Photo By Master Sgt. Katesha Washington | An unmanned aerial vehicle with Marine Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 4, Marine...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. – Even though combat operations in Iraq have ceased and operations in Afghanistan are winding down, the threat of Improvised Explosive Devices and Taliban attacks still exist. Marines who served in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 12 years know all too well the devastating impact IEDs can have. Many of them bear the mental and physical scars of a detonated IED and sadly, many of them have lost comrades due to them.
The Department of Defense has implemented special tactics to counter the Taliban’s number one weapon against U.S. troops, but even with the most sophisticated techniques, the DoD has yet to completely eliminate the threat. There is a highly developed aircraft, however, that continues to make a significant difference on the battlefield – the unmanned aerial vehicle, also known as a UAV.
For the Marines of Marine Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 4 (VMU-4), Marine Aircraft Group 48, providing information that can help save the lives of their comrades on the ground remains their top priority.
The squadron is currently participating in Integrated Training Exercise 4-14 here, where they are conducting daily flights. This training helps ensure that they are prepared to provide information to ground combat elements about their specific battle space at a moment’s notice.
There are currently only four UAV squadrons in the Marine Corps. VMU-4 is the fourth and only Reserve component UAV squadron. The squadron was activated in July 2010. Since it has been in existence for only four years, it is considered a new and relatively unknown asset.
“If they’ve never worked with us before they don’t know how we can help them,” said Gunnery Sgt. Lilia Garcia, VMU-4 maintenance control chief. “We are primarily in support of ground troops but we want the rest of the Corps to know that we are capable and ready to perform any mission. That’s why my people work extremely hard to keep these aircraft highly functional and in top flying condition.”
Their mission is to provide aerial intelligence and target marking in support of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Able to fly as high as 15,000 feet above the ground, VMU-4 is able to provide a unique perspective; they are often referred to as a commander’s ‘eyes in the sky’.
Gunnery Sgt. Andre Talington, the operations chief for VMU-4, said ITX is a prime opportunity for his Reserve Marines to enhance their skills as operators on the four UAVs they deployed with them to the Mojave Desert.
“These aircraft have many capabilities, so this is the perfect opportunity for our Marines straight out of school and even those already with experience, to get their hands on the aircraft and really understand all that it has to offer,” he stated.
Even though UAVs are operated by remote control, it takes a team effort to get them airborne and maintain a high level of readiness. Every Marine requires constant training, even those who control the cameras mounted on the aircraft and the direction in which it flies.
Sgt. Ryan Darin, a Weapons and Tactics Instructor for VMU-4 and Chicago native, is responsible for ensuring the squadron’s Marines are current on all of their required training to operate the UAVs. He knows that he is making an impact on the overall mission of the squadron and the MAGTF.
“I take a lot of pride in what I do,” Darin said. “I feel that I am making a difference and having a positive impact on the mission and possibly saving lives of those Marines on the ground.”
Darin, along with approximately 64 other Marines and one corpsmen of the squadron, will continue to train at ITX should they be called upon for aerial surveillance support.
By aggregating over 4,000 reserve personnel from across the United States for a two week exercise, ITX 4-14 demonstrates the capability of the Reserve component to form a complete MAGTF and rapidly deploy to a wide array of global contingencies.
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.16.2014 19:12 |
| Story ID: | 133299 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 172 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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