MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- At first glance things appear to be running normally at Marine Wing Liaison Kadena Hangar 3 here. Pilots and ground crews go about their business amidst the roar of turning jet engines as busses shuttle personnel to and from the airfield. Behind the building, however, sits something out of the ordinary: 13 olive-drab and tan military tents surrounded by a triple layer of coiled concertina wire.
Though it may look like the Air Force’s 18th Wing is hosting a refugee camp on the flight line, it’s actually Site 1, the handiwork of the hard chargers from Marine Wing Support Squadron 171.
A detachment of about 70 MWSS-171 Marines and sailors are working in Okinawa in support of Exercise Wolmi-Do Fury 2007.
The exercise, which allows Marine Aircraft Group 12 to hone its operational capabilities while improving interoperability with the Air Force, requires many moving parts. The members of America’s Squadron wear numerous hats in order to meet the needs of the deployment’s upbeat tempo.
“Our role is to provide limited aviation ground support services,” said Maj. Grant C. Killmer, Wolmi-Do Fury’s MWSS-171 detachment officer-in-charge and native of Federal Way, Wash. “(This) includes aircraft and ground refueling, … Explosive Ordnance Disposal, air base commandant functions including internal camp communications, engineering services, material handling, motor transport, security and law enforcement, and we provide some limited medical support – in this case two corpsmen.”
MWSS-171 began their training by setting up and securing Site 1, which serves as “home base” for many units during the exercise. Though the service members working and occasionally sleeping at Site 1 sacrifice some small comforts in the field-like setting, Killmer, who works out of the site’s Aviation Ground Support Operation Center tent, feels the experience gives Wolmi-Do Fury an added touch of realism.
“It shows our ability to operate independently using pretty minimal assets from the base,” said Killmer.
Though many MWSS-171 participants are now doing their jobs in locations spread out over the base and Camp Foster, all played an important role in laying the groundwork for the exercise by setting up Site 1. According to Lance Cpl. Timothy J.A. Harper, MWSS-171 motor transportation mechanic, it’s not uncommon for America’s Squadron to utilize an array of military occupational specialties and ranks in accomplishing such a mission.
“Everybody helped out each other. If anyone needs help, they’ll get it,” said the Waynesville, Mo., native. “Nobody’s lazy in 171.”
Communication is the essential function MWSS-171 provides for the exercise. The Marines launched a network between squadrons and command units via internet, Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPERNET) and telephone lines.
“The first step is establishing your internet, which is setting up all your switches and wiring so all your local computers can connect to each other,” said Sgt. David J. Swaney, MWSS-171 tactical data networking specialist and native of Kelseyville, Calif. “From there you have to set up an external connection. Once you receive an external connection you can link your servers online.”
Though linking up nearly 600 service members can be a daunting task, Swaney says it’s a mission he and his fellow Marines are well-prepared for.
“My whole purpose here is to be able to set a network up from scratch,” Swaney said. “Our network is self-sufficient.”
According to Killmer, the experience of working in a different environment and cooperating with another branch of service will ultimately make America’s Squadron’s service members more proficient in their jobs and ready to tackle future deployments.
“They get to see what it’s going to be like to integrate with the Air Force units and to understand how they operate,” said Killmer.
“It just exercises the system,” he added. “It can be painful at times trying to make things work, but we get the bugs worked out. It makes things that much easier when we go on to some of the major exercise we do in Korea and throughout Asia.”