ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
The pulsating hum of turbo-prop engines from a Naval Reserve C-130T aircraft permeated the flight line on the east side of Andrews as a stream of Marines climbed single-file into its cargo belly Sept. 18.
A Navy air crewman assigned to Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 53 rendered hand signals to launch the behemoth aircraft.
Appropriately named Hercules for its size and work-horse ethics, the 83,000-pound logistics cargo transporter soon broke its surly bonds bound for a local mission.
Touted as the "Capital Express," VR-53 transported more than thirty members of the Marine Silent Drill Team to Standford Field, Louisville, Ky., near their final destination of Scotts, Ind. "The drill team is scheduled to perform inside a high school gymnasium," said Capt. Rollin Steele, U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon commander.
"We perform for the local community annually. I'm glad we have the support of this squadron, because they got us to where we needed to be on time," said Captain Steele.
The VR-53 traveling aircrew consists of two pilots, one flight engineer and two load masters during local missions. While deploying on missions outside the continental U.S., the crew has a compliment of 22 air crewmen and maintenance members, along with tools and some aircraft parts.
The squadron has a mixture of Full Time Support personnel and Selected Reservists.
The commitment and passion for their job is apparent, whether active Reserve or SELRES.
"I love the traveling, because we get to go all over the world," said Navy Air Crewman Mechanical 2nd Class, or AWF2, Michael Juneau. "We transport everything, from people to ammunitions, to supplies for ships out in the fleet."
AWF2 Ruben Carreon, a drilling SELRES, noted the opportunity to serve with VR-53 has been gratifying. "I was mobilized on Active Duty for a year with VR-53. During the missions, I'm a loadmaster and aircraft mechanic," said the seven-year naval reserve veteran. "In my civilian life, I work as an imaging specialist with the Federal Aviation Administration. I work with aeronautical charts and elevations. It's been great getting out of the office and seeing the world," said Petty Officer Carreon.
The professionalism of the VR-53 is also evident, as the squadron is on track for a banner flight-hour year, topping 4,200 accident-free flight hours.
One of VR-53's pilots, who contributed to the aeronautical milestone, spoke about the extensive travel provided by the squadron.
"In just 26 months I've been to over 24 countries, stemming from Western Europe and the European Eastern Block, to the Middle East, reaching all the way to the Pacific and Asian theatres," said Lt. Cmdr. Jason Sticht, VR-53 aircraft commander and squadron operations officer.
Relishing the varied mission opportunities, Lieutenant Commander Sticht noted one of his most interesting experiences came recently when he transported multiple live Navy dolphins from Naval Air Station Corpus Christi to Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego.
Also obvious is the pride of VR-53 squadron commander, Cmdr. Cathy Jendrysik, "Our squadron is comprised of FTS and SELRES members. This blend provides the stability of a full-time force, blended with the corporate experience gained through years of conducting this mission in numerous and vastly different theaters. Fleet movement for deployment or training exercises translates directly to fleet readiness," said Commander Jendrysik.