MALS-13 kicks off Afghanistan deployment

A small group of Marines departed from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma to Afghanistan recently as an advance party for their unit.

Nine Marines from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron-13 left Jan. 12. The Marines each have jobs and responsibilities that require more turnover time than other fields. They will spend the next couple of weeks acclimating to Afghanistan and getting used to how the command structure and operations work in country.

MALS-11, MALS-39 and MALS-13 will be attached to MALS-16 while in Afghanistan. These units will be replacing MALS-40, which is the East Coast equivalent to what MALS-16 will be.

“We are going to sit there and work with MALS-40 for a good while and monitor everything they do,” said Sgt. Joseph Klennert, an aviation ordinance technician with MALS-13. “Then, we will jump headfirst into everything that has been done and become completely involved. We are going to be working side by side with them, and when they leave it's almost like we are that exact person we are replacing.”

MALS-13 will be responsible for building, delivering and accounting for ammunition and gear, weapon systems repair and transportation procedures for equipment. The unit will be providing logistical support first for VMA-223 and later in the deployment VMA-211.

The rest of the elements of MALS-13 that are deploying will be leaving later this spring. Many Marines from MALS-13 will remain at MCAS Yuma to continue to support operations here.

“The main bodies don't need as much change over time because they will be doing the same thing, only on the other side of the world,” Klennert said.

Lance Cpl. Bill Waterstreet writes for Desert Warrior, the newspaper at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.