Photo By Cpl. Fatmeh Saad | Lance Cpl. Samantha J. Vanderpool, an air delivery specialist with Air Delivery...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Darkness was fast approaching as 22 Marines, 2,000 pounds of cargo packed into four container delivery systems and six 30-pound door bundles containing Meals, Ready-to-Eat stood ready to board an MV-22 Osprey.
Marines with Air Delivery Platoon, 2nd Transportation Support Battalion and Bravo Company, 2nd Radio Battalion prepared for a night jump and cargo-drop exercise aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, April 21, 2015.
“You never know when the mission will call for gear, MREs or water,” said 2nd Lt. Brittany E. Fruin, the platoon commander for Air Delivery Platoon and a native of Mclean, Virginia. “Our Marines and pilots are getting first-hand training on how to efficiently provide that to ground units that need to be quickly resupplied.”
Fruin said the exercise is great for both the Marines of Air Delivery Platoon and the Marines on the aircraft, who each have different job requirements that need to be met. The Marines are required to perform aircraft jumps to meet their requirement and the aircrew is required to perform cargo drops.
The unit organizes one night drop every three months. It is essential for Marines and pilots to familiarize themselves with different environments and altitudes to maintain their ability to perform under any circumstance.
“A lot of our Marines are carrying combat equipment, and the darkness creates a different dimension because you can’t really see where you’re landing until you are close to the ground,” Fruin said.
Four of the 22 Marines jumped from an altitude of 2,000 feet during the exercise to earn their gold parachutist badge, known as jump wings, a process that requires them to perform a varying degree of jumps to meet the qualifications. Earning “jump wings” is considered a significant accomplishment because of the time and dedication it requires.
“It’s a huge achievement,” said Lance Cpl. Samantha J. Vanderpool, an air delivery specialist with Air Delivery Platoon and a native of Sunbury, Pennsylvania. “I’ve been working on my gold wings for almost a year.”
The exercise helped build unit cohesiveness because the jumps require the Marines to have confidence and faith in each other, said Fruin.
“You have to trust the jumpmasters to ensure you’re being let out of the aircraft at the right time,” Fruin said. “You have to trust the person that packed your parachute. You have to trust your instincts and what you were taught in the schoolhouse to be able to land safely, ensure your gear lands safely and get the supplies to where they’re needed.”
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.23.2015 09:56 |
| Story ID: | 160959 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Hometown: | MCLEAN, VA, US |
| Hometown: | SUNBURY, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 233 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Air Delivery Platoon performs night drop; Marines earn gold wings, by Cpl Fatmeh Saad, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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