TOP STORY > >TRAINING THE JOINT TEAM

Story and photos by Senior Airman Nathan Allen
314th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

The Team Little Rock mission of training and equipping world class C-130 combat airlifters extends far beyond the Air Force.
For the past 11 years, the Marine Corps has utilized Little Rock Air Force Base as a training center for their C-130 loadmasters.

As budgets tighten and mission requirements increase, the need for joint force training has not only become necessary, according to Master Gunnery Sgt. Robert Brought, Marine Corps director of loadmaster training, it is ideal.

“I think it has greatly enhanced our loadmaster community in the fact that the training [the Marines] get down here for airland and airdrop creates a foundation for a loadmaster which we’ve never had before because of the depth of training here,” he said. “The ability to train a loadmaster thoroughly for airland and airdrop is great here. It creates that foundation of what a loadmaster is.”

In 1997, desiring to eliminate excess money spent on redundant training and still receive top quality loadmaster training, the loadmaster training centers consolidated from a separate Marine loadmaster training center to two separate locations at the Rock. At this time, the 62nd Airlift Squadron and the 53rd Airlift Squadron housed a Marine detachment, each led by a Gunnery Sergeant. When the 53rd AS deactivated, training further consolidated to the 62nd AS with basic loadmaster courses taught by the Air National Guard.

According to Master Gunnery Sgt. Brought, the process of transforming a young Marine at basic training to a fully qualified combat airlifter is a lengthy one.

“They go through quite a long process. There is recruit training, which every Marine goes through. Then they go through their Marine combat training, which is about a month long follow on where they get their warrior training out of the way. After that they proceed to Pensacola, Fla. where they go through their aircrew candidate school, which is basically all their water survival, first aid and land survival. Then they come to us. Here they receive their basic loadmaster training, and then loadmaster initial qualification and loadmaster mission qualification. Once they’re complete with their mission qualification check ride, we then ship them out to the fleet…I manage the whole loadmaster fleet for the Marine Corps. I deem where they’re going, get their orders cut and out they go. Once they get out to the fleet they have follow on training, which after another check flight out in the fleet, they are fully qualified to fly by themselves,” he said.

There is no difference between the training an Air Force Loadmaster and a Marine Loadmaster receives.

However, because the number of Marine Corps loadmaster positions are few, each Marine is expected to honor the opportunity with their best effort.

“When they’re in training, they receive Air Force instruction just as if they were anybody else here. When they’re not training, that’s where the Marine Corps differences come in,” he said. “We do not like idle time with Marines. We have a classroom across the hallway which, at any given time, you’ll see Marines in there studying. “

“One of the big things we try to enforce with these students is the privilege that they’re getting to have this job in the Marine Corps. In the Marine Corps you’re looking at the total loadmaster community of approximately 150 loadmasters. Only about 150 Marines out of 195,000 are loadmasters, so less than one percent of the Marine Corps have this opportunity. It’s a pretty small community. Because they remember that, we don’t put up with a whole lot. It has definitely paid some dividends because the Marines have been known to be locked on with their knowledge.”

“It comes down to pride. This is an opportunity that they have. They volunteered to be here. This is not a job that I am forced to give them. If they go through here and pass, they get this job. If they come through here and do not take advantage of it, I am not going to sit there and baby them to give them this job. If they come in here and ruin their opportunity at getting this job, I will reclassify them, and send them to the needs of the Marine Corps. I try to use the analogy that you can get to see the city of Ramadi from the air or from the ground. It is your choice.”

According to Master Gunnery Sgt. Brought, the Marine loadmaster training mission is greatly enhanced by the hospitality shown to them by the 62nd AS.

“We are heavily based on tradition in the Marine Corps. We have been fortunate to be attached and operationally controlled by a unit that is very steeped in tradition from their beginnings back in World War II. Of the 6-2 and Lieutenant Colonel Maynard [62nd AS commander], I can’t say enough about how supportive they’ve been of the Marine Corps mission down here, to have facilities like this. I can’t thank the 6-2 enough for helping us accomplish our loadmaster training mission down here.”