773d vehicle operators accelerate the mission

Mark Kieweg, 773d Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operator, prepares to depart as Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division U.S. Army Alaska load his bus at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, March 13, 2017. At JBER, roughly 80 percent of the 773d LRS vehicle operator support is to the Army.

773d vehicle operators accelerate the mission

Buses of the 773d Logistics Readiness Squadron, recently loaded with Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division U.S. Army Alaska ready to depart to a week-long field training exercise, March 13, 2017. At JBER, roughly 80 percent of the 773d LRS vehicle operator support is to the Army.

773d vehicle operators accelerate the mission

Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division U.S. Army Alaska load onto a 44-passenger bus at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, March 13, 2017. At JBER, roughly 80 percent of the 773d Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operator support is to the Army.

773d LRS vehicle operators accelerate the mission

Published March 14, 2017
By Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez
JBER Public Affairs

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- When an F-22 Raptor went down in unpopulated Alaska territory in November 2010, Soldiers and Airmen from the newly formed Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson amassed, and in an almost instantaneous assault, ventured into the white void to secure the downed aircraft and pilot.

Vehicle operators of the 773d Logistics Readiness Squadron saddled their multi-ton workhorses, and trekked into the less-traveled territory.

On the first day they covered 260 miles in 14 hours, and delivered supplies and transported more than 100 Soldiers and Airmen.

“The first 200 miles on the highway were a breeze when compared to the last 60,” said Tech. Sgt. Ronald Barnett, 773d LRS vehicle operations control center support supervisor.

At times speeds averaged five miles per hour because of the unmaintained gravel roads which made up the Denali Highway, he said.

For nearly 22 days, 15 LRS Airmen delivered food and supplies to the JBER service members who set up camp.

No event better demonstrates the mission of the vehicle operator in Alaska than this.

With a workforce of more than 60 Airmen and a fleet of almost 120 vehicles, these Arctic Warriors ensure Airmen, Soldiers and supplies get to where they need to be, when they need to be there. At times, they boldly go where others dare not – facing the elements to complete the mission.
“We typically support 3,000 requests per month,” said Tech. Sgt. Roy Hill, 773d LRS chief dispatcher. “That ranges from aircrew transport to Army passenger support. [As well as] cargo delivery to other squadrons so they can support the mission.”

At JBER, roughly 80 percent of the support provided is to the Army, Hill said.

It’s a common year-round occurrence at JBER to look up and see dark specks balloon out from a C-17 Globemaster III or C-130 Hercules. Soldiers, in their nylon canopies, float down to earth. What they land on can depend on the season.

During winter months, when Soldiers operate in below-freezing temperatures, the transportation support provided by 773d LRS Airmen can mean life or death.

For base exercises, to which JBER is no stranger, vehicle operators ensure mission success.

Exercises like Red Flag or Norther Edge typically mean there is an influx of service members at JBER, Hill said. With every influx means more support.

Whether it’s a four door sedan, available through the U-Drive-It service, or a larger 40 passenger bus to transport large groups, vehicle transporters provide the necessary support.

Northern Edge is expected to bring more than 2,000 service members to JBER.

Should Alaska road conditions become too much to handle on base, vehicle recovery units are available to retrieve the fleet.

“At the end of the day it comes down to that ‘fight tonight’ mentality,” Hill said. “We are here to support the installation. Put the rubber on the road and get the cargo and passengers to where they need to go.”