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Since arriving in Afghanistan in late November, Fightertown’s own Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 has provided air support for ground forces while deployed to Kandahar Air Field in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The Werewolves completed more than 1,300 flights and logged more than 2,300 flight hours in direct support of troops on the ground.
“All the hard work and dedication the maintainers have put towards getting our aircraft ready for combat has definitely paid off,” said Gunnery Sgt. Jay Trotter, the airframes division chief with VMFA-122.
The squadron has effectively employed more than 31,000 pounds of explosive ordnance and has fired approximately 9,000 cannon rounds to aid the mission in only a few months.
“With more than 900 Joint Tactical Air Requests we have established ourselves as the workhorse of Regional Command Southwest and are highly recommended as the platform of choice when Marines need air support,” said Capt. Travis Barksdale, the officer in charge of administration for VMFA-122.
The Werewolves are also the first Marine F/A-18 Hornet squadron to employ the GBU-54 Laser JDAM, a bomb with a laser homing target detection device, in combat.
“We have had phenomenal success with the weapon,” Barksdale said. “We are no longer restrained by inclement weather and or moving targets.
“The GBU-54 has solved those problems on the battlefield for both ground commanders and pilots who employ them, making us extremely lethal and effective for ground unit support,” Barksdale concluded.
The aircraft and their ordnance are utilized to help the Marines on the ground when they need support in the toughest times.
“Having spent time as a squad leader and machine gunner in combat with 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, I understand and can validate the want and need for not just air support, but Marine air support,” said Sgt. Aaron Hutson, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the ordnance division for VMFA-122. “When the time comes to use weapons other than the ones you carry, there is nothing better than calling for the employment of precise and powerful ordnance that falls from the wings of a Marine fighter.”
These aircraft also fulfill other reconnaissance roles while deployed by letting ground forces know the typography and what may lie ahead of them.
“Most of the important missions conducted by our aircraft are to conduct multi-sensory imagery reconnaissance as well as to provide close-air support in close proximity to ground forces in the Helmand River Valley,” Trotter said.
The work of these Marines saves the lives of Marines on the ground.
“I would argue that every day is an extraordinary accomplishment for VMFA-122 here in Afghanistan,” Barksdale said. “The Marines have demonstrated great poise while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“We are able to give Marines on the ground hope, when they hear our voice on the radio and hear the sound of our jets; and that is an extraordinary accomplishment every day,” Barksdale concluded.
The Werewolves are completing their mission every day and the standard of excellence they hold is a direct reflection of the spirit of a Marine Fighter Attack Squadron.
| Date Taken: | 02.10.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.10.2011 14:10 |
| Story ID: | 65175 |
| Location: | BEAUFORT, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 726 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Werewolves serve as guardians to ground forces in Afghanistan, by GySgt Justin Boling, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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