VMR-1 DET embodies ‘more with less’ ethos

Published Aug. 15, 2008
By Senior Airman Clinton Atkins
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- They don't measure their worth by how challenging their job is or how big their unit is. They simply ask themselves, "Have I done all I can for the Marine Corps?" They answer that question every day here in Southwest Asia.

The VRM-1 Detachment deployed here from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., operates a single UC 35 Citation, which is used to support three theaters simultaneously. The detachment is composed of five officers and four enlisted members. The plane is maintained by four contractors.

"Our mission here is to provide operational support to Marines in the form of high priority passenger lift and high priority parts," said Lt. Col. Jim Garrett, VMR-1 Det. officer in charge. "We fly to lots of places, but we primarily support [Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Horn of Africa missions].

"We're clearly in a support role," said Colonel Garrett, originally from Six Mile, S.C. "There's nobody stepping off our plane and pulling a trigger, but we're constantly carrying senior planners, Marine colonels and generals involved in how [the United States] is executing the war on terrorism.

"Our part of that is we make sure these individuals get to the right place at the right time to do what it is they need to do," he said.

The detachment flew more than 450 hours in support of the Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy and coalition partners within their first three months here.

"I've taken off at sunset and landed [back here] at sunrise," Colonel Garrett said. "You're gone a lot making multiple stops all over the [area of responsibility] getting people where they need to go."

Though their capability is in high demand, the nine Marines find ways to make the most out of what they have.

"We do more with less," said Maj. Andy Smith, VMR-1 Det. UC 35 pilot. "Part of that is because we have fewer people and another part is because our budget is proportionately smaller than the other services. We have to improvise and do more with less money and be more efficient."

To maximize their effectiveness, the detachment will ask customers to adjust their schedule.

"Instead of saying 'no,' we ask the customers if they can go a day prior or an hour earlier," said Maj. Rod Spake, VMR-1 Det. UC 35 pilot. "There are sometimes when we have to say 'no,' but most of the time we make it work."

Since their only plane is in constant use, routine maintenance is performed for two days every two weeks, Major Smith said.

"We don't take days off, they kind of fall out naturally," Colonel Garrett said. "We just work, work and work until the airplane has to go into maintenance."

Since they are so few and their mission is so demanding, the time spent grounded goes to fulfilling additional duties.

"The days I don't fly are days when almost the whole time I'm out and about taking care of my additional duties," said Sgt. Michael Klein, UC 35 crew chief from Williamstown, N.J.

"We're a fairly small group so each of us has several duties," Major Spake said.

Through hard work, the Marine detachment maintains a level of flexibility.

"I can tell you what we're doing [days from now], but something may come up and the Marine Corps will say, 'this has to happen, we need this Marine to get [there],'" Colonel Garrett said. "We will flex to make that happen."

The detachment takes every opportunity to support the warfighter, Colonel Garrett said.
"Our greatest pride comes from providing every ounce of support we can to Marines who are in the field," he said. "We diverted the plane one time to take home a Marine whose wife was extremely ill back in the states - that made us feel good. We are very much into the brotherhood of our fellow warfighters."