CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C -- CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Marines with Landing Support Company, 2nd Transportation Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group conducted sling load operations to improve their proficiency with loading equipment onto aircraft for transportation at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Jan. 25, 2018.
The training consisted of Marines attaching a 400 gallon M-149 water tank trailer using a sling and hook to an MV-22 osprey and preparing it for transportation.
“The importance of conducting sling load operations is that it gives us an opportunity to work with air crews and make sure the Marines are well trained to attach equipment,” said Capt. Mark Krueger, the company commander for LS Company. “Each different type of equipment or supplies has to be attached in a certain manner and when you encounter new pieces of equipment; it requires new configurations of the slings.”
To attach the equipment to the aircraft, the Marines used five man crews consisting of a static man, who uses a static wand to ground the aircraft to prevent electricity from coming from the aircraft from shocking them; a hook man, who uses a hook to attach the sling to the aircraft; two leg men to move any obstacles away from the equipment and a safety man, who makes sure the crew are doing their jobs safely and in an efficient manner.
“There are some places where you can’t simply drive a truck into an area of operations,” said Lance Cpl. Issac Spragling, a team leader with the company. “Sometimes it has to be air dropped.”
The training is in preparation for an upcoming capabilities exercise that will test the Marines ability to conduct sling load operations and perform an air drop.
“The Marines did a great job,” said Krueger “They have come a long way in what they have learned and what they have been taught.”