The Jet Stream | March 23 by The Jet Stream

Jet Stream The

Friday, March 24, 2017 Vol. 52, No. 11 Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C.

“The noise you hear is the sound of freedom.”

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FUELED FOR FITNESS

Fightertown holds St. Patrick’s Day run

Marine helicopters soar farther than before with auxillary fuel tanks

Fightertown pilots hone skills during field carrier landing practice

An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft takes off during a field carrier landing practice aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, March 22. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 conducts the training before embarkation aboard carriers. This FCLP was conducted in preperation for an upcoming exercise aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a naval aircraft carrier, scheduled for April. The pilot and the aircraft are with VMFA-312, Marine Aircraft Group 31. Story and photos by: Lance Cpl. Ashley Phillips Staff Writer

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 conducted field carrier landing practice aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, March 22. The pilots with VMFA-312 practiced landing F/A18C Hornet aircraft on a simulated aircraft carrier to prepare for an upcoming exercise aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a naval aircraft carrier, scheduled for April. “VMFA-312 is one of two squadrons within the Marine Corps that almost exclusively deploys aboard air-

craft carriers,” said Capt. Cole Hatch, a pilot and the airframes officer in charge with VMFA-312. “This field carrier landing practice is going to give us the training that we need as pilots to go out in the upcoming months to land on aircraft carriers.” The air station’s flightline is equipped with a painted outline simulating an aircraft carrier that the pilots utilize as a training aid prior to participating in exercises or deployments aboard an actual carrier. “The FCLPs aboard the air station allow our pilots to train in a controlled environment,” said Hatch. “This type of training is something that we do regularly. Each time we go out, it is important to get back in the

right mindset. When we land on a carrier the aircraft is going roughly 150 miles per hour and there are only so many wires that the tail hook on the back of the aircraft can catch.” According to Hatch who is a landing signals officer there are multiple factors that compromise a successful and safe landing aboard a carrier. The LSO communicates with the pilot and the pilot uses the Improved Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System, which is a highly precise landing aid that analyzes the glide slope of

see

FCLP,

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PMO Marine receives Jim Kallstrom award for bravery Story by: Lance Cpl. Benjamin McDonald Staff Writer

Cpl. Kenneth Krebs III, a Marine with the Provost Marshal’s Office, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, received the Jim Kallstrom award during the Senior Leader’s Security Training aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif., March 7. Krebs was presented the award by Maj. Gen. John J. Broadmeadow, the commander of Marine Corps Installations Command, Assistant Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics. The award is divided into two categories, bravery and leadership; Krebs received the award for performing an act of bravery while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. “It was really an honor to receive this

award,” said Krebs. “I did not know I was nominated for an award until I arrived at Beaufort. My captain approached me and told me they had submitted my name. I had never heard of this award. For the Marine Corps to go out of its way to show appreciation for its junior Marines it is truly an honor.” Krebs, a special reaction team member with the Provost Marshal’s Office, responded to a potentially dangerous call at the barracks. Utilizing his training, he de-escalated the situation without injury to anyone involved. His decisive actions protected the lives of his fellow Marines. “Everything I learned in my school house led to this moment in a sense,” said Krebs. “When you are faced with a dansee

KREBS,

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Photo courtesy

Cpl. Kenneth Krebs III received the Jim Kallstrom award during the Senior Leader’s Security Training aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif., March 7. Krebs was presented the award by Maj. Gen. John J. Broadmeadow, the commander of Marine Corps Installations Command, Assistant Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics. Krebs is with the Provost Marshal’s Office, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

The Jet Stream

Friday, March 24, 2017

Games and Entertainment

Saturday 2:00 p.m. PG (1:20)

Closed

Thursday 7:00 p.m. R (1:43)

Mess Hall Menu Monday - Friday Saturday, Sunday Breakfast: 6 - 7:30 a.m. and holidays Lunch: 11 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Brunch: 8:30 - 11 a.m. Dinner: 4 - 6 p.m. Dinner: 4 - 6 p.m. Midrats Sunday - Thursday 11:30 p.m. - 1 a.m. Takeout window hours Breakfast - Mon. - Fri. 7:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. Lunch - Mon. - Fri. 12:45 p.m. - 4 p.m. Dinner - Mon. - Fri. 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Saturday Lunch Dinner Shrimp cocktail, fried Bayou jerk pork loin chicken, steak and rice Lunch Salmon with cucumber relish

Sunday

Friday 7:00 p.m. R (1:43)

Sunday 2:00 p.m. PG (1:20)

Sunday 4:30 p.m. PG-13 (1:44)

Sunday 7:00 p.m. R (1:31)

Doors open 30 minutes before movie starts! | All NDVD are FREE *Last Showing

Dinner Baked ziti with italian sausage

SUDOKU

Monday - Friday Breakfast Hot farina, hot hominy grits and oven-fried bacon

WORD SCRAMBLE Rearrange the letters to discover something pertaining to springtime.

