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    Fly By: Cpl. Jerel McKenzie

    Fly By: McKenzie

    Photo By Lance Cpl. Glen Santy | Stephen Cochran, a Marine veteran and top 40 country star, and his band perform a free...... read more read more

    MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NC, UNITED STATES

    10.03.2012

    Story by Lance Cpl. Glen Santy 

    II Marine Expeditionary Force   

    MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Cpl. Jerel McKenzie’s position as a plane captain with Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 is one of four supervisory qualifications in the squadron.

    “Being the plane captain and having deployed with the squadron, I have more experience than some of the Marines here, and they look to me for guidance because of it,” he said.

    McKenzie, an unmanned aerial system avionics technician, maintains and supervises the assembly and disassembly of RQ-7B Shadow Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

    “It’s the wave of the future for aviation,” said McKenzie an Orlando Fla., native.

    McKenzie said the light-weight reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft can provide convoy escorts and ground troop movement surveillance and support.

    McKenzie recently returned from a six-month deployment to Afghanistan with the squadron where they conducted missions and performed daily maintenance, launches, fueling and recovery with the UAVs.

    “The heat and harsher climate corroded the aircraft faster and made them break down more often,” he said. “But we pushed through to the end.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 10.03.2012
    Date Posted: 10.03.2012 16:01
    Story ID: 95663
    Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NC, US

    Web Views: 145
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN