Marine cook keeps landing zone running kitchen-smooth

Photo By Cpl. Ryan Young | Army 1st Sgt. Andrew Carrillo, the C Company, 2nd Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment Air Ambulance first sergeant, left, speaks with an advance group of soldiers with the forward support medical team before they leave Al Asad for Afghanistan, April 4. The detachment will spend the remainder of their deployment supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.  

CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, IRAQ

04.13.2009

Story by Cpl. Ryan Young 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — Service members gather, waiting to fly to their next destination in a one-room building just off the flightline known as the Joint Cargo and Passenger Operations Terminal. The room is calm with small conversations when the sound of a landing aircraft catches everyone's attention. All eyes fall upon the man behind the service desk as if all at once the whole room asked "Is that my flight?" They are relying on one Marine to help get them, their gear and their information ready to fly.

Sgt. Orlando Bradford, the JCOT non-commissioned officer in charge and a food services specialist by trade, has spent everyday since October running what many say has become the most efficient JCOT in Al Anbar.

"It seems like every pilot and air officer knows about his reputation and for good work," said Capt. William Steuber, the air officer for Task Force 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines.

Bradford deployed with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 and arrived aboard Camp Korean Village in October expecting to assist the base's chow hall in some way. When he arrived he discovered that no military personnel were working in the chow hall.

Instead, he was to join another food services specialist in running the camp's JCOT.

The role of a JCOT, in a basic definition, is to regulate the flow of cargo and personnel to aircraft, according to 1st Lt. John Shubeck, the MWSS-273 Detachment D officer-in-charge. Bradford is in charge of policing and organizing the movement of people and cargo to and from Camp Korean Village.

"I was ready to work, but I had never been involved with or had any training with flightline operations," explained Bradford. "The Marine taught me the basics of how to properly run the JCOT and I took over from there, learning as I worked."

When Bradford first assumed control of the JCOT, it was at best a functioning terminal that got the job done. The process of how things worked seemed chaotic and there was an obvious lack of materials that otherwise would help ease the transportation of people and cargo in and out of the landing zone.

"When I took over, the whole accountability system was a pencil and paper," said Bradford. "It just seemed like a lot of extra work was being done. I knew the addition of a computer and a little organization would help out. It is basically the idea of working smarter, not harder."

Bradford began recruiting resources from various outlets to make the JCOT run smoothly for Marines working on the landing zone and for servicemembers flying in or out of the camp. He got motor transportation to help carry cargo out to the aircraft; reducing the time it took to get cargo uploaded. He introduced a computer to help keep track of flight times and create a formatted accountability roster for flights.

"I was just working and doing it the way I thought was best," explained Bradford.

Since Bradford began running the JCOT, the entire process has been streamlined, according to Shubeck. His confidence, aggressiveness, personality and overall maturity has contributed to a JCOT that works as smooth as ever.

"He has an amazing grasp on commander's intent to the point where I merely give him a direction and he runs with it, filling in every aspect with common sense and confidence," said Shubeck. "He shows a maturity in his effort that is far beyond most four and a half year sergeants."

In addition to greasing the gears of the JCOT, Bradford also put his knowledge of the food services job field to work. When word was passed that an excess of certain foods and drinks had built up in storage, he set up a routine supply to the JCOT, giving servicemembers waiting to fly a variety of snacks and beverages to choose from.

"This is a guy who really has pride in what he does, no matter what it is," said Steuber.

For pilots landing in the area during the afternoon chow time frame, Bradford organized an effort to get them hot meals.

Bradford accredits any recognition of the flightline's smooth operation to the Marines out there everyday servicing the needs of the aircraft and people.

"I really just played a hand in getting things organized. It all works because of the outstanding job the Marines working on the flightline do," explained Bradford. "They set me up for success."

"For a sergeant with no previous experience in flightline operations to do as much as he has, as well as he has, is a really big deal," said Shubeck. "Any credit or rewards he receives for his effort have been earned and are well deserved."

For more information on the ongoing mission in Iraq's Al Anbar province, visit www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil/iimeffwd.

• Date Taken: 04.13.2009
• Date Posted: 04.13.2009 21:02
• Story ID: 32353
• Location: CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, IQ