Photo By Staff Sgt. Benjamin McDonald | Lt. Col Adam Jeppe speaks to a formation of Marines before the Marine Aviation...... read more read more
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Marines aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort conducted a squadron run to say good bye to Col. Robert Cooper Jan. 27. The Marines are with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31, Marine Aircraft Group 31. Cooper is the commanding officer of MAG-31.
Alongside the MALS-31 commanding officer, Cooper ran and led the squadron on its run. Cooper is scheduled to relinquish command of MAG-31 on Feb. 10. At the end of the run, the squadron presented Cooper with a gift as a way of saying goodbye.
“I was not expecting this at all,” said Cooper. “When I got the offer to run with you all my response was absolutely. MALS-31 is the center of gravity for the MAG-31. Without you, none of the jets would be in the sky and mission would not be complete. It is because of the maintainers and other members of MALS-31 that we are able to do our jobs. For the first time in years, all of the squadrons are going to be home and that is because of all the hard work you all did to keep them safe and in the air. Thank you so much for all of the hard work you have done while I was here and keep doing it. Thank you MAG 31’s center of gravity.”
MALS-31 conducts squadron runs once a month as a way to build unit cohesion, small unit leadership, and espirit de corps.
“Today everyone in the squadron gathered for a three mile run,” said Staff Sgt. Thomas Mattingly, the squadron gunnery sergeant for MALS-31. “We used to do squadron runs quarterly but we now do them monthly, it gives everyone in the squadron a chance to come together and conduct business MALS-31 style.”
The different sections of MALS-31 gathered at the track to form into several platoons and conduct warm up exercises. The warmups were conducted by different noncommissioned officers of the squadron. After
the warm up exercises, the squadron then proceeded to a three mile run around MCAS Beaufort. One of the reasons the squadron conducts these runs is to help build small unit leadership within the squadron. From the beginning of the warm ups to the run itself the different platoons in the squadron were being directed by an NCO.
“These runs help with teach and build small unit leadership,” said Lt. Col. Adam Jeppe, the commanding officer of MALS-31. “You guys get to come out here and do what sergeants do, not just what shop leaders or
supervisors do. This gives lance corporals a chance to act like corporals and take accountability of a platoon. At the end of the day you get to cat like an NCO you get to be that NCO and set the example and be a leader,
which is why I love doing these runs.”
Aside from the squadron runs, MALS-31 is continuously training for their next deployment supporting MAG 31 in any upcoming operations
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2017 10:57 |
| Story ID: | 222280 |
| Location: | BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 369 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, MALS-31 holds squadron run to say goodbye to MAG-31 CO, by SSgt Benjamin McDonald, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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