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Story by W. G. Ford Even the Cowboys' sergeant major, SgtMaj Steven S. Bunch, had an opportunity to gain training experience as he tried his hand at helping to load MK-82 bombs for morning sorties. (Photo by Cpl Joshua A. Tate)
The Marine Corps Forces Reserve is more and more a significant piece of the Corps' overall deployment pie in the war on terrorism and is adding several "firsts" as reservists are activated and deployed.
As a strong player on the air-ground team, the Marines, or "Cowboys," of Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron (VMFA) 112, home-based in Fort Worth, Texas, deployed to the Western Pacific on June 8. Assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 41, Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing, the Cowboys earned the historic distinction of being the first Marine Reserve fighter squadron to be mobilized for the global war on terrorism.
Staff Sergeant Russell R. "Rusty" Baker, MAG-41's public affairs chief, reported that the squadron deployed from Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth with "approximately 200 active-duty and Reserve Marines from VMFA-112, [MAG-41], and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 41." Their initial destination was Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, where the squadron became part of III Marine Expeditionary Force's 1stMAW. Kadena was to be one of several bases the squadron operated from as it marked another first: its first operational deployment as a squadron outside the United States since World War II.
With a warfighting complement of 12 F/A-18A+ Hornets, the primary mission of the fighter/attack squadron is to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft under all weather conditions and support the commander on the ground with deep interdiction and close air support. The "A+" designation signifies that expanded warfighting capabilities have been incorporated into the aircraft.
The Hornets of VMFA-112 underwent some significant improvements to bring them up to speed for the deployment. Enhanced radar, navigation and night-vision systems gave the aircraft capabilities that rival those of any of the Corps' regular squadrons.
In fact, SSgt Baker noted, "The squadron [had] gained the designation of a trusted agent in working directly with Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake [California] while testing the new Air Intercept Missile-9X Sidewinder, as well as the joint direct attack munition [JDAM]."
Baker also reported, "Getting the squadron's 12 aircraft ready for the deployment was no easy task. Total man-hours for the month prior to the departure were 14,800. Approximately 5,000 of those man-hours were logged by the recently activated Reserve Marines."
A supporting element from MALS-41 and headquarters, MAG-41 accompanied the squadron. As a premier intermediate maintenance facility in 4thMAW, MALS-41 is a joint integrated maintenance unit with Navy and Marine Corps personnel. The MALS-41 team in Fort Worth provides direct support for Wing squadrons, regardless of their location. The aircraft group headquarters also augmented the deploying squadron with administrative personnel and a combat photographer, Corporal Joshua A. Tate, whose assignment was to visually record the deployment.
The squadron's executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Steven M. "Soms" Roepke, is one of the many Dallas-Fort Worth area reservists activated for the deployment. Roepke recently became a member of the Reserve squadron after nearly 15 years of active duty, where he had gained invaluable experience in a number of deployments, to include Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991 and an earlier unit deployment to the Western Pacific.
"We brought a significant MALS-41 augment with us who will provide support to the squadron by aiding MALS-12 in [MCAS] Iwakuni, Japan," said Roepke. "They will provide all of our intermediate-level maintenance and supply support during the execution of the deployment. Their support is critical to the successful execution of our deployment."
He added, "This [deployment] is huge for our unit. The Marine Corps always prides itself in being able to get the job done. This [operational deployment] just shows the confidence the Corps has in its Reserve units to come out here just like an active-duty unit would to train and fight if needed."
During WW II, VMFA-112 was Marine Fighter Squadron 112 and was known as the Wolf Pack. The squadron shined in a great many battles in the Pacific theater. Some of those battlegrounds have been revisited on the current deployment.
In WW II, "The Wolf Pack was responsible for the downing of 140 Japanese aircraft. It ranked third [among Marine squadrons] in the number of downed aircraft achieved. They were key to the victories attained in Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa," said the squadron commander, LtCol Bill "Rock" Collins.
Currently, the squadron's mission is to support 1stMAW in a time of increased operational tempo in the global war on terrorism. In joining 1stMAW, the squadron also reinforces the U.S. military presence mission in Asia.
Squadron pilot Major Christopher Koelzer noted that one of the main challenges for the squadron on the deployment is the changing terrain and locations. Flying over the mountains of Japan, rugged forests of