TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Preparing for deployment is part of most Marines’ careers. An Integrated Training Exercise aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., is a tool used to help get Marines in a deployment mindset.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 Marines departed for ITX, July 11, and will return to Marine Corps Air Station New River in the middle of August.
“Twentynine Palms is the environment that will give the Marines of MWSS-272 the opportunity to hone skills in their respective MOS’s (military occupational specialties) that isn’t always available on Camp Lejeune,” said Master Sgt. Lucas, MWSS-272 operations chief.
MWSS-272 will conduct training events, such as tactical recovery of aircraft and personal, convoy operations with air escorts, and airfield damage repair as per the squadron’s mission essential tasks.
The mission of MWSS-272 will be accomplished in five phases. Phase one is pre-deployment actions were the squadron will prepare to depart for the exercise.
Phase two is the actual deployment to ITX, where they will move all personnel and equipment are established camp at Twentynine Palms.
The next step is to complete all objectives assigned to the squadron.
Phase four is returning equipment, maintenance and turn in, breaking down camp, and return to the air station.
The final step is post-deployment actions at the air station, when Marines of MWSS-272 will get 96 hours of liberty and do after-action reports to better understand what they learned.
“The main mission of MWSS-272 is to provide aviation ground support in support of Marine Aircraft Group 24, the aviation combat element for Integrated Training Exercise 5-13 operations, and to conduct sustainment training in support of the squadron’s mission essential tasks,” said Lucas.
Lucas said although MWSS-272 is not scheduled for any deployments in the near future, the Marines will have a better understanding of their roles and how they support other units.