Monday Dinner Lunch Spicy shrimp with Baked smoked ham cheesy grits and sweet potatoes Tuesday Dinner Lunch Herbed roast pork Chicken and dumploin with pan gravy lings and rice Wednesday Dinner Lunch Manhattan clam Roast turkey and chowder green beans Thursday Dinner Lunch Apple glazed corn Arroz con pollo and beef and squash garlic bread

GUESS WHO? I was born on June 9, 1963 in Kentucky. I have had many memorable, quirky roles, including a mad hatter, a bumbling pirate and a scissorhanded “monster.”

Friday Dinner Lunch Chili macaroni and Herbed baked green beans chicken and carrots

Chapel Services

SPRINGTIME WORD SEARCH

Roman Catholic • 9:30 a.m. - Sunday Mass • Confession takes place before Mass • Confession Monday - Thursday at noon Protestant • 9:45 a.m. - Protestant Church School (Sunday School) • 11 a.m. - Protestant Sunday Worship Service (Children’s church is also available at this time) • 5 p.m. - Wednesday Protestant Bible Study • 9:30 a.m. - Sunday Mass Buddhist • 11 a.m. - Saturday Worship Service in the Chapel Fellowship Hall Other Faith Groups • For Jewish, Mormon and Islamic support, contact the Chaplain’s Office at 228-7775

Hotlines MCAS Beaufort Station Inspector

843-228-7789

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Hotline 24/7

843-321-6009

Force Protection information and concerns

843-228-6924

PMO Dispatch

843-228-6710

Severe Weather and Force Protection

1-800-343-0639

Fraud, Waste and Abuse

If you know of or suspect any fraud, waste or abuse aboard MCAS Beaufort, call 843-812-9537. If you know of or suspect any fraud, waste or abuse within MAG-31, call (252) 466-5038. The automated answering service on these lines is available 24 hours a day.

Word Bank

ALLERGIES BABIES BLOOM BUDDING BUMBLEBEE CHIRPING CLOUDS DAYTRIP EGGS

FIELDS FLOWERS GARDENING HATCHING HATCHLING HIKING HUMMINGBIRD INSECTS LAWNMOWER

MARCH 17 SOLUTIONS Word Scramble: ISLAND Guess Who?: LEA THOMPSON Answer to this week’s puzzles will be available in next week’s edition of The Jet Stream.

NATURE NEST OUTDOORS PICNIC POLLEN RAINY REPRODUCTION SCENTED SEASON

SNEEZING SPRING SUNSHINE SWARM TREES UMBRELLA WARMING WEEDS WILDLIFE

Command Information

The Jet Stream

HAPPENINGS n The Tax Center is scheduled to

open Feb. 1, 2017 and close on April 18, 2017. Hours of operation Monday-Friday 08:00 a.m.4:00 p.m. Location172 Santo Domingo St. Parris Island, SC 29905 The Tax Center will be setting up appointments via phone and will accept walk-ins schedule permitting. For any questions as to the services the center will be providing, and to schedule an appointment, please contact any of the following numbers.

(843)228-1112 Sgt. Owen (843)228-1126 Sgt. Dobbins (843)228-1119 Cpl. Blaylock (843)228-1125 Cpl. Copeland (843)228-1118 LCpl. Saldana (843)228-1121 LCpl. Martinez For any questions prior to Feb. 1 call between 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m Thursdays and Fridays. The Marines listed above can be contacted via email for questions as well. Tax Center Fax Machine (843) 228-1114.

n The Officers’ Spouses Club

aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort are offering merit-based school scholarships. The club will award a minimum of $5,000 in scholarships this year. Each scholarship winner will recieve a minimum of $1,000. Each applicant’s scholastic achievement, character, school and community service, extra-curricular activities, and plans for his or her degree will be considered in the selection process. Contact the MCAS Officers’ Spouses’ Club for application details.

