Photo By Lance Cpl. Miranda Faughn | Lance Cpl. Joshua Mann waits for Marines with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, to...... read more read more
Subscribe
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – In a war zone, landing can come with multiple challenges. Pilots have to take into account the weather, terrain features, and the added weight of the personnel they could be carrying.
To prepare for such variables and maintain readiness, Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 trained with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, to practice transporting Marines from one area to another, and receiving zone briefings from the forward air controllers at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 10.
The forward air controllers practiced guiding and zone briefing. Zone briefing gives the pilots details about the landing zone, letting them know the aircraft is safe for landing.
Most of the forward air controllers who participated in the exercise recently graduated from their military occupational school and this training benefited them by providing firsthand experience in supervising an approach of an aircraft, saidCapt. Luke Williamson, a pilot with VMM-266.
Relocating Marines from one area to another simulates dropping them in an unfamiliar area for both the pilot and the Marines in the back of the aircraft.
With more Marines in the back, the aircrew practiced helping all of the Marines with their gear fit into the aircraft and showed the Marines who had never flown before how to properly secure themselves.
Assisting Marines, if need be, makes the process faster and more fluid to get the Marines to their destination quicker.
"[2/8] is getting ready for their integrated training exercise, and running through some of the scenarios that we will see out there," said 1st Lt. Daniel Murphy, a forward observer with Echo Company, 2/8. "This way we better prepare the battalion in integration with other units and understanding those procedures."
Staff Sgt. Justin Stearns, a crew chief with VMM-266, says that it makes it a lot easier when the Marines have been on an aircraft before, but that this gives good exposure to those who haven’t and are learning how the process works.
“[Working together] builds the relationship so we get to know how they work and they learn how we do things,” said Capt. Luke Williamson, a pilot with VMM-266.
Working together helps prepare both 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Marines and 2nd Marine Division Marines for the rapid insertions required when deployed.
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2016 10:31 |
| Story ID: | 193020 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Where the ground meets the sky: VMM-266 and 2/8 work together, by LCpl Miranda Faughn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
