Photo By Staff Sgt. William Watson Martin | Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Kimball, an Army logistic support vessel master, awaits...... read more read more
By Staff Sgt. W. Watson Martin
311th Sustainment Command
KUWAIT - It's the Army's largest powered watercraft and can carry a payload of 2000 tons ... it's known as a logistic support vessel and has made history once again.
The Middle East relies on these Army vessels to move supplies intra-theater, to include mine resistant ambush protected vehicles.
MRAPs are a family of armored fighting vehicles designed to survive improvised explosive devices and ambushes.
This month marks the first intra-theater movement of MRAPs by the Army, said Kristi Scheckel, a MRAP-joint logistics integrator responsible for the movement's coordination.
"When we are called to be somewhere, we are ready and on time," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Kimball, vessel master with the 1099th Transportation Detachment.
"Before arriving in theater, our Soldiers underwent repetitive training without complaint and were eager to come and serve overseas," said Kimball of his Fort Eustis, Va. based Soldiers. "I told them to be prepared to be tired and hot and always ready to do their jobs to which they have never wavered."
On a sunny day in September his team along with members of the Navy, Army and Air Force as well as civilians, worked together to safely load MRAPs on the LSV for movement to an undisclosed location for pre-staging.
"I've been here for close to a year and think the 1099th is in good shape for their year ahead," said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Livingston, a port operations non-commissioned officer with the 1186th Transportation Troops Brigade, which is responsible for everything coming in and out of port.
"It's an ever-changing environment in [the Middle East] where troops have to be flexible, and where their training pays big dividends for the war on terrorism," said Livingston who helped to ground guide the MRAPs.
After the civilians and troops loaded the MRAPs on the LSV, the Army "boaties," as they're called, secured the vehicles with chains and cargo straps for the voyage through the Persian Gulf.
"I'm glad to be here and finally take on my first combat mission," said Private Tanya Jacobs who joined the Army two years ago at the age of 32. "I got my first boat when I was four and always dreamed about traveling the world."
"I look forward to our future voyages throughout the Middle East," said Jacobs.
The men and women of the logistical teams in Kuwait will continue to move equipment, personnel and supplies forward with confidence and enthusiasm in the months ahead.
| Date Taken: | 09.16.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2008 09:32 |
| Story ID: | 23725 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 785 |
| Downloads: | 679 |
This work, Army's First Intra-Theater Movement of MRAPs by Sea, by SSG William Watson Martin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
