MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan - Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 Marines participated in Exercise Daimyo Eagle 2013, which started behind the XtremeWorks skate park here, March 8, 2013.
Exercise Daimyo Eagle is an opportunity to establish a squadron level aviation ground support operations center (AGSOC), perform staff functions in a field environment, and improve the ability to plan.
The tactics, techniques, and procedures developed during this exercise will prepare MWSS-171 to operate in a deployed environment.
“We’re supposed to be ready at a moment’s notice,” said 1st Lt. Robert Arellano, MWSS-171 Daimyo Eagle action officer. “If we need to pick up tonight and be able to communicate, this is it. This is a very essential piece of the puzzle.”
Daimyo Eagle prepared its participants for more extensive training.
“The reason why we’re doing this is because we’re going to go to (Infantry Training Exercise),” said Arellano. “Back in the day, it used to be called Mojave Viper. We’re going to go to Twentynine Palms and we’re going to be in a supporting role over there, so this is in preparation for that.”
Daimyo Eagle perfected the Marine’s speed and efficiency of setting up communications.
“In the words of (Lt. Col. Michael Taylor, MWSS-171 commanding officer), ‘Before you set up the chow hall, you have to set up communications,’” said Arellano. “Why? Because the commander wants to know what’s happening on the ground. You have to have communication first, no matter where you’re going.”
The training also gave the individual Marines the opportunity to observe and learn the jobs of those in other sections around them.
“I feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself,” said Lance
Cpl. Aaron Thompson, MWSS-171 radio operator. “I like coming out here and getting out all the S-6 guys together, data, radio, wire, and making everything move as one big machine. All the parts together
make it work.”
Exercises such as this prepare units aboard station for real-world
events, should the need arise.
“Say we deploy ... we can’t go out there not knowing what to do,” said Thompson. “We have to be as ready as possible at a moment’s notice. Coming out here and doing things like this, it’s just making us more
prepared.”
Arellano said MWSS-171 is also planning to run simulated battle drills using the completely constructed facilities.