ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE TINDAL, Australia -- Ordnance Marines from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 built rockets Sept. 18, as part of their busy workload during Exercise Southern Frontier.
The pilots of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 are going to drop over 300,000 pounds of ordnance in about half the time of last year's deployment, explained Gunnery Sgt. Richard N. Marks, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 quality assurance safety observer and native of Tustin, Calif.
By the end of this deployment ordnance Marines will have assembled approximately 400 bombs and 300 rockets, said Marks.
To stay on top of things during deployments, an ordnance unit needs a quality assurance officer, team leaders and team members.
The quality assurance officer is responsible for the quality of the ordnance. He makes sure every screw torque is accurate, pays attention to how the ordnance is put together, implements safety measures and inspects the work.
There are also team leaders who supervise the team members when they put together the ordnance. The team leaders run the evolution, giving the team members an opportunity to work different tasks.
The largest group is the team members, who set up the ordnance pods and assembly areas, then build or take apart the bombs or rockets.
Cpl. Douglas L. Richardson, MALS-12 aviation ordnance technician and native of Longview, Texas explained there are different variations to the rockets they work with. But building the 5 and 2.75 inch rockets, Sept. 18, consisted of three basic tasks, which took the group two hours to complete.
First the ordnance Marines set up the rocket pods, which will hold the rockets on the jets, inside a warehouse.
Once the rocket pods were in place the ordnance Marines loaded the motor of the rockets into the pods. Then the team members clean the warheads before attaching it to the motor. Next the rocket's fuse was attached to the warhead.
"If I were to throw that thing it would probably go off. That's why you want to be really careful," said Richardson.
Lastly, the ordnance Marines locked the rockets in the pods.
During the rocket building every aspect of their job revolved around being careful. They put into action safety precautions as they set the gear, put the ordnance together and whenever transporting it.
"Today was a good day, we didn't have to take anything apart," said Richardson. "Today was a good day."