Photo By Cpl. Nathaniel McAllister | U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Myles Bautista, a heavy equipment operator with Marine Wing...... read more read more
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Marine with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 272 supported Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron (MAWTS) 1 by improving two runway surfaces and the connecting taxi ways during Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 2-18 at STOVAL Expeditionary Airfield, March 22.
This repair evolution allows MWSS Marines hands on experience restoring and maintaining operational landing zones, allowing WTI students more opportunities for training.
“Ultimately, this could be used as another refueling point,” said Lance Cpl. Austin Beckwith, a MWSS-272 Heavy Equipment dispatcher. “This allows pilots to land fifty miles earlier than they normally would be able to and gives MAWTS-1 another venue to use during WTI.”
The project is a semi-prepared assault landing zone. By using the soil organic to the location, MWSS-272 combines it with other material to create a dense, stable surface for aircraft landings.
“The runway is not comprised of asphalt or cement,” said 1st Lt. Chase Alexandian, MWSS-272’s Heavy Equipment Platoon Commander. “It’s a made up of a Portland cement and soil combination which allows expedited maintenance.”
Traditional runways could have a maintenance and testing time of up to a year.
The total time from when the crews show up on site until we can have a KC-130J land on the airstrip is roughly twelve days, said Alexandian.
In addition to providing an educational training experience for the MWSS, this project aids in the training efforts of WTI as a whole.
“Students will conduct forward tactical refueling on this runway as well as any other training that takes place on the KC-130J platform,” said Alexandian. “This not only assists in training for a forward deployed situation, but also increases the lethality of the [Air Combat Element] and its role in the [Marine Air Ground Task Force].”
| Date Taken: | 03.22.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 03.26.2018 13:33 |
| Story ID: | 270614 |
| Location: | DATELAND, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 182 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Runway Fabrication: MWSS-272 supports WTI 2-18, by SSgt David Bickel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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