Marine support unit keeps its focus
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
MARINE CORPS TRAINING AREA BELLOWS — Last week, Col. Jim Harbison's Marines helped evacuate American embassy personnel under fire, endured a sarin gas attack and assisted in the rescue of a downed helicopter.
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Combat Service Support Group 3 Marines were up to their Kevlar helmets in conflict. Harbison would like to see even more.
"We're the lifeblood of Marine combat," said Col. Jim Harbison. "Nothing moves until we move it. We're ammo, we're fuel, we fix things that are broken."
Twice a year the 1,000-Marine unit heads for exercises like the one that wrapped up Friday at Bellows.
"I'd like to do it more often, but with other missions, it's difficult," the group's commander said. "We have a huge focus just maintaining the combat readiness of other Marine elements we support."
That means if a truck breaks, his unit fixes it. Pulling medical and dental staff away for exercises means taking them away from base duties.
Harbison describes Support Group 3 as "the glue that holds the (Marine) infantry and air together."
"We're the lifeblood of Marine combat," he said. "Nothing moves until we move it. We're ammo, we're fuel, we fix things that are broken."
Support Group 3 has more moving parts than a Swiss watch. Most of them were on display during the semiannual exercise that ran for nearly three weeks at Bellows.
One of the unit's missions is to provide nuclear, biological and chemical decontamination — the military calls it NBC — for a quick reaction anti-terrorism force established in Hawai'i.
Another "centerpiece" mission is handling the logistics for noncombatant evacuations from foreign countries when embassies are assailed or Americans otherwise come under attack.
Harbison said the unit is Pacific-focused, and to his knowledge, he has no "taskers" for a possible war with Iraq.
But there remains the possibility, and it's on the minds of Marines.
"Regardless of who goes, every Marine here probably knows someone who's over there or going to go," said 1st Lt. Steve Tennes, a utilities platoon commander.
"We're staying focused on our job wherever that is."
Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.
