Navy Compass - San Diego Official Navy Newspaper

Aviation Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class William Merida, a native of Los Angeles, said the squadron is unique in the air wing in that without their capabilities with the C-2A Greyhound, Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD), to bring supplies to the ship whenever they are needed, the rest of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 would not be able to fully perform their duties at sea while embarked on USS Abraham Lincoln.

Merida compares service provided by VRC-30 to any major postal delivery service company.

“We don’t go and drop bombs, or fight, or anything like that, but we do a lot of little things that add up to some of the big things,” Merida said. “Let’s say a Hornet needs a part because it can’t fly until it gets that part. If we can’t deliver the goods, that plane is down.”

Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class Amy Hanson of El Paso, Texas, said their squadron makes a huge impact on the entire crew. Not just with supplies, but with packages and mail too.

“If our squadron couldn’t do its job, the ship wouldn’t get the parts needed to complete the mission,” Hanson said. “People look forward to seeing that COD landing on the flight deck.”

Along with supply runs and handling mail, the “Providers” make it possible to transport personnel on and off the ship while at sea. Squadron personnel like Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class (SW) Eliel Rios of Tucson, Ariz., remembers his first flights with the “Providers.”

“It’s quite the experience,” Rios said. “You’re supposed to hold on to your harness because if you didn’t, your arms kind of fly away from you. It’s almost like an amusement park ride. The landing’s not as exciting, but it comes to a very abrupt stop.”

Hanson said one of the biggest differences in how a logistics squadron runs is the fact that the crew members working on the plane also fly in them.

“The pilots trust you and so do the air crewmen that are on board too,” Hanson said. “They count on you in making sure you’re doing your job properly.”

Personnel and supplies are flown on and off the ship on a constant basis. Depending on the number of passengers and the amount of cargo that needs to be brought onto the ship will ultimately determine how long their flights will be and how many stops they’ll need to make along the way, said Lt. Ryan King, a pilot for VRC-30.

“We coordinate for our passengers and cargo load, and base those off our maximum takeoff weight and fuel based on the high temperatures out here,” King said. “Sometimes we fly straight here, and we have to make sure we have enough fuel in case we have to divert because we can’t refuel. It’s about a three-hour flight directly to here right now, or about an hour and a half enroute to one of our stopovers.”

An average day for VRC-30 pilots start before the sun even hints at rising and isn’t over until well into the evening. The majority of their time is spent in the air flying from one stop to the next. They spend, at most, an hour and a half aboard Lincoln, which the crew uses to do a quick check on the plane, put fuel in the tank, and launch it off to its next destination, King said.

Constantly on the move, VRC-30’s vital role supports the CVW-2’s ability to contribute to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, as well as Maritime Security Operations, to develop and build the conditions for security in the maritime environment, promoting regional stability and global prosperity.