Your completed scholarship package should be postmarked no later than March 31, 2017. Scholarship packages postmarked after March 31, 2017, will not be considered. Mail the completed package to:

Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Officers’ Spouses’ Club Attn: Scholarship Committee Post Office Box 9119 Beaufort, South Carolina 29904

Applicants will receive notification of the committee’s decision on or before April 30, 2017. To ensure that your application is given the full consideration it deserves, please follow the procedures and requirements very carefully.

n The photocopying of U.S.

Government identification cards is a violation of Title 18, U.S. Code Part 1, Chapter 33, Section 701 and punishable by fine and imprisonment.

n If you have lost something and

are looking for it, please contact the Lost and Found Custodian at 843-228-6335 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Once a Marine, Always a Marine As a Navy Chaplain, I have always considered it an honor to serve with those of you who have earned the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. I enjoy the pride that surrounds me daily by those of you who paid the price to earn the privilege of being called a Marine. Though I never mean to offend any of you, sometimes I commit the cardinal error of referring to one of you that is no longer actively serving as someone who was once a Marine. At these moments of temporary insanity, I am always reminded by you of the ethos, “Once a Marine, Always a Marine.” The ancient Greeks had two words that translate into our English word, Knowledge. One of those words describes a knowledge that can be understood only academically. The other word describes a knowledge gained only through experience. As a sailor, I can say that I know (by experience) the ocean because I have experienced its characteristics during several maritime deployments. Others, having never crossed the seas only know the ocean academically. I differ from you in that I can see every day the pride of what it means to become a Marine and academically know that you will

always be a Marine; but, I will never have the experience of knowing what the characteristic of being a Marine really is. As you can tell, I have been contemplating over this ethos lately. Current affairs related to Marines United have activated my contemplation. I realize that most Marines think in terms of perpetuity with regards to the word always in the ethos. It is meant to imply, it seems to me, that one never ceases over the course of any length of time being a Marine. Alfred L. DeSerio died in 2012. He was the oldest living Marine alive at that time. He was not previously a Marine and some may argue that he is still a Marine. It also seems to me that the word always must equally imply the responsibility that each Marine has to spend each moment of such an honored legacy manifesting the quality and characteristics of being a marine. In fact, I would suggest that it is never as much an honor to label oneself as it is to be labeled as a result of characteristics properly manifested. In the Book of Acts, Luke describes the believers in Antioch as being the first to be called Christians. What they manifested caused those on the outside to know them as Christ-like and they were therefore called Christians. Have you ever asked yourself,

Tri-Command Weather 7-Day Forecast

Did you know...

March 25, 1945: After 35 days of bitter fighting, the amphibious assault on the rocky fortress of Iwo Jima finally appeared over. On the night of 25 March, however, a 300-man Japanese force launched a vicious final counterattack in the vicinity of Airfield Number 2. Army pilots, Seabees and Marines of the 5th Pioneer Battalion and 28th Marines fought the fanatical Japanese force till morning but suffered heavy casualties—more than l00 killed and another 200 American wounded. Nearly all of the Japanese force was killed in the battle.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kat Sanchez Koskiniemi at mcasbeaufortoscscholarships@ gmail.com.

Chaplain’s Corner

By Chaplain Joseph (Joe) Wilburn, LCDR, CHC, USN, Command Chaplain, MCAS Beaufort

Friday, March 24, 2017

“What is it about me that entitles me to be called a Marine by others”? I suggest it is a question that a marine should ask himself or herself every morning and every evening. Since there are many of us who have no experiential knowledge of being a Marine, what we come to academically understand as a marine can only be known by what behaviors are manifested by those who have earned the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. As a chaplain serving alongside you, I know that you do not want to be defined by the characteristics that the current affairs associated with Marines United manifests. But how about those who have never served alongside you? What do these manifestations of moral failure convey and define a marine to be in their eyes? As a disciple of Christ, I want to be known by others as having a Christ-like manifestation. I have to keep in mind that even though I believe, Once a Christian, always a Christian, to be a valid tenet of my faith; those on the outside of my world-view will only know me as being Christ-like if they see me manifest characteristics of Christ. Each Marine has a choice. You can call yourself a Marine for as long as you live. If you want others to know you as a Marine, you must manifest the character of a Marine.

