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The beginning of 2011 starts another busy year in the books for Marine Air Control Group 28. Yet looking back, 2010 was a busy year for MACG-28, from training to sending units on deployments, to the changing of leadership throughout the group.
Marine Air Support Squadron 1 for instance, created a tactical data link network from Aug. 16-26, linking together helicopter, fighter, bomber, Naval, and ground assets of the Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force in what is essentially a “battlefield internet” at MCAS Cherry Point and the surrounding air and sea spaces.
Marines from another vital piece of the group, 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, returned from a 7-month deployment, Sept. 8, from Camp Delaram II, Afghanistan, where they aided in providing security forces. Later on in the year at the end of October, 2nd LAAD Marines returned from MCAS Yuma, Ariz., after conducting air defense training and testing a new communication system called the Joint Range Extension System.
“We put that system to what we thought was the max and then pushed past it,” said Pfc. Nicholas J. Torcia, a 2nd LAAD gunner. “We need that system in the combat zone as soon as possible, so we wanted to really test its capabilities. This piece of equipment is going to save lives out there.”
In the midst of the constant training for mission readiness, the group experienced several changes of leadership, including Col. Jeffrey L. Merchant relinquishing command to Col. Peter J. DeVine as the commanding officer of MACG-28; Lt. Col. Brian J. King relinquishing command to Lt. Col. Gregory T. Puntney as the commanding officer of MWSC-28; and Sgt. Maj. Alex M. Dobson relieving Sgt. Maj. William R. Sweet as the sergeant major of Marine Air Control Squadron 2 in a post and relief ceremony.
In mid-November Marines with MACS-2 returned from a deployment with Continuing Promise 2010. Continuing Promise Marines and Sailors spent four months providing humanitarian assistance to eight countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America.
Keeping the group busy, MACG-28 conducted a Marine Air Command and Control System Integrated Simulated Training Exercise Dec. 14-16 to prepare for its upcoming deployment with 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) to Afghanistan. While deployed, MACG-28 and its subordinate squadrons will act as communications middlemen between aviation and ground combat elements operating in the same battle space.
The MISTEX exercise simulated real missions from Afghanistan that have already occurred and replayed them on computers so the squadrons of MACG-28 could go through the motions of coordinating air and ground units to complete those missions.
“This group is organized, trained and equipped to provide one air command and control system,” said Merchant at his change of command ceremony. “Last year, we provided two command and control systems in combat in two theaters at one time. That’s unprecedented, it’s historic and I’m proud of what the Marines have accomplished.”
| Date Taken: | 01.06.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 01.06.2011 17:03 |
| Story ID: | 63139 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 118 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, MACG-28’s year in review, by Sgt Samuel A. Nasso, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
