Hauling

Air Force Staff Sgt. Joseph Worrell, 70th Medium Truck Detachment, vehicle operator and lead navigator for the convoy, clears his weapon before starting a six day mission. During the mission, Worrell and his unit hauled more than 225,000 pounds of equipment out of Iraq in support of the Dec. 31 deadline. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeffrey Allen/Released)

Pamplico native hauls U.S. out of Iraq

Published Nov. 22, 2011
By Staff Sgt. David Salanitri
U.S. Air Force Central Public Affairs

IRAQ -- Staff Sgt. Joseph Worrell, a vehicle operator with the 70th Medium Truck Detachment, recently deployed to an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia from the 23rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga.

Worrell, a native of Pamplico, S.C., directly impacts Operation New Dawn in a big way - by bringing supplies out of Iraq.

Each day, Worrell and members from his unit drive into Iraq to bring cargo, supplies and vehicles out of the country to support the withdraw of U.S. forces in the country.

"The mission here is historic," said Worrell, who's also a lead navigator during convoys. "We're closing things up here in Iraq after almost a decade."

In recent months, the 387th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, which the 70th MTD belongs to, has increased its amount of missions trucking out cargo from Iraq by approximately 200 percent.

"When we first got here last month, the squadron was averaging about 11 missions per week," said Lt. Col. John O'Connor, 387th ELRS commander and native of Albany, Ga., before going on to say that the squadron is on track to average about 35 missions per month.

Worrell has deployed more than six times during his Air Force career.

To read more about what the 70th MTD is doing downrange, visit http://www.dvidshub.net/news/79949/turning-lights-off-iraq-1100-mile-road-trip.