Dawn Blitz prepares Marines for rapid crisis response

Photo By Sgt. Timothy Lenzo | A CH-53E lands on the flight deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard Sept. 28, 2011. The helicopter is participating in Exercise Dawn Blitz, a training evolution to help prepare Marines for amphibious landings. The CH-53E brought Marines from Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing aboard the ship.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

09.28.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Timothy Lenzo  

I Marine Expeditionary Force

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Elements of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 landed aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard Sept. 28 to participate in a large-scale exercise.

CH-53E Super Stallions and V-22 Ospreys flew aboard to participate in Exercise Dawn Blitz, an exercise designed to prepare Marine units for rapid crisis response.

The aircraft are used for many different types of missions throughout the Marine Corps from amphibious assault operations to disaster response.

“We provide a lot of different things for troops – from insertion, evacuation, medical supplies, food, transport cargo, artillery and vehicles,” said Sacramento, Calif., native, Lance Cpl. Steven J. Rader, a crew chief with HMH 466, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

While Dawn Blitz will provide Marines with crisis response training, it’s also an opportunity for aircraft crews to conduct landing and take-off exercises.

“It’s for pilots and crew chiefs to get more familiar with landing, operations, working with the Navy – all sorts of things like that,” said Rader.

Portland, Ore., native Cpl. Ben Kramer, an aviation ordnance technician with HMH 466, said that familiarizing themselves with amphibious operations is just as important as flight training.

“It’s a necessity for us to get out here and do this,” said Kramer. “A lot of these guys have never been on a boat before. They don’t know anything from rules and regulations, to how they’re going to be working on the planes, different decks and all that kind of stuff.”

Life on a ship is vastly different to life on shore. This will give Marines a glimpse of what to expect on their upcoming deployment with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

“I know when I first got on a ship it was a whole new world,” said Kramer. “I just hope this mentally prepares them for the amount of time they’ll spend on a boat. I think the mental aspect is huge.”

Life on a ship isn’t the only difference. Landing and taking off become more complicated on a moving vessel at sea.

“Once we’re aboard the ship or the 31st MEU we might not have the opportunity to train – you may not be able to wave-off as much,” said Rader. “A wave-off is basically when you can’t complete a task, and you have to try again.”

Whether it’s getting better acclimated to life on a ship or if it’s practice landings, the exercises during Dawn Blitz will help these Marines to remain ready for a rapid crisis response.

“It’s like training yourself to ride a bike, so you’ll always know how to do it,” said Rader.

• Date Taken: 09.28.2011
• Date Posted: 09.29.2011 02:59
• Story ID: 77741
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US