The Fighting FARP

TWENTYNINE PALMS , CA, UNITED STATES

02.15.2017

Story by Cpl. Justin Huffty 

1st Marine Division

Marines with MWSS 372, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, have been training and working towards being able to fully set up and maintain a FARP all on their own. Recently, the unit successfully displayed their capabilities during Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 2-17 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Feb. 14, 2017.
“We are out here at ITX doing pre-deployment preparation, working with the units we will be deploying with,” said Capt. Kristina Warren, Company A Commander, MWSS-372, MAG-39, 3RD MAW, for the upcoming Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Crisis Response Central Command deployment. “In addition to practicing our normal capabilities and training and readiness standards, we’re building those relationships.”
The FARP is an area set up as a temporary refueling point primarily for rotary wing and other fixed-wing aircraft in a forward posture; Marines also provide these aircraft with any ordnance they require.
“The ability to provide a scalable FARP, from something small and mobile into a larger, well secured FARP with a logistics support area is an ability we are trying to push to the max while focusing on tactical operations; kind of coining the term the ‘Fighting FARP’,” said Warren.
The ‘Fighting FARP’ is in reference to the unit’s tactical focus with the ability to provide security organically and the many capabilities in addition to just providing fuel and ordnance to aircraft.
The unit is built up of 72 different military occupation specialties (MOSs).
“We can set up an entire forward operating base (FOB) and provide the life support for it; utilities, water, chow. We have every MOS that you could need,” added Warren.
One of the requirements for a FOB is security. This is something else that MWSS is able to provide.
“The Marines have been brought together and have been taught security protocol,” said 1st Lt. T Markoff, a logistics officer with MWSS-372, MAG-39, 3RD MAW. “It’s amazing what they have achieved.”
The unit was put together back in November of 2016, said Markoff. Since then they have undergone many training exercises to teach the different MOSs proper security techniques and tactics.
“They have done live-fire shooting and vehicle convoy security. We’ve done reaction drills to IED strikes and complex ambushes,” said Markoff. “Marines excelled at all the exercises at ITX and it’s amazing seeing that these Marines are doing things that they were not initially trained to do.”
A huge benefit for the Marine Corps from utilizing the MWSS in this way is that it frees up the infantry units from having to provide defense and security to the FARP, added Warren.
“We brought our own security force platoons out to secure the area and to be able to defend ourselves instead of having to rely on other units. Holding the capability within our unit to actually do that defense allows the infantry to push forward and focus on offense,” said Warren.
One of the key focuses during ITX was ensuring the MWSS’s security plan was integrated into both the ground combat element and aviation combat element as well, explained Warren.
When the MWSS arrives to an area designated to be a FARP, Marines can have it set up and running within hours, said Warren. They airlifted a team of expeditionary airfield Marines and a helicopter expeditionary refueling system via MV-22 Osprey.
“We inserted that capability first thing in the morning and we are able to set that up before the ground forces even arrived,” said Warren. “Before the majority of our unit arrived, we had full a capability; we could have had aircraft landing.”
They even had their own heavy equipment that was used to berm in several key locations to provide more protection.
“The toughest part of training is ensuring that everyone knows what our capabilities are; having that full integration piece and not being forgot as part of the big picture plan,” said Warren. “We provide a huge capability. Look at what is in an engineer support battalion; we have every asset that they do. Same capability, smaller capacity.”
“We are continuing to see what we can do to make our capabilities as expeditionary as possible; not just the FARP, but our other capabilities as well,” said Warren. “The more that people know about what we can do, the better support we will be able to provide and be that force multiplier, closer to the forward line of troops.”

• Date Taken: 02.15.2017
• Date Posted: 04.11.2017 10:42
• Story ID: 229377
• Location: TWENTYNINE PALMS , CA, US