It’s early in the morning and the sun fills the hangar bay aboard the Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Bataan. Already, sailors and Marines are tinkering away on numerous pieces of equipment and aircraft.
One of them is Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Andre Pedro, a ground support equipment mechanic assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Currently, the 24th MEU is deployed with the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and its ready group in support of maritime operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.
Pedro, originally from Portugal, moved to Farmingville, New York, with his family when was 12 years old. He finished his schooling and graduated from Sachem East High School in June 2009.
In June 2013, Pedro joined the Marine Corps because he wanted something new and more in his life.
“I was tired of working part-time jobs, so the Marine Corps seemed like a good idea,” he said.
Joining the Marines
Pedro got that and more. By joining the Marines he felt he is a part of something greater, and he has achieved that through working with fellow Marines and their sailor counterparts in the Bataan’s group support equipment division.
Pedro and the onboard GSE division are responsible for fixing, maintaining, and tracking all the equipment used to work on aircraft. All the aircraft technicians from embarked squadrons, such as Helicopter Combat Squadron 26 and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365, use the GSE shop to check out equipment to work on their aircraft.
This is Pedro’s first time being on a ship and says he enjoys working with other Marines and sailors.
“Being on the Bataan is a cool experience. I enjoy my work and I like the sailors”, he said. “It’s interesting to see how they do their jobs.”
Performing Different Duties
Currently, instead of working in the GSE shop, Pedro is working as a food service attendant on the mess decks. When Marines integrate onto the ship they assist in additional ship responsibilities to help with the workload of the increased crew size. Sailors and Marines take turns supporting the ship’s laundry, galley and cleaning the mess decks after each meal.
Now there is a new team of sailors and Marines Pedro is serving with and learning about. In his new temporary role he hears the clanging of freshly cleaned silverware and smells the fresh gristle off the flat iron grills of the ship’s galley.
“I’m working in the scullery right now. It’s not the best [job], but everyone has to do it,” Pedro said with a laugh.
Personal Goals
Pedro enjoys his time off work and uses it to his advantage. “To stay in my groove; I read books, play video games and watch movies,” he said.
Pedro has two main goals while out to sea.
“I’m hoping to save lots of money and see a bunch of countries,” he said.
The Bataan, its amphibious ready group and the 24th MEU are deployed as part of a regular rotation of forces to support maritime security operations, provide crisis response capability and increase theater security cooperation while providing a forward naval presence in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleets’ areas of operation.