story ID: 111496
• Location: VA, US