Marine pilots work together to obtain mission accomplishment.

Photo By Capt. Paul Duncan | A Marine Corps Super Stallion helicopter from VMM-266, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, flies in route to deliver relief supplies during humanitarian assistance operations in the southern province of Sindh, Pakistan.  

PANO AQIL, PAKISTAN

10.01.2010

Story by Capt. Paul Duncan 

15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

PANO AQILl, Pakistan - The Marine pilots of HMM-165 Reinforced, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and VMM-266, 26th MEU combine their unique capabilities to solve complex disaster relief issues in the southern province of Sindh, Pakistan.

Training for relief missions is a routine part of a forward deployed Marine Expeditionary Unit’s (MEU) operations.

The current mission of performing humanitarian assistance to the flood victims of Pakistan is just one example of how this small but powerful team of sailors and Marines can have a tremendous affect on any region it is sent to.

As a result, lessons learned from training and real world operations often develop into and tactics, techniques and procedures which form the basis for standard operating procedures used by multiple units.

“The Marine Corps is one of the most flexible military branches in the world and because of the capabilities of the MEU we are often able to do things most other military organizations can’t,” said LtCol Todd J. Oneto, commanding officer of HMM-165. “By working together with our sister squadron, VMM-266, we have been able to deliver nearly 2,000,000 pounds of relief supplies since our arrival in the Sindh province on 2 September,” explained the 47-year-old Wallingford, Conn., native.

“The heavy lifting capability of our combined squadrons has helped us solve many of the delivery challenges we have recently faced,” said Capt Patrick Johnsen, a Sea Knight pilot with HMM-165. “We have found that many of the areas where flood victims are in desperate need of food are simply too small for the Super Stallions helicopters to land,” explained the 26-year-old Frankfort, Ill., native. “So we are using a combination of hover drops, and the rotation of (CH-46s) to get the job done,” said Johnsen.

“This mission is simply too important for us to give up on,” said Maj David Schreiner, a Super Stallion pilot and VMM-266 detachment officer in charge. As long as the Pakistanis give us the green light to fly we will keep doing the best we can to get the supplies delivered,” explained the 36-year-old native of Norwich, Conn.

The 15th MEU is currently deployed with the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group performing training and real world operations as part of their routine deployment across the Western Pacific. The 26th MEU is also forward deployed as a part of its routine Mediterranean deployment.

• Date Taken: 10.01.2010
• Date Posted: 10.02.2010 01:19
• Story ID: 57359
• Location: PANO AQIL, PK