Photo By Cpl. Joshua Pettway | Lance Cpl. Allan Brown, an aircraft mechanic with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115,...... read more read more
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Recently, multiple squadrons from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort participated in a Large Force Exercise to improve their mission capabilities. The LFE incorporated different aircraft including F/A-18 Hornets, a C-130 Hercules and EA-6B Prowlers.
Pilots with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 and VMFA-312 flew to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. to complete the exercise Jan. 26 and 27.
“The main point of the event is to improve our overall effectiveness as a Marine Air Ground Task Force while training with adjacent squadrons like VMFA-312,” said Lt. Col. Danny Johnson, the commanding officer for VMFA-115.
The various elements of a MAGTF work together to support and carry out missions and complete various training exercises in garrison to prepare for deployments.
“You can’t go in to do a long range strike unless you have all the moving parts to ensure mission completion,” Johnson said.
According to Johnson, this training is beneficial to VMFA-115 because it will better help the squadron prepare the Marines who lack the experience for their upcoming deployment.
“The training is valuable for the pilots because it gives them their flight qualification and allows everyone refresher training that they will employ in combat,” Capt. Matthew Gaede, assistant operations officer for VMFA-312.
Every Marine involved in the training evolution received a joint mission brief to ensure that no information was miscommunicated and that everyone understood the objectives and contingency plan.
According to Gaede, a pilot with VMFA-312, multiple pilots received qualifications and the unit also provided four additional aircraft during the exercise.
The Marines were given different scenarios where they had to intercept other aircraft in a specific area of airspace, drop ordnance and safely return. During the second day of training different scenarios were included to test the reaction capabilities of the participants.
The training demanded 24 hours of dedication to complete, which included the briefing, flying, firing, debriefing and review of the mission’s success. During the exercise the squadrons faced many different factors that they had to overcome.
“One of the most important things we stress is communication,” Johnson said. “Because anything could happen and it is important to relay information, which is why we will have Marines in Beaufort communicating with those in Cherry Point to ensure that everyone is aware of every adjustment.”
There are 20 different aircraft involved in the training and ordnance must be dropped at specific times and places with no exception.
“The various aircraft all operate differently so it is vital that everyone knows of any changes immediately so they are able to adjust and operate at full capacity,” Johnson said.
The Marines managed to complete the LFE without any complications and returned to the Air Station to review the overall success of the mission, which allowed them to further learn from the experience.
| Date Taken: | 02.04.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.04.2011 16:51 |
| Story ID: | 64845 |
| Location: | BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 178 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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