Photo By Master Sgt. Steven Williams | Royal Air Force Squadron Leader 'H' Bailey (left) and Flying Officer J.J. Gooding...... read more read more
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By 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) Public Affairs
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Almost any Marine can tell you that 1st Lt. Alfred A. Cunningham was the Marine Corps' first aviator. However, how many Marines know that on the eve of the 1st Marine Aviation Force entering World War I, Maj. Alfred Cunningham was also the first Marine aviator to develop integrated aviation capabilities with the United Kingdom? Almost a century later, history repeats itself as the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) unites with the U.K.'s Joint Aviation Group.
A coalition colors ceremony, June 1, marked the integration of the JAG with 3rd MAW (FWD). Brig. Gen. Andrew W. O'Donnell Jr., the 3rd MAW (FWD) commanding general, led the ceremony with Group Capt. Nick Laird, the JAG commander. The two organizations now operate under a NATO Tactical Control command relationship, which pools their resources and manpower so 3rd MAW (FWD) can support the various Regional Command (Southwest) missions across the region.
"I think that as two separate organizations, we both have strengths," said Laird. "But combined, we have exceptional agility to react to a very determined enemy and insurgent campaign. We now have the additional resources to support the ground forces in a far more comprehensive way than has been previously had in this part of the country."
"We are totally integrated now," said O'Donnell. "Here at the operational level as a Wing headquarters, we have more than a dozen [British] staff officers who work inside of, and are incorporated with, the wing. It's very important to note that these British members of our team are not liaisons officers - they are action officers. They are staff officers who work side by side with the 3rd MAW (FWD) staff."
He went on to say, "When we raised the colors, it was nothing new; we have worked with the U.K. many, many times on many, many issues over the years. This is just one more opportunity for us to work together."
Much has changed over the nine decades since the first British and Marine Corps aviation integration. The advanced F/A-18 Hornets and MV-22B Ospreys are evidence of remarkable aviation advancements since the days of the Airco DH.4 and DH.9A flown by the U.K. Royal Air Force and U.S. Marines during the First World War.
The Airco DH.4 was a two-seat biplane day bomber that entered service with the Royal Flying Corps in 1916. With the ability to fly over 140 mph and armed with a Vickers machine gun and one or two Lewis guns, the DH.4 was a huge success with the British military forces. It was reliable, easy to fly, and due to its speed and altitude performance, it did not require a fighter escort on most missions. It performed so well that many considered it the best single-engine bomber of WWI.
The Airco DH.4 was later succeeded by more powerful biplanes like the DH.9A. The Airco DH.9 had the same wings and tail unit of the DH.4 but a new fuselage, enabling the pilot to sit closer to the gunner. In 1916, because of increased attacks by German bombers on London, the Royal Flying Corps doubled in size and most of the new squadrons were equipped with either the DH.4 or the DH.9.
At the time of entry into the war, the U.S. aviation forces did not have any appropriate aircraft for combat missions, so they began to obtain various models of aircraft from the British and the French, one of them being the Airco DH.4.
As Cunningham and the Marines of 1st MAF were gearing up and preparing to deploy in 1917, they had plans in place to send their own DH.4 bombers to France, where they would be assembled and used. Due to delays in the assembly and mistakes in the paperwork, the Marines successfully made it to France, but their aircraft did not. Anxious to get into the fight, Cunningham got approval from the U.S. Navy for his Marines to fly with the RAF's No. 217 and 218 squadrons. While flying the British DH.4s and 9s, each of the 1st MAF pilots flew at least three missions under the cooperative agreement with the RAF.
After the Marines' own birds arrived successfully, Cunningham and the 1st MAF squadrons remained in place and began flying their own missions in support of their British counterparts in their final assaults on the Germans. In true Marine Corps fashion, on the 1st MAF's first mission in their own aircraft, a young second lieutenant pilot and his gunner, a corporal, each earned the Medal of Honor for actions while attacking German-held rail yards in Thielt, Belgium.
Many wars and aviation advancements later, the Marine Corps now boasts a wide array of aviation assets supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Today's relationship with the U.K. JAG will be much different, as both parties bring uniquely different capabilities to the fight. And although neither is actually flying the other's aircraft, both partners are finding ways to compliment and support each other to accomplish the International Security Assistance Force's mission toward peace and stability throughout Afghanistan.
The U.S. Marine Corps' old faithful Sikorsky CH-53D Sea Stallion and CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters do the majority of the heavy hauling across Afghanistan, carrying troops and cargo wherever required. Being the more powerful of the two with three gas turbine engines, the Super Stallion is often referred to as the "workhorse" of the Marine Corps.
