VMM-161 reaches milestone

Courtesy Photo | An MV-22B Osprey from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 prepares to receive fuel from a KC-130J Hercules from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 while flying over the Pacific off the coast of San Diego. In-flight refueling allows the pilots to provide longer airborne support to troops on the ground.  

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

05.25.2011

Story by Staff Sgt. Christine Polvorosa 

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

SAN DIEGO -- As the first West Coast Osprey squadron to meet final operating capability requirements, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 is now “an official squadron in the Fleet Marine Force,” said Houston native Maj. Jeffery D. Cabana, the aircraft maintenance officer for the “Greyhawks.”

VMM-161 reached its FOC milestone in the allotted 18 months with 26 pilots flying approximately 2,388 flight hours, 110 maintenance personnel, 12 MV-22B Ospreys and obtaining a T-3 rating in the Defense Readiness Reporting System – allowing the squadron to enter into a Pre-deployment Training Program or Marine expeditionary unit work-up cycle.

However, what makes this significant for VMM-161 is that it is now eligible to enter the deployment cycle and take pressure off the East Coast VMMs – or other aviation squadrons – that are deploying more often due to the non-operational status of the West Coast squadrons, explained Capt. Ahron K. Oddman, a Greyhawks’ pilot training officer from Brooklyn, N.Y.

Furthermore, the squadron can be “Fraged,” or given a fragmentary order, to facilitate and support other units with their training, which can range from troop transport to amphibious shipping and shore-to-base operations.

Another major accomplishment the Greyhawks attained while achieving FOC was completing a large “overtrain” requirement, which meant in addition to the squadron training its own pilots and maintainers to meet FOC, they also trained dozens of other pilots and maintainers from the follow-on West Coast VMMs – namely VMM-166 and 561 – to be better postured to achieve their FOC milestone on timeline, added Oddman.

“It’s an added tax from which we didn’t have, but makes the West Coast MV-22 transition more seamless,” he continued.

Now that the squadron has its FMF status, the Greyhawks look forward to getting into the deployment rotation cycle as early as this fall or as late as next summer.

• Date Taken: 05.25.2011
• Date Posted: 05.25.2011 12:09
• Story ID: 71052
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US