By Petty Officer 1st Class Brian Anderson
Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group
KUWAIT - In the hazy distance off the coast of Camp Patriot, three U.S. ships sat anchored, awaiting the arrival of 2,200 Marines to send home.
Recently, Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, returning from their deployment in the Al Anbar province in western Iraq, were staged for redeployment at Camp Patriot, Kuwait. The Marines are based at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Marines, along with more than 900 pieces of equipment ranging from tanks to storage containers, had to first complete a thorough inspection by Navy Customs Battalion Sierra inspectors. The next step was to place the equipment onto Landing Craft Air Cushioned boats before they could journey off to their respective ships, awaiting them in the Persian Gulf.
This, however, would require equipment that the 15th MEU did not have. Senior Chief Petty Officer Glenn Todd, a boatswain mate with Naval Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, stepped up to the task, volunteering the assets and expertise of his personnel. Seventy-five ton Abrams M1A1 tanks were the most challenging, requiring heavy equipment transporter systems and operators for their journey onto awaiting LCACs.
Maj. Sampson Avenetti, embark officer for the 15th MEU, said, "Without the assistance from the sailors of NAVALSG, their departure would have been delayed considerably."
In the pitching-well decks of the USS Comstock, sailors from NAVALSG were conducting forklift operations. With the supervision of the Senior Chief Edgar Holland, a boatswain mate, they were able to unload and maneuver the equipment in just two days, ahead of schedule.
Forklifts were used to stage 15th MEU equipment into position for LCAC loading. Along with equipment comes maintenance and repair. Petty Officer 1st Class Gregory Schaefer, a carpenter's mate in the Seabees, was tasked to help repair several pieces of downed equipment that had been stalling the operation.
In a recent e-mail to NAVALSG (Forward) group commander, Capt. Terry Rivenbark, Commodore Peter Dallman, commander of Amphibious Squadron 5, wrote, "Across the board, the support was outstanding and it is very much appreciated. The determination and professionalism of all hands involved resulted in our completing the backload two days ahead of schedule and will most likely result in [more than] 4,300 Sailors and Marines... returning home early. To your entire team, my personal thanks for a job exceptionally well done."