The storied MV-22B Osprey is the Marine Corps' newest medium-lift aircraft. Although it shares the mission of the 53s - carrying coalition forces and their equipment wherever the mission commands - it is capable of delivering them much faster, moving around 300 mph. Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261's deployment to Afghanistan marked the Osprey's first role in OEF. VMM-261's tour is coming to an end this summer, but the Marines have already taken this aircraft above and beyond what was expected in this harsh environment.
Just one province over, the KC-130 Hercules aircraft is operating off the ramps at Kandahar Air Field. Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 is flying the "Herc" as a multi-role tanker/transport plane which also provides in-flight refueling to tactical jets and helicopters.
Also based out of Kandahar, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, the oldest active fighter squadron in the Marine Corps, launches their F/A-18C and F/A-18D Hornets whenever the mission calls. These aircrafts fulfill a myriad of critical missions, including ground forces escort, suppression of enemies, close air support and reconnaissance. VMFA-232's arsenal of aircraft and supporting Marines arrived in May. They have been successfully adding firepower, speed and agility to 3rd MAW (FWD)'s operations in Afghanistan since their appearance.
Camp Bastion and forward operating base Dwyer are both home to the AH-1W Super Cobra and UH-1Y Huey helicopters flown by Marine Light Attack Squadron 369. The updated Huey is reminiscent of the pot-bellied helo used heavily in Vietnam. But today the "Y" version, affectionately dubbed the "Yankee" by its pilots, is outfitted with four rotor blades which make it capable of carrying heavier firepower - a perfect teammate for the Cobras, whose sole mission in the fight is to provide top cover for the boots on the ground. Most likely the first to be called on when ground troops are in contact with the enemy, these two agile birds are prime examples of the speed and force the Marine Corps is capable of bringing to a fight when seconds count.
Now, with the JAG totally integrated into 3rd MAW (FWD), the pooled resources the U.K. brings to the fight expand 3rd MAW (FWD)'s capabilities to support ground forces in several ways. With all aviation units being managed under the new unified leadership, both forces are now able to multiply their strengths and increase their areas of operations. The U.K. aviation assets compliment the Marines' arsenal and bring new speed, strength and support capabilities to the fight.
The AH-64D Apache is the JAG's attack helicopter. The twin-engine two-seater came into U.K. service in 2004 and arrived in Afghanistan for its first operational tour in February 2007. Since then, this helo has been supporting ground forces with firepower and aerial reconnaissance. It is capable of flying over 180 mph and is currently the only attack helicopter used by the Royal Army. Its rockets, Hellfire missiles and 30mm chain gun make this gunship a state-of-the-art aerial weapons system.
The U.K. is successfully employing the CH-47 Chinook, AW101 Merlin and the Westland WS-61 Sea King as the troop and cargo transport aircraft in this region. These heavy haulers are providing support and fast movement to NATO ground forces that would otherwise be separated by sprawling diverse terrain and enemy forces.
The Chinook - another helicopter used heavily by the U.S. Army - is a tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter that looks a lot like the Marine Corps' CH-46 Sea Knight. Some variants are used by the U.K. as medical evacuation aircraft. Like the 46, it can accommodate both internal and external cargo lifts and carry up to 54 combat-loaded troops or 10 tons of cargo.
Although the Merlin can only transport a little more than half of the Chinook's maximum weight - toting only 24 personnel - this aircraft can fly for almost twice as long and can also be used for casualty evacuation. It is part of a fleet of next-generation helos that the U.K. is now employing.
The WS-61 Sea King is a medium-lift transport and utility British helicopter and was first built to replace an older model in anti-submarine warfare. Currently, the U.S. Navy also employs a variant for the same purpose. This distinctive five-bladed bird is capable of towing up to 27 fully-loaded troops and can also carry external loads.
The Lynx Mk9A helo is a unique aircraft used for convoy over watch, support helicopter escort and movement of forces. It's a fairly new aircraft for the U.K. having just arrived in Afghanistan in May. It's designed to withstand the austere conditions here giving commanders more flight hours, an important attribute in Afghanistan's challenging environmental conditions.
Finally, both the U.S. and U.K. bring a few versions of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles providing eyes in the skies for various missions.
This collection of aircraft now fights under one banner here in support of ISAF's mission, but leadership from both 3rd MAW (FWD) and JAG insist it's really just business as usual. The integration, through a step-by-step process employed over six months, has gone flawlessly and the U.K. and U.S. military members are working together like a well-oiled machine.
"They live with us, go to chow with us, work with us, fly with us," said O'Donnell. "My next door neighbor is Nick Laird. We see each other hourly."
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.24.2010 05:50 |
| Story ID: | 51875 |
| Location: | CAMP LEATHERNECK, AF |
| Web Views: | 698 |
| Downloads: | 397 |
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