NAS JRB NEW ORLEANS -- Marine Transport Squadron (VMR) Belle Chasse recently returned home, making its first overseas deployment in the squadron’s UC-12W Huron aircraft that they received in August 2010.
During the deployment VMR used the aircraft to carry members of the squadron’s detachment to Camp Leatherneck, Bastion Airfield, Afghanistan, making 11 stops along the way. The aircraft refueled in places such as Iceland, Italy, Greece and Qatar.
According to Lt. Col. Scott Magidson of VMR, the mission of the deployment consisted of moving high priority passengers and cargo with time, place or mission sensitive requirements throughout Afghanistan and the rest of the Central Command area of operations.
“The UC-12W is an asset which is more cost effective than larger tactical assets such as a KC-130J or MV-22B. We free up those tactical assets for other tasking by offloading a portion of the smaller logistics missions such as transporting small groups of people.”
The mission included transporting not only Marine Corps personnel, but personnel from all branches of the U.S. military, civilian personnel and coalition partners. The detachment also had the opportunity to transport several high level civilian officials from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, to include the provincial governor of Helmand Province.
“Acquiring the UC-12W, which was widely used in its first deployment is a great milestone,” said Magidson.“ The enhanced capabilities of the UC-12W in terms of range, payload, short field capability and aircraft survivability, as well as the generational leap in technology in regard to onboard avionics enhanced its world-wide ability to deploy and responsiveness in support of the forward deployed Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF,)” he said. “It represents good stewardship of resources and validates the growing capability of Marine Aviation to provide relevant and sustainable operations support airlift in support of MAGTF.”
While it was the initial deployment of the new UC-12W, VMR was also busy creating a footprint from scratch on their base in Bastion.
“We had nothing before we got there, such as assets and workspace,” said Magidson.
“We had to build the entire detachment. We sent Maj. A. J. Smith, our maintenance officer, more than a month early as an advanced party and he did a phenomenal job as a liaison with other commands in establishing our detachment. Smith attained vehicles, established billeting, set up computer accounts and much more.”
The squadron detachment returned from their deployment in May and was replaced by another detachment from Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar. VMR is scheduled to return to Afghanistan later again this fall and preparation for their future deployment has already begun.
The deployment preparation consists of ensuring all aircrew are trained and prepared to operate the aircraft in the tactical environment in and around Afghanistan. With five previous squadron deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, VMR is scheduled to continue sending a detachment forward for six months annually in support of the mission as long as the United States Marine Corps is present in the area.
“I am very proud to have gone on deployment and been a part of it all,” said Magidson. “The hard work of all the Marines that were on the detachment with us successfully employed the new UC-12W aircraft in support of the MAGTF, other U.S. and coalition forces and the Afghan personnel by providing timely, safe, comfortable and cost effective movement.”