Photo By Sgt. Grace L. Waladkewics | An AV-8B Harrier taxis down the flight line at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - More than 170 Marines with Marine Attack Squadron 223 departed Sept. 10 for a month-long exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nev.
Green Flag is an exercise that occurs 10 times per year and serves as a way to support ground combat forces, according to Lt. Col. Roger T. McDuffie, commanding officer of the squadron.
Eight of the squadron’s AV-8B Harriers took to the skies to conduct offensive close-air support missions and to hone communication between air and ground forces.
“The training our Marines are conducted during this exercise is very similar to what they would do while conducting a mission in an austere environment,” said McDuffie. “This is a building block for any future mission this squadron is tasked with.”
While our Marines conduct Green Flag, we are simultaneously supporting the Weapons Tactics Instructors course and currently have a Harrier presence with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is forward deployed supporting Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, said McDuffie.
During the exercise, the Marines will learn mission essential tasks that will enable them to be mission ready for any future missions they are tasked with, said McDuffie.The squadron will be conducting air-to-surface and joint operations training, integrated with Air Force Strike platforms to provide support on the ground for special forces.
The exercise takes place at Nellis Air Force Base because the Marines can perform live-fire training there that can’t be duplicated on the east coast, said Maj. Jason D. Egan, executive office of VMA-223.
“Performing the live-fire training, and employing the weapons while testing rapid deployment capabilities builds confidence in the interoperability of our forces,” said Egan.
If VMA-223 were called to action tomorrow, it would be ready, said Egan. The squadron is training with precision weapons that will limit collateral damage and civilian casualties when employed during a mission.
“The sun doesn’t set on the Marines of VMA-223,” said McDuffie. “We are working hard day and night to increase our squadron’s proficiency and currency.”
| Date Taken: | 09.10.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2014 06:47 |
| Story ID: | 142244 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NC, US |
| Hometown: | HASTINGS, MN, US |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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