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The Railhead Operations Group sent a mobile repair team from Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California, to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton for two weeks to get their rail operations up and running again.
“The Camp Pendleton railhead was out of service for approximately 18 months,” said Chad Hildebrandt, RHOG supervisor. “My team repaired multiple switches, joint bars, bolts, and most significantly replaced approximately 200 railroad ties, plates, and spikes that were needed in order to bring the railhead back into compliance.”
Without a rail operations track maintenance crew of their own, the Camp Pendleton staff were left with the options of either contracting the work out, or bringing the MCLB Barstow crew down to complete the work.
“If Camp Pendleton was to contract this work out to a contracted support agency, the costs would have been extremely expensive,” Hildebrandt explained. “We are all Marine Corps. I have the team in place capable of completing these repairs. So, we offered our services to Camp Pendleton to support and keep repair costs at a minimum.”
“Mr. Hildebrandt’s team’s efforts were significant in that they facilitated the ability of the Camp Pendleton Distribution Management Office to support I (Marine Expeditionary Forces) by providing one of the more economical options for freight shipments and mobilization,” said Mr. Stacey Henderson, Distribution Management Office director, MCIWEST-MCB CAMPEN G4 Logistics.
The work took place from June 1 through June 12, leaving the weekend free for the crew members to go home to their families.
The mobile RailOps track maintenance crew consisted of James Mitchell, locomotive engineer, Antonio Flores, blocker/bracer, Cristobal Garcia, railroad repairman, and Cpl. Jacob Iversen, infantryman. That essentially split the MCLB Barstow RailOps team nearly in half to complete work on their home base.
“I only have eight civilians and two Marines that currently work for me,” said Hildebrandt. “I have not backfilled the vacant locomotive engineer work leader as of yet, nor the vacant railroad repairer position. We do have the recruitments in the Human Resources pipeline, as well as two additional positions for another locomotive engineer and mechanic in the pipeline. We hope to fill those relatively soon. Current conditions going on in the world have slowed that progress a bit.”
Camp Pendleton’s railhead is identified as part of the Strategic Rail Corridor Network.
“Camp Pendleton needs the railhead to support mobilization contingencies and training exercises,” Mitchell Black, Freight Supervisor, Distribution Management Office, MCB Camp Pendleton.
The STRACNET importance lies in ensuring this strategic railhead is maintained so that it offers an alternate means of rapid deployment and distribution of equipment and materials for the Marine Corps in the event of a national emergency, he explained.
“One of the primary uses for the rail head is to support movement of oversized/outsized cargo (e.g., military tanks), Henderson explained. “This helps in the reduction of wear and tear on tactical and commercial vehicles that are normally utilized to transport the heaviest military equipment via a convoy or commercially-procured movement. In summary, rail movements contribute to I MEF’s ability to mobilize logistical supplies & tactical vehicles ISO Military operations / Joint Military operations or mobilizations.”
“Camp Pendleton has the ability, if desired, to transport equipment, materials, and if necessary, personnel, from their railheads,” Hildebrandt said. “In times of crisis, this capability is crucial. I’m happy to send my team down to make their railhead fully operational again.”
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.10.2020 12:26 |
| Story ID: | 373710 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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