Photo By Lance Cpl. Lauralle Gavilanes | U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Brandon Erway, the honor graduate for the MQ-9A Reaper...... read more read more
Subscribe
The first classes of MQ-9A Reaper specialists graduated from the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Dec. 13, 2024.
Thirteen newly minted MQ-9A Reaper mechanics and technicians were formally certified to join fleet forces in a ceremony at the Cherry Point Public House.
The courses’ curriculum was developed over the past two years through collaboration between CNATTU Cherry Point, Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Training Squadron 2, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, and a combination of U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force entities.
“We truly appreciate the input from the instructors and students,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Enrico Landas, the commanding officer of CNATTU Cherry Point. “The feedback has great value in refining the MQ-9A Reaper maintenance and technician’s courses, fostering impactful movements to benefit the future of unmanned aircraft systems and Force Design 2030.”
As the Marine Corps transitions from the RQ-21A Blackjack to the MQ-9A Reaper, the need for specialized maintainers is a high priority. The MQ-9A Reaper is a long-range unmanned aerial vehicle with multisensory surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, with a maximum range of 2,250 nautical miles and can remain in flight for more than 20 hours, as highlighted in the Naval Air Systems Command fact sheet.
Graduating the first courses was a big step forward in bringing the MQ-9A Reaper into the Marine Corps inventory. U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Jonathan Boersma, the commanding officer of VMUT-2, 2nd MAW, explained the integration of the MQ-9A Reaper into Marine Corps aviation supports the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, by conducting multi-sensor reconnaissance and surveillance, and facilitates the destruction of targets, from unmanned aerial platforms during expeditionary, joint, and combined operations. It is essential to the progression of the Marine Corps warfighting in the 21st century.
“It’s a great feeling to finally get these first classes graduated, it was a long road to get here,” U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Mark Mohler, the MQ-9A Reaper chief mechanics instructor, assigned to CNATTU Cherry Point. “The expertise of the collaborators in the course development has been invaluable to us.”
| Date Taken: | 01.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.13.2025 14:35 |
| Story ID: | 489007 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 101 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, First class of Reaper Mechanics, Technicians Graduate CNATTU Cherry Point, by LCpl Lauralle Gavilanes, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