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NOAA climate prediction center, predicts weakening La Nina conditions resulting in a warmer and dryer winter for the Southern US states and a cooler and wetter winter with above average snowfall in the Northern and Midwest states. These conditions will persist until spring. Monitor the latest forecasts and briefings from the National Weather Service in order to prepare your family for any extreme weather affecting our area or along your route during vacations at: weather.gov

Jet Stream The

Public Affairs Officer Capt. Clayton Groover

Public Affairs Chief

Staff Sgt. Dengrier M. Baez

Press Chief

Cpl. Jonah Lovy

Community Relations/Staff Writer Lance Cpl. Ashley Phillips Lance Cpl. Benjamnin McDonald

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Editor’s note: We at The Jet Stream care about our reader’s opinion. In reaching our goal to put out the best possible product, we understand the importance of your feedback. Please add a comment to the “How can we improve The Jet Stream?” topic on our www.facebook. com/MCASBeaufort discussion board on how we can better your base newspaper. Published by the Savannah Morning News, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of Defense, the United States Marine Corps, the United States Navy, or Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., under exclusive written contract with the United States Marine Corps. This commercial-enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the military services. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Marine Corps or the U.S. Navy and do not imply endorsement thereof. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts and supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the DoD, the Marine Corps, the Navy, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., or the Savannah Morning News of the products or services advertised. Everything in this newspaper shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. If a violation of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, the contractor shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. Editorial content (i.e., all content other than paid advertisements) is edited, prepared and provided by the public affairs office of the installation. All queries concerning news and editorial content should be directed to: Jet Stream, Marine Corps Public Affairs Office, P.O. Box 55001, MCAS Beaufort, S.C., 29904 or (843) 2287225. All queries concerning business matters or display ads should be directed to the Savannah Morning News at (843) 815-0800.

The Jet Stream

Friday, March 24, 2017

In Other News

FUELED FOR FITNESS

Story by R.L. Wilson Headquarters, Marine Corps

In reference to a banned substance list as it relates to bodybuilding supplements, unfortunately no list exists. HQMC’s guidance to the field is; if a Marine can purchase a body building supplement from their base/camp or installation AAFES/MCX/GNC than the product should be in the “safe zone”. A product is not a concern from a urinalysis perspective when it is sold by a licensed vendor in the U.S. So as a general rule, anything

sold over the counter in the U.S. will not cause a positive for any substance tested for at any of the Department of Defense Drug Screening Laboratories. The Armed Forces Medical Examiner System,(AFMES)conductsexperimental studies on certain supplements such as the one they conducted on Jack3d. What AFMES found was products containing DMMA such as Jack3d will not cause a positive urinalysis result for amphetamine and/or methamphet-

amine. To clarify, the DMAA from Jack3d can cause a positive screen (immunoassay) result but will be negative on the GC-MS confirmation test. A negative GC-MS test means the sample will be reported as negative for amphetamine and/or methamphetamine. So what’s the bottom line? If a Marine knowingly purchases a body building supplement from the internet, i.e., www. gethuge.com where the product is ac-

tually made in Istanbul Turkey, out of who knows what and then the Marine’s results are positive, there will be the preponderance of the evidence establishing the Marine used a controlled substance. So before you take a supplement, ask yourself: What’s in it? Does it work? Is it safe? Do I really need it? Has it been third-party tested? Other Resources: https://naturaldatabaseconsumer.therapeuticresearch.com and http://www. health.mil/afmes

More of the Story

The Jet Stream

Friday, March 24, 2017

FCLP continued from page 1

the incoming aircraft and the movement of the carrier. “The training that these pilots are going to gain from this FCLP is that they are so precise with their aircraft that they can hit a two-by-two foot square with their tail hook,” said Hatch. “Our ability to conduct flight operations when embarked on an aircraft carrier is another tool for the Marine Corps to have the ability to exercise projection of power.” As the nation’s ready expeditionary force the Marine Corp’s predominant mode of warfare is maritime warfare. The F-18 Hornet community’s ability to work cohesively with all elements of a Marine Air Ground Task Force is shown in their tactical air integration missions and training exercises such as this FCLP and the upcoming embarkation aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt in April. “The F-18 is a multi-role aircraft, but in the past ten years the Marine Corps has utilized it primarily for close air support,” said Hatch. “In the upcoming months, and years, we will continue to provide close air support for our ground units. Whether for training or a deployment we are mission ready to fill that role.”

Photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley Phillips

An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft takes off during a field carrier landing practice aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, March 22. This FCLP was conducted in preperation for an upcoming exercise aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a naval aircraft carrier, scheduled for April. The pilot and the aircraft are with VMFA-312, Marine Aircraft Group 31.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley Phillips

Landing signal officers communicate with a pilot preparing to land on a simulated aircraft carrier aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, March 22. The LSOs analyze the glide slope path and the movement of the carrier to decide whether the aircraft can land. The LSOs are with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312, Marine Aircraft Group 31.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley Phillips

An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft conducts a simulated aircraft carrier landing aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, March 22. The runway is equipped with a painted outline simulating the carrier for the pilots. The Marine and aircraft are with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312, Marine Aircraft Group 31.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley Phillips

KREBS continued from page 1

gerous situation and you have to think on your feet, it is your training that kicks in. In this situation there wasn’t time to stop and think. All I could rely on was my training.” The Jim Kallstrom Award was introduced in 2009, to recognize the outstanding leadership and bravery exhibited by military police personnel throughout the Marine Corps, according to Marine administrative message 610/16. Kallstrom was a Marine who served during the Vietnam War era and 28 years as a distinguished FBI agent.

“We always want to be ready for anything,” said Jeffrey McKamey, the Deputy Chief of Police at the Provost Marshal’s Office. “We train constantly and hold professional military education workshops to keep the Marines and civilians working here up to date with all protocols and techniques throughout the Marine Corps. What Krebs did was accredit the readiness of PMO in the Marine Corps. He was trained and when the time came he used his training and maybe saved one or more lives.”

Photo courtesy

Cpl. Kenneth Krebs III received the Jim Kallstrom award during the Senior Leader’s Security Training aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif., March 7. The award is divided into two categories, bravery and leadership; Krebs received the award for performing an act of bravery while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Krebs, is with the Provost Marshal’s Office, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

The Jet Stream

Friday, March 24, 2017

More of the Story

Fightertown holds St. Patrick’s Day run

Photo by Lance Cpl. Benjamin McDonald

Participants prepare to participate in a St. Patricks Day fun run aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, March 17. The run began at After Burners where participants ran until they reach a midpoint of the race and returned to the original starting line to complete the event.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Benjamin McDonald

Participants sprint down the finish line during a St. Patrick’s Day fun run aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, March 17. The participants could either run for fun or compete for a prize at the end of the run. The run began at After Burners where runners ran until they reach a midpoint of the race and return to the original starting line to complete the event.

Marines run during a St. Patrick’s Day fun aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, March 17. Marines and civilians could either run for fun or compete for a prize at the end of the run. The run began at After Burners where runners ran until they reach a midpoint of the race and return to the original starting line to complete the event.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Benjamin McDonald

Runners proceed to the finish line during a St. Patrick’s Day fun run aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, March 17. The participants could either run for fun or compete for a prize at the end of the run. The run began at After Burners where runners ran until they reach a midpoint of the race and return to the original starting line to complete the event.

Gunnery Sgt. Courtney Hunt participates in a St. Patrick’s Day fun run aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, March 17. Participants had the option to compete for a prize at or participate for fun. Hunt is an operations chief for the Provost Marshal’s Office, MCAS Beaufort.

Around the Corps

The Jet Stream

Friday, March 24, 2017

Marine helicopters soar farther than before with auxillary fuel tanks

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters past Mount Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan, March 12, 2017. The squadron, currently supporting Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force through the unit deployment program, validated the long-range capability of auxiliary fuel tanks on their H-1 platform helicopters by flying 314 nautical miles during one leg of the four-day mission, March 10.

