26th MEU (SOC) personnel ready for deployment
USMC
Story Identification Number: 2003312123534
Story by Sgt. Roman Yurek
ABOARD USS IWO JIMA(March 12, 2003) -- An intense pre-deployment training schedule may have prepared the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) to accomplish its missions overseas, but the men and women that make up this unit had many of their own preparations to make before being 100 percent ready to go.
As the deployment approached, the Marines and Sailors of the MEU systematically embarked both personal gear and organizational equipment aboard the three ships in the Amphibious Ready Group, the USS Iwo Jima, USS Carter Hall and the USS Nashville. Additionally, every deployment of U.S. military forces seems to always come with an extensive gear list of items to have in one's pack or sea bag. These lists were checked and rechecked several times before the individual Marines and Sailors felt confident enough that they had every thing that they may need to perform any mission assigned to them. However, personal preparations for deployment went far beyond the items identified on those lists.
In addition to having to complete a myriad of command-directed tasks, everyone had his or her own "To Do" list of tasks to complete before deployment, such as paying bills, filing 'change of address' forms, spending time at home with friends and family and even finding a home for the family dog. Personal items brought aboard ship varied from one's individual field gear to a child's blanket.
Of the nearly 2,300 Marines and Sailors with the MEU, one Marine, Cpl. Jake L. Holt, a logistics Marine with MEU Service Support Group 26, exemplifies what a deployment traditionally means in terms of getting ready to deploy. Deploying for the first time, Holt took two weeks of annual leave in Nashville, Tenn., to spend time with his nearly two-year-old son. They went to the Hard Rock Cafe and spent just about as much time as they could together, Holt said.
"When my wife was pregnant, I was in boot camp," said Holt. "I was at CAX (Combined Arms Exercise) for two months when he took his first steps. But this is the longest time I will be away from him."
To help him cope with the long separation, Holt brought pictures, like so many other Marines and Sailors on the ship, but he also included in his sea bag one of his son's blankets. Additionally, he brought a cross his father gave him and a bible from his grandmother.
With his personal affairs now in order and strong support from back home, Holt said he is ready for whatever lies ahead.
"No matter where we go, I am 100 percent prepared," Holt added. "I am fully confident in the abilities of my sergeants."
Making last-minute preparations for deployment are not at all limited to the young Marines and Sailors. Even seasoned veterans like Senior Chief James Tubbs, medical senior chief for the 26th MEU (SOC) medical department, made some special plans before departing.
"My sons and I finished siding the 600 ft.2 addition to our home," said Tubbs.
Tubbs is a father of 11 and his oldest son leaves for boot camp May 1. He said that spending every chance he got with his family was his main concern before leaving.
His wife helps him with the time away by sending pictures via e-mail, which Tubbs said he looks at on nearly a daily basis.
He also said that because the medical staff did an outstanding job preparing for the cruise, he was able to spend more time at home and less time worrying about if his section was ready to go.
"I thought that the anthrax and small pox vaccinations would throw a wrench in the system," explained Tubbs, "but the guys took it in stride and got the job done."
Whether a young husband and father or a seasoned veteran and father of 11, there is much that goes into preparing a family for deployment. However, they are not the only ones deploying with the 26th MEU (SOC) as single Marines and Sailors made preparations as well.
Like their married counterparts, the single Marines and Sailors had personal issues and tasks to work through before being completely ready to leave. Lance Cpl. Darrick Kouns, a FOX vehicle driver with Headquarters and Service Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 8th Marine Regiment, said he spent a lot of time talking to his family in Ashland, Ky., about his role during the deployment.
"My family was very calm and understands this is my job," said Kouns, who is also deploying for the first time. "They knew this was coming, which I think made it easier."
Kouns reflected on how many of the units that have been deployed from Camp Lejeune over the past few months weren't given much more than a week's notice that they were leaving. The 26th MEU (SOC), on the other hand, had been preparing to leave the U.S. to play a pivotal role in the War on Terrorism since the unit reformed in June 2002. Even when it seemed the deployment date might change, the MEU's subordinate units and their families all knew that eventually the 26th MEU (SOC) would be setting sail, when needed.
Kouns is part of a new addition to the MEU arsenal, the 'Fox' vehicle. This vehicle is designed to detect and mark threats in a nuclear, biological or chemical environment. Kouns has spent more than 8 months working up with this machine and he exudes a heady confidence when speaking of the quality of training that he has received over that period of time.
"I am prepared for anything," Kouns said. "We have done some of our best training with the FOX vehicle in the past few months, better than I have ever done with it."
Whereas the ultimate destination for these deployed Marines and Sailors remains uncertain, at least these Marines and Sailors know that they are fully prepared, personally and professionally, for whatever may be headed their way.
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