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VR-54 on Station to Support Operation Iraqi Freedom
Story Number: NNS030730-11
Release Date: 7/30/2003 12:57:00 PM
By Utilitiesman 3rd Class Ken Irwin, Commander, Naval Reserve Force Public Affairs
NEW ORLEANS (NNS) -- As the summer months in the Arabian Gulf begin, the crew of Fleet Logistics Squadron (VR) 54 have arrived on schedule and are ready to get busy.
With military operations in Iraq drawing down, personnel and equipment are ready to head home. Thousands of tents that many called home are finally coming down, and heavy equipment is being disassembled and returned to its prospective crate, waiting to be shipped stateside. As the loaded cargo pallets begin accumulating at the nearest airport, the call goes out to the Navy’s own express delivery service: VR-54.
In time of peacetime or war, the transporting of parts, parcels and personnel throughout the world is the primary responsibility of VR-54. From vehicles to equipment, food to mail and everything else that might be necessary to keep a military unit operational while in the theater, VR-54 delivers the goods.
"People and trash, we haul it all,” said Lt. Cmdr. James Perry, a VR-54 pilot.
Since 1991, when VR-54 was re-commissioned during Operation Desert Storm, the squadron has moved millions of pounds of cargo throughout the world.
VR-54 maintains a busy schedule, meeting the daily demands for supplies. Flying one or two C-130s, seven days a week, each plane and its crew of six delivers up to eight tons of cargo with each mission. The squadron’s daily delivery and pickup schedule often covers thousands of miles in the Arabian Gulf region.
The Naval Reserve Fleet Logistical Support Wing is the Navy’s primary lift provider. The wing is comprised of C-130s, C-40s, C-29s and C-9s. VR-54 itself consists of three C-130s, calling Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans home. VR-54 is one of five VR squadrons stationed throughout the United States.
Being a part of the support wing, VR-54 only performs cargo hauling within a specific area of responsibility (AOR). Cargo destined for locations outside the AOR is delivered to a main warehouse for subsequent transportation using other larger VR assets.
“Camp Herc” is VR-54’s home-away-from home in the Arabian Gulf. Consisting of several small trailers located on the airport’s tarmac, Camp Herc forms office space for the squadron’s pilots and mechanics. The facilities are a big improvement over those available just two years ago.
“Back in 2001, all we had was a small metal shack without air-conditioning,” said Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Phoebe Oliver, VR-54’s maintenance controller. “With temperatures during the summer months exceeding 110, it was sometimes unbearable to work. With the new facilities, we can keep working even during the hottest of days. Now we can plan our day's work schedules, submit flight plans and place orders for replacement parts in comfort.”
VR-54 shares duty in the Arabian Gulf with other VR squadrons. Each one is in the region only a few months a year.
“We’re on a rotational basis with the other VR squadrons,” said Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Mark Johnson, a loadmaster with VR-54. “Our turn in the Arabian Gulf this year was May through July. After that, we start flying cargo out of Italy. After a few months there, then it’s on to Japan. After Japan, it’s back to the Gulf. With that schedule and seeing different cultures and climates, it never gets boring.”
VR-54 has made a significant impact in the Arabian Gulf and the world. The Navy can look forward to seeing more of them in the region and throughout the world.
For related news, visit the Commander Naval Reserve Force Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/nrf.
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