Posted on 01/21/2008 5:09:04 PM PST by SandRat
AL ASAD, Iraq (Jan. 21, 2008) -- It has been said that Marines can do more with less. If need be, they can take what little they have and accomplish great things.
That is exactly what a small group of “Gargoyles” from Marine Wing Support Squadron 473 did when they took charge of Forward Operating Base Mudaysis in Southwestern Iraq in support of Task Force Hammer as they provided security for pilgrims during the Hajj.
“Ultimately our mission here is to provide Task Force Hammer with a safe and relatively comfortable place to come back to after they conduct their missions,” said Maj. John Giese, the FOB commander with MWSS-473 “It’s a base of operations so they can plan, refit, and then head off to their next mission.”
When the Gargoyles arrived, the FOB consisted of old Iraqi bunkers surrounded by an earthen berm. The Gargoyles immediately set out to improve what they had, and build what they needed, according to Giese.
“When we came, it was a pretty austere location,” explained Giese, a Long Beach, Calif., native. “The only thing that existed at the time was the outer perimeter berms that you see, and these bunkers. Some of the things that we did immediately upon getting here was to stand up communications, putting in all the utilities to make sure we could run power to the camp, putting in all of the billeting, putting in the shower and laundry services, and upgrade all the perimeter security positions.”
The Marines of MWSS-473 have a myriad of responsibilities aboard Mudaysis, and they are all essential to support the Marines of Task Force Hammer.
“Our responsibility is to provide life support and basic logistical support to Task Force Hammer and the other organizations that are supporting the Iraqi Army during the Hajj,” said Giese. “With that said, we have supported upwards of 950 personnel on the FOB with basic life support, to include billeting and hot meals for breakfast and dinner.”
“Everything that we do here is what we refer to as aviation ground support, or AGS,” added Giese. “We do it at Al Asad, however, we can pick up and go on the road and set up an expeditionary camp anywhere to support both ground and aviation units.”
One of the biggest services, and the favorite of most Marines on the FOB, are the hot meals that the Gargoyles serve for breakfast and dinner at Chesty’s, the dining facility at Mudaysis. Chesty’s serves approximately 1,400 hot meals each day, according to Gunnery Sgt. Rodrigo Marquez, the mess hall chief with the Gargoyles.
“Things have gone pretty well,” said Marquez, a Fresno, Calif., native. “From the first meal we’ve tried to maintain the standards and keep the bar high. We haven’t dropped behind yet. We want to leave here with the impression that the first meal was as good as the last.”
The airfield at Mudaysis can handle any aircraft from something as large as a Marine KC-130 “Hercules” that brings cargo in, all the way down to the AH-1W “Super Cobras” and UH-1N “Hueys” that provide close air support to the Marines of the task force. The Marines attached to MWSS-473 provide air traffic control for the airfield and are responsible for taking care of the runway.
Convoys carrying personnel, cargo and equipment regularly come through the FOB. The Gargoyles are responsible for storing and issuing all that equipment.
They also provide the fuel for all those vehicles and aircraft. With two 50,000 gallon bladders of fuel, the Marines can take care of any convoys and aircraft as well as the needs of the mechanized units that belong to Task Force Hammer.
“We at least hit 1,000 gallons a day, and that’s on a slow day,” said Lance Cpl. Zach Baitinger, a bulk fuels specialist with the Gargoyles, and a Bridgeton, N.J., native. “It all depends on if we have convoys coming in, or a lot of aircraft.”
Even though the FOB is remote compared to Al Asad, the Marines of MWSS-473 have kept the morale high and enjoy tackling the problems they encounter in the desert, according to Gunnery Sgt. Merle D. Frailey, the company first sergeant for MWSS-273.
“They’re doing good,” said Frailey, a Kopperl, Texas, native. “A lot of them were volunteers to come out here. None of them really want to go back to Al Asad. When you’re at Al Asad, I don’t think you really see the impact that you’re contributing. But when you’re out here, you get to see every day exactly how your work is affecting the mission out here.” For their part, the Marines of Task Force Hammer appreciate the efforts of the Leathernecks from MWSS-473.
“Everyone that is back here on the FOB has done a great job of supporting the mission,” said Maj. Mark List, the Task Force Hammer commanding officer. “I couldn’t say enough good things about MWSS-473’s support, they have done a phenomenal job of basically making this FOB out of nothing. The only thing that was here was the bunkers and the sand. The day-to-day function of this camp is all on MWSS-473, and they have done a fabulous job for us. “
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