VMGR-252 supports State Department during Emerald Warrior 2015

Photo By Sgt. Alexander Mitchell | Capt. James Brophy, a naval aviator with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252, Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing looks through his night vision goggles during flight on a KC-130J Super Hercules, April 29, 2015. Special Agents with the Department of State worked with Marines with VMGR-252 to conduct a rapid insertion training mission during Emerald Warrior 2015. Emerald Warrior is an annual, joint exercise led by Air Force Special Operations Command that provides pre-deployment training for U.S. and partner nation special operations forces and interagency elements. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alexander Mitchell/released)  

HURLBURT FIELD, FL, UNITED STATES

04.29.2015

Story by Cpl. Alexander Mitchell 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

HULBURT FIELD, Fla. - In the darkness of a runway, a crisis response team with the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Office of Mobile Security Deployments (MSD) conducted a rapid insertion with Marines from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252, Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Camp Shelby, Miss., April 29, during the Emerald Warrior 2015 exercise.

Before the rapid insertion, crew masters with VMGR-252 loaded a 6,000 lb sports utility vehicle into a KC-130J Super Hercules. Once the plane landed and came to a stop at the end of the runway, a crew master guided the crisis response team quickly off the plane and off the runway.

“As a crisis response team it is our duty to be security to an at-risk or in-crisis foreign location, such as U.S embassies overseas,” said John, a special agent with the State Department MSD crisis response. “Rapid off loads in field help us complete our main objective quickly and effectively.”
Marines with VMGR-252 are responsible to help transport allies during a time of need. Training with those missions during Emerald Warrior 2015 helped maintain proficiency of their skills and partnership with allies.

“Thorough understanding of the plan and executing tactics smoothly will ensure the mission goes correctly,” said Cpl. Collin Gates, a crew master with VMGR-252. “We helped the Department of State’s special agents today by getting them to the location they are called to and performing a rapid off-load of the plane so they can complete their mission.”
Crisis response teams help support Marine security guards and other augmented Marine security forces. By conducting rapid tactical insertions into potentially hostile environments, Marines with VMGR-252 can help these teams with mobile security deployments.

“Having integrated options gives us new capabilities for other missions,” John said. “We can’t do our job as a crisis response team without military help.”

During the rapid off-load, Gates got off the plane to help guide the vehicle safely onto the runway. This type of training and mission can help both sides of transportation and crisis response teams in mobile security deployments.
“Providing support to our allies improves our relationship with them, as well as skills in our job when working with them,” Gates said. “This helps build a bond with our foreign and American allies for future operations.”

Emerald Warrior is an annual, joint exercise led by Air Force Special Operations Command that provides pre-deployment training for U.S. and partner nation special operations forces and interagency elements.

• Date Taken: 04.29.2015
• Date Posted: 05.08.2015 09:33
• Story ID: 162665
• Location: HURLBURT FIELD, FL, US