Marine Corps Logistics Command Albany, GA -- The sounds of recruits marching, conducting weapons drill, and being constantly corrected by drill instructors have been replaced with the silence of combat vehicles waiting to be shipped to the operating forces.
On Aug. 30, Marine Force Storage Command began emptying warehouses in preparation for the evacuation of more than 6,000 recruits from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island that were in the path of Hurricane Dorian.
Lt. Col. Fred Glencamp, commanding officer, 2nd Force Storage Battalion, MFSC, said two of his mission essential tasks are to provide warehousing and care of supplies in storage, which he stores vehicles inside for preservation.
“But, when an event such as this took place, the main objective was to prepare a safe haven for those who are evacuating,” Glencamp said. “The first thing we did was to survey the warehouse area for availability. We tried to evaluate how many recruits and permanent personnel were coming in order to assess the required warehouse space.”
Once the numbers were crunched, warehouses were selected and all of the equipment was removed to provide open space, according to the battalion commander.
“We emptied nine warehouses and moved more than 370 pieces of military equipment, which equates to about $91 million, in support of the evacuation,” he said. “The gear was housed in other warehouses or staged in other areas outside that could contain those pieces of equipment.”
Items that were stored outdoors were protected from the elements, he emphasized.
“Once the warehouses were cleared, each bay was swept, mostly by hand, to make sure the area was safe to be used as a berthing area,” Glencamp said. “I also had my safety officer go through to check lighting, fans and receptacles. My safety officer also walked through the bays with the Parris Island safety officers to make sure that the proximity of restrooms, hand washers and equipment were in safe locations and not in the recruits’ way.”
Glencamp said his battalion continued on with its mission even while the recruits were training.
“Having the recruits here didn’t stop our mission but may have slowed our pace by 10-15 percent,” he said. “We just simply shifted our focus to other tasks that needed to be done.”
One of those tasks was to conduct COSIS, care of supplies in storage, Glencamp said.
“When we moved those 370 items that were sitting in warehouses, we conducted the necessary COSIS,” he said. “While the recruits were here, it provided us with an opportunity to do something that had to be done anyway. Instead of doing it inside, we did it outside. So we accomplished our mission while helping others.”
According to Glencamp, about half of his employees have experienced an evacuation before which made the planning and execution process easier.
“The morale of all my team was high because they understood the mission and why it was being done and the necessity of it,” he said. “They were motivated to get it done and provide a safe haven for the displaced recruits. They understand how important it is for the Marine Corps to continue training recruits.”
Because of their previous experiences with past evacuations, Marines, civilian-Marines and contractors, were not only able to provide space for berthing but also provide additional space for teaching drill, history, customs and courtesies.
“We wanted to ensure they had ample space to train,” he said. “And we were happy to do it.”
Glencamp has first-hand knowledge with training recruits as he is a prior drill instructor serving from 1994-1996.
“I understand the importance of what Drill Instructors are doing and how difficult it is to maintain their focus and composure,” he said.
The drill instructor always has a plan and that is to keep recruits busy and focused on why they raised their hands to be a Marine, he explained.
“You keep them motivated,” Glencamp said. “The transformation process is ongoing from the first day to the last day.”
Glencamp said he could not have been more proud of his team and the support they provided for the evacuation.
Brian J. Spooner, operations director, Marine Force Storage Command, said having the recruits here did not significantly impact MFSC’s overall mission.
“We continued to supply equipment to the Marine Corps on a global scale so the only impact to MFSC’s day-to-day operations was limited,” he said. “While the recruits were training, workers had to adjust their speed and sometimes find an alternate route to their destination.”
When MFSC workers saw and heard the recruits, it literally recharged their batteries because there are not a lot of Marines stationed here, Spooner said.
“The workforce here realizes the severity of training the recruits have to go through and that one day they may be put into harm’s way to protect American lives,” he added.
“It’s an honor for the entire workforce to be able to provide this type of support and have a hand in helping shape the future of the Marine Corps whether it be equipment or providing recruits a place to sleep.”