US Marine Corps,
AL TAQADDUM, Iraq: The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle has proven its worth on the battlefield by saving lives of service members.
Now, as more vehicles are received daily, Al Taqaddum has become the hub for vehicles received and serves as the transfer point to many of the operating bases in Al Anbar Province.
Supply Company, 2nd Supply Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), is responsible for receiving and prepping the vehicles before they’re passed on to operating units in the area of operations.
Almost as important as the vehicles themselves are the vehicle parts that come in daily to be distributed for routine and emergency repair of the MRAPs.
The Marines receive a handful of vehicles every day, but the amount of vehicles received is expected to double in the following weeks, said Maj. Bruce L. Morales, the company’s commanding officer.
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AL TAQADDUM, Iraq (Sept. 4, 2007) – More than 30 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles sit in a lot here waiting for authorization from Headquarters Marine Corps to be transported to units throughout Al Anbar province. 2nd Supply Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), makes sure the MRAPs are shipped to the right units and handles parts needed to sustain the gear.
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The amount of vehicles coming in does not change the resolve the Marines have to push them out to the units as fast as possible.
“We look at every way to get them out there,” Morales, a Guayama, Puerto Rico, native said.
The biggest logistical challenge is actually getting the vehicles out to the individual units.
The vehicles must be prepared for use and tagged for tracking purposes before they can be sent out.
This is done by loading them on a larger truck and hauling them, driving the actual vehicle itself onsite, or flying them on a large aircraft; a joint effort that requires the expertise of not only the Marines but the Air Force, Army and Navy as well.
The process can take anywhere between 24 and 48 hours, an amount of time the Marines in the company take pride in.
“This is one of our highest priorities right now,” said Master Sgt. Elvis T. Coleman, a native of Belize. “It is our number one focus to get it out…the Marines need it out there.”
As the MRAPs experience normal wear and tear that comes with the terrain, repairs are required to keep them always running; that is where parts come in.
Staff Sgt. Tamecka Miguel, the MRAP parts staff noncommissioned officer in charge, leads the section responsible for receiving, storing and distributing the parts for the MRAP.
“They will come in crates, straight off trucks, ships and planes,” the Miami native explained. “We bring them in and break them down, crate by crate.”
Her Marines then organize the parts by type and input them into a computer system that serves as a database for the parts. Then, the Marines and civilian counterparts will see if the part is needed and if so, it is packed and sent out.
Otherwise, the parts are packed and stored until needed. The process may not sound exciting, but it is pivotal to keeping Marines safe on the battlefield.
“We are playing a vital role,” Miguel explained. “If we slip on receiving this gear as fast as possible, that is just the small part. Someone out in forward may be paying with their lives.
The faster they get what they need the faster they can get up and running.”
The Marines performing the job know its importance and the futility of performing their job correctly.
“I am very fortunate to have some outstanding Marines,” Coleman said. “I can guarantee you that as fast as they come in my Marines will get them out in 24 hours.”