Story and photos by: Lance Cpl. Andy Martinez, III Marine Expeditionary Force

CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan—Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 used new auxiliary fuel tanks to fly the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters farther than ever, during flights based from Okinawa, March 10-14. The helicopters demonstrated a 25% range increase, according to Capt. Christopher Millar, a UH-1Y Venom pilot with HMLA-267, a squadron deployed to Okinawa from Camp Pendleton, California. “This allows us to support the Marines of III MEF as we project our power further and increase our capability with the fuel tanks,” said Millar, who is supporting Marine Air Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III MEF, through the unit deployment program.” Millar flew one of the helicopters that broke the record, logging 314 nautical miles during a flight from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, to New Tanegashima Airport, Japan, March 10. Lt. Col. Jon Livingston, the commanding officer of HMLA-267, confirmed that this was the longest recorded Venom or Viper flight ever. During the four-day mission, the squadron also visited Osaka, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, and Camp

Fuji, Japan. “The auxiliary fuel capability gives the Marine Air Ground Task Force commander the ability to respond to crises and deploy our forces from the most northern reaches to southern reaches of the area of operations,” said Millar, a native of Saint Louis.” Once the H-1 helicopters arrive at their destinations, they can easily drop their fuel tanks and reconfigure for ordnance operations. The fuel tanks, which resemble torpedoes, attach below both sides of the helicopter bays. “The auxiliary fuel systems provide the MAGTF commander scalable options to be able to move his assets around the area of operations without relying on strategic lift,” said Millar.” The increased range of the H-1 helicopters supports Marine Corps operations in responding to crises, maintaining a deterrent, forward presence, carrying out combat operations, and providing humanitarian assistance. “With these auxiliary fuel tanks, I believe it gives H-1’s a greater ability to self-deploy and to help the Marines on the ground,” Millar said. “[The H-1’s] also help III MEF fulfill the ‘Fight Tonight’ motto and project our power further ashore.”

Photo by Lance Cpl. Andy Martinez

Sgt. Kevin Carpio, a UH-1Y crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267, currently supporting Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force through the unit deployment program, finishes refueling the UH-1Y Venom at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, March 11, 2017. The squadron, based out of Camp Pendleton, California, validated the long-range capability of the auxiliary fuel tanks on their H-1 platform helicopters by flying 314 nautical miles during one leg of the four-day mission, March 10.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Andy Martinez

AH-1Z Vipers soar through the skies over Osaka Castle, Osaka, Japan, March 12, 2017. Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 validated the long-range capability of the auxiliary fuel tanks on their H-1 platform helicopters by flying 314 nautical miles during one leg of the journey, March 10.

The Jet Stream

Around the Corps

Friday, March 24, 2017

Ready, set, take off; 1/12 tests UAS

Cpl. Martin Decos observes the Unmanned Aerial System before take-off at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, March 8, 2017. The UAS is mainly used for aerial reconnaissance and can be used for observation, local security, targeting, and prosecuting.

Story and photos by: Lance Cpl. Matthew Kirk Marine Corp Base Hawaii

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -Marines with 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment tested an Unmanned Aerial System, also known as the RQ-20 Puma, at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, Hawaii, March 8, 2017. The Puma provides land-based and maritime intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance. It also allows small units the ability to detect improvised explosive devices, according to www. navair.navy.mil. The Marine Corps introduced the Puma to its operating units in 2012.

“This was 1st Bn., 12th Marines first time utilizing the UAS,” said 1st Lt. Jesse Schmitt, a ground intelligence officer with 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment. “We haven’t conducted any fire missions with it yet but we’re looking to utilize it at Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island of Hawaii.” Schmitt said the system can benefit the battalion in many ways. “It helps because it’s another set of eyes,” said Schmitt. “We can put the bird in the air and advance it forward to gain reconnaissance on the targets and their positions in the area.” The Puma can scan an area 360 degrees using a lightweight, electro-opti-

cal and infrared camera located on the bottom of the device. “The Puma has day and night vision capabilities,” Schmitt said. “If we’re in a convoy to the next point, we can put the bird up, and advance our convoy and make sure we’re not walking into an ambush.” Schmitt said it will improve their ability to get accurate fires out faster. “Part of the nature of calling in fire is sometimes the angle isn’t good for the observer,” Schmitt said. “If you put a Puma up in the air, you have a completely different perspective. This thing actually has a pretty impressively high operational ceiling.”

The Puma has a maximum altitude of 10,500 feet above sea level and an operational altitude of 500 feet above sea level. “It has two different flight modes: manual and autonomous,” said Cpl. Martin Decos, an intelligence specialist with 1/12. “I’ll fly it manually and switch it to autonomous mode which from there I can set different waypoints.” Decos and Schmitt both said the testing went well and the unit looks forward to incorporating it into future training. “Our commanding officer thinks the Puma is an amazing tool,” Schmitt said. “He’s excited for the opportunities it will bring to the unit.”