U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Paul Wagener, from Illinois, an information systems officer with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 252, conducts low-light flight operations over the Atlantic Ocean near North Carolina, May 6, 2025. VMGR-252 conducted routine aerial refueling operations in support of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 261 over eastern North Carolina as part of its ongoing training continuum.
U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 271 conduct base recovery after attack training at Marine Corps Outlying Landing Field Atlantic, North Carolina, April 1 to April 2, 2025. MWSS-271 worked alongside personnel from the Office of Naval Research to test various unmanned aerial systems, evaluating their performance to determine which would best enhance the effectiveness of BRAAT training and application. (U.S. Marine Corps Video by Pfc. Gavin K. Kulczewski)
Sirens pierced through the walls of the C-130 Hercules aircraft that he rode, indicating that rockets were inbound somewhere on the installation. The aircraft was forced to conduct a “combat landing,” taking a steeper angle than usual to land to avoid enemy fires. The year was 2011, and U.S. Marine Sgt. Allen Ravan, a Charleston, South Carolina, native and an airframes mechanic with Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 513, had just landed at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
“It was a pace I wasn’t ready for,” said now Master Sgt. Ravan.
High operational tempo and stressful conditions like this forged the beginning of Ravan’s career and have continued to impact how he leads today. Currently, Ravan is a Maintenance Assessment...
05.05.2025 | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
Story by Lance Cpl. Mya Seymour
