Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 367, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, conducted deck landing qualifications (DLQ) with U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom helicopters aboard Military Sealift Command’s prepositioning ship USNS Seay (T-AKR 302), at Kin Bay, Okinawa, Japan, June 22, 2026.
Seay is part of Maritime Pre-Positioning Ship Squadron Three (MPSRON 3), which operates in the Western Pacific and maintains tactical control of 10 ships carrying afloat prepositioned U.S. military cargo for the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Air Force.
The squadron’s mission is to enable force from the sea by providing swift and effective transportation of vital equipment and supplies for designated operations.
The aircraft crews from HMLA 367 practiced single-spot deck landings aboard Seay, to certify crew members and pilots in landing on a ship.
The DLQs were conducted through coordination between MPSRON 3, USNS Seay, and crews from HMLA 367 to qualify or reset their crew on single-spot DLQ currency.
The training environment was also an opportunity for Marine Corps aircrews to ensure maritime air movement capability and readiness.
“Deck landing qualifications aboard USNS Seay demonstrate the critical partnership between the Navy and Marine Corps,” said Capt. Michael G. Mortensen, commodore, MPSRON 3. “By maintaining proficiency in shipboard aviation operations, we increase the ship’s operational flexibility and ensure Marines can rapidly project power and sustain forces across the maritime domain.”
The event was executed safely and without incident.
MSC Far East supports the U.S. 7th Fleet by ensuring ships throughout the Pacific region are manned, trained and equipped to deliver fuel, cargo and supplies to forces operating at sea and ashore. The U.S. 7th Fleet is the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet and routinely operates with allies and partners to promote a free and open Pacific.