KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, Japan -- More than 100 Marines with Combat Logistics Regiment 37 gathered on Kadena Air Base to deploy to Afghanistan May 13.
The regiment, part of 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, is deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
“We are going over to assist in the evaluation of the gear being used,” said Staff Sgt. Kenneth P. Elm, a technical controller with the regiment. “We are going to determine if the gear is serviceable, so it can go back to other units or if it needs to be repaired.”
The Marines of CLR-37 will not be the only ones performing the retrograde.
“We will be meeting up with Marines from I MEF and II MEF in Afghanistan, and we will all become part of Combat Logistics Regiment 17,” said Staff Sgt. Eric J. Croft, a warehouse chief with the regiment.
“The overall purpose of performing the retrograde of the gear is to sort out everything in Afghanistan and redistribute it between the I, II and III MEFs,” said Croft.
Before deploying, the Marines took part in predeployment training on Okinawa to prepare them for Afghanistan.
“We went over performance of convoy operations, foot patrols, mine sweeping and other situations we might encounter,” said Lance Cpl. Jorge Delatorre, heavy-equipment operator with the regiment.
This training helped prepare the Marines both physically and mentally for the upcoming deployment, said Delatorre.
For many of the Marines with CLR-37, this deployment is their first in Afghanistan.
“Like every Marine, I have wanted the chance to do my job in a deployed environment,” said Delatorre. “When I was asked if I was interested in deploying, I jumped at the opportunity.”
Many Marines think because they are in Okinawa, they might not get the chance to deploy to a combat environment, according to Elms.
“As Marines, wherever you go there is always a chance to deploy,” said Elms. “Do not go to a duty station and think you will not get the chance to go somewhere.”