Photo By Staff Sgt. Anne Henry | Lance Cpl. Channing Urber prepares to be dropped off at the simulated recovery site...... read more read more
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PAMPANGA, Republic of the Philippines - Members of the Philippine Air Force and U.S. Marines worked togetherto conduct the simulated recovery of an F/A-18C Hornet Oct. 2 at Clark Air Field, Pampanga, Republic of the Philippines as part of Amphibious Landing Exercise 2014.
PHIBLEX 14, a bilateral training exercise, is designed to improve Philippine-U.S. interoperability, increase readiness, and enhance the ability for a bilateral force to respond to natural disasters or other regional contingencies.
Throughout the morning, the PAF members and Marines worked together to make sure that everything went smoothly, according to U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Talan J. Wyenandt, aircraft rescue and firefighting chief.
“The PAF and Marines were to recover an F/A-18 that had a simulated failed engine,” said Wyenandt. “It is critical to recover the aircraft in order to ensure that it is not a hazard.”
During the training, the crash crews responded how they would if an actual accident occurred.
“My Marines have two minutes to get into their gear,” said Cpl. James Lubbers, a crash fire rescue specialist with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, which is currently part of the aviation combat element for 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “However, we always try to go as fast as we can. I like my Marines to take no more than a minute and thirty seconds.”
During the training, the Marines were able to work together with the PAF, allowing them to learn from each other and pick up new techniques.
“We wanted to get our Filipino counterparts involved because they don’t often get that much time with the F/A-18s,” said Lubbers. “Because of this, they shadowed us in order to understand all of our procedures.”
The Marines showed the PAF members how to ensure the aircraft is no longer a hazard, including pinning and checking for hot breaks, according to Lubbers.
“Pinning is putting a pin in the lock of the landing gear, ensuring the aircraft does not collapse while we are working on it,” said Lubbers. “We also showed them how to check for hot breaks. Often during these emergencies, the breaks will overheat causing them to catch on fire.”
The morning of training allowed the PAF and Marines to work together, getting comfortable with each other.
“I feel very comfortable working side-by-side with the Marines,” said PAF Tech. Sgt. Joselito Morales, a crash fire rescue specialist with 600th Air Base Wing. “We work well together.”
Unlike the daily training provided to the Marines with the unit, this bilateral recovery allowed the Marines to see their respective jobs in a new perspective.
“Many of the Marines working out here don’t often get to see a recovery or the setup of the arrestment, making this a good learning experience for them,” said Lubbers. “Working with our Filipino counterparts makes us stronger and the training more enjoyable. We are learning from each other’s strengths. I feel that should an emergency take place, we would be able to work together in cohesion to accomplish the mission.”
The bilateral training throughout PHIBLEX 14 ensures Philippine and U.S. forces are capable of integrating effectively to conduct both humanitarian assistance and regional security missions.
| Date Taken: | 10.02.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2013 09:15 |
| Story ID: | 114765 |
| Location: | CLARK AIR FIELD, PAMPANGA, PH |
| Web Views: | 267 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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