CAMP KINSER, OKINAWA, Japan -- Marines of Retrograde and Redeployment, in support of Reset and Reconstitution Operations Group, also known as R4OG, returned from deployment Dec. 9, arriving Kadena Air Base.
The Marines deployed for seven months to Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, to receive equipment from redeploying units, repair it as needed, and send it back to the U.S for redistribution throughout the Marine Corps.
“Without us, the Marine detachments would be in Afghanistan a lot longer than planned,” said Cpl. Dylan J. Willette, a logistics and embarkation specialist with Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “Their individual units would have to worry about sending all their gear home.”
Preparing the equipment for return and redistribution is essential to filling possible deficiency gaps in the expeditionary forces.
“Supply Marines would send out tactical retrograde assistance teams to the different forward operating bases and coordinate with the forward operating units on what they did not need anymore or when that gear would be coming back (to the U.S.) if the FOB was shutting down,” said Capt. Tracy B. Diers, the detachment officer in charge of R4OG, Combat Logistics Battalion 4, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd MLG, III MEF. “Basically, we would bring the gear to a supply accountant who would log it onto record, transfer it either to logistical command forward, or we would send it out ourselves.”
Switching gears between being deployed in Afghanistan to being back in garrison is a relief and an adjustment at the same time, according to Willette.
Families awaited the return of their loved ones from their lengthy absence away from home.
“I didn’t start worrying about it until two days ago, then I started getting excited,” said Tracey L. Fears, a Marine spouse. “This morning it was mostly nerves trying to get everything done (in preparation for my husband’s return).”
The mutual feelings of anticipation and anxiety when returning home were also accompanied by the feelings of pride in the unit’s success while deployed.
“The Marines did a great job, they worked hard,” said Diers. “We came together to get the mission accomplished, and that’s exactly what they did. They got it done.”