Marines with Expeditionary Operations Training Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force reopened Landing Zone Vulture with a commemorative rappel at Stone Bay, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, May 17, 2017.
The Marines of EOTG rappelled off a CH-53 Super Stallion at LZ Vulture to celebrate its reopening for this first time after it was closed following an incident on September 2, 2015 when a CH-53 Super Stallion experienced a hard landing that resulted in the death of a Marine and the injury of 11 others.
Marine Helicopter Rope Suspension Technique instructors with EOTG conducted a rappel off of a CH-53 Super Stallion to commemorate the fallen Marine and those who were injured in the incident.
“It was important to show… that we still pay respect to Staff Sgt. Lewis and to show the fellow instructors that still work at EOTG that we’re still doing it even though something like that happened,” said Sgt. Joshua Jelinek, a ropes and recovery instructor with EOTG. “To show that something bad can happen and you still have to prevail through that."
“It was a big event for a lot of Marines involved including myself,” said Sgt. Steven Schmitz, a Special Tactics Marine with EOTG. “We lost a Marine that night and that is never a good thing”
LZ Vulture has been reopened in order to help resume the EOTG training in HRST.
“Healing occurred today and we’re moving on, it’s good for the [CH] 53 community,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Chad Ramsey, the Staff Non-commissioned officer in charge for II MEF EOTG.