CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Charleston AFB Airmen recently began shipping mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles via ground freight to Marine Corps camps throughout the United States and overseas.
Since the Army and Marine Corps began purchasing MRAPs, Charleston AFB has been the only base with aircrews delivering the vehicles to deployed locations. But now the 437th Aerial Port Squadron is starting to coordinate shipment of the MRAPs to military bases from here. More than 160 of the combat vehicles have been shipped to Marine Corps camps for training purposes since April 14.
"Basically this means we've fulfilled our commitment to airlift MRAPs to Marine Corps units in theater," said Dennis Russell, 437 APS Traffic Management Office supervisor of cargo movement. "Now we're shipping them to bases here so units can use them for training before they go over there."
The 437 APS and the airlift squadrons continue to ship MRAPs to the Central Command area of responsibility for the Army. But soon, the 437 APS TMO will begin sending the vehicles to Army bases as well.
Many of the MRAPs have gone to Camp Pendleton, Calif., Camp Lejeune, N.C., and to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif. They've also been sent overseas to Marine Corps camps in Okinawa, Japan; Rota, Spain; and Hawaii.
Commercial trucking companies bid on the individual contracts though few tractor-trailers have the capability to transport MRAPs. The contract requires all tractor-trailers to have global positioning system equipment so the Department of Defense can track the movement of the vehicles. Also, two drivers are required with each shipment, said Mr. Russell.
The Airmen who coordinate the shipping have been working long hours but are proud of their work.
"My first time climbing into an MRAP, I thought 'Wow, this is used for combat,'" said Staff Sgt. Lakisha Exley, 437 APS TMO documentation and billing NCO. "It makes me feel good about getting these out to service members to complete the mission."
The contractors who work with TMO have noticed the hard work the Airmen are putting in.
"What TMO is doing here is a first," said Sandra Quinones, Joint Program Office MRAP expeditor. "Nobody's ever done anything like this and when we asked them to help us they figured everything out. The aerial port has really stepped up and helped us a lot."
The MRAPs, which cost between $600,000 and $1 million each, are replacing Humvees in both the Marine Corps and the Army. MRAPs have bottoms raised more than 3 feet off the ground to increase service members' mobility and enhance mission success throughout the areas of responsibility.