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    Marines awarded for returning MV-22 Osprey to flight status

    Marines awarded for returning MV-22B Osprey to flight status

    Photo By Cpl. Alissa Schuning | Maj. Gen. Michael Rocco, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, looks at...... read more read more

    MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

    06.25.2015

    Courtesy Story

    Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

    MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. - Twenty-four Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM)166, VMM-268 and VMM-364 received awards for their part in successfully returning an MV-22B Osprey to flight status aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, June 25.

    The participating Marines received Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals or Certificates of Commendation from Maj. Gen. Michael Rocco, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

    “These Marines were awarded because they took an MV-22B Osprey, the most in-demand aircraft that we have in the Department of Defense, and returned another one into flight operations, which fills a big hole,” said Rocco.

    For 278 days, the Osprey just took up space in the VMM-166 hangar until maintenance chiefs from multiple squadrons aboard the air station decided to get to work on returning it the sky.

    The chiefs assembled a team of Marines from VMM-166, VMM-268 and VMM-364 who reintroduced the aircraft to the operational lineup.

    Rocco said it was not the fact that the Marines brought an out-of-commission aircraft back into flight operations but, more importantly, that multiple units came together to do so.

    According to Staff Sgt. Travis Borkowski, a maintenance chief with VMM-166, it is not common to rebuild an aircraft because most of them don’t get to that stage in order for a rebuild to be necessary.

    It was not required for the squadrons to fix the Osprey, but Borkowski said, “It’s an aircraft. Its home is the sky and it needs to fly.”

    As a result of their combined efforts, the Osprey passed the Standard Functional Flight Check, took a group of VIPs to the USS America and carried 121 Marines and more than 9000 pounds of equipment in support of Integrated Training Exercise 3-15 in Twentynine Palms, California.

    “I am hugely proud of these Marines,” said Rocco. “They represent the best and brightest that we’ve got.”

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 06.25.2015
    Date Posted: 06.26.2015 16:01
    Story ID: 168323
    Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, US
    Hometown: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US

    Web Views: 1,271
    Downloads: 2

    PUBLIC DOMAIN