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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Marine Transport Squadron 1 had a dynamic year supporting the service members of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and citizens in the local area. In 2010 alone VMR-1 conducted 65 missions, 140 flight hours and saved 47 lives.
When VMR-1 Marines and sailors are flying in the squadron’s HH46E search and rescue helicopter, affectionately known as Pedro, they are either on a mission or conducting their continuous training for all types of emergencies, such as missing boaters, vehicle crashes or even forest fires.
“The training we conduct helps us prepare for disasters,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan E. Honnoll, search and rescue medical technician with VMR-1. “We are always training to make sure we are ready in a moment’s notice. Our mission as a search and rescue unit is to provide help not only to people here on station but to the civilians of our surrounding communities.”
Over the last year Marines and sailors with VMR-1 have shown their dedication to country and Corps by completing more than 1,000 hours of training to prepare for inevitable emergencies.
That hard training paid off this past year when the unit was awarded the Chief of Naval Operations Naval Aviation Safety Award.
“VMR-1 has many different working pieces to make sure we are ready for any mission,” said Cpl. James B. Edwards, VMR-1 search and rescue noncommissioned officer in charge. “Our mechanics spent more than 7,000 hours fixing our aircrafts to make sure we all can continue to fly and complete rescue missions.”
VMR-1 Marines and sailors work with Coast Guardsmen of Fort Macon, N.C., often. They conducted multiple hours of joint training last year along with supporting the Coast Guard in various rescues around the Crystal Coast area.
“We supported the Coast Guard in nine missions that ranged from search and rescues to hospital medical transports,” said Edwards. “We train with them in many weather conditions, because we never know when we might need to go and help them or vice versa.”
“Whether it is sunny or snowy; hot or cold,” added Edwards, “we are ready and trained to go out and get the mission accomplished and save lives.”
| Date Taken: | 01.06.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 01.07.2011 09:39 |
| Story ID: | 63179 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, VMR-1 saves 47 lives in 2010, by LCpl Cory D. Polom, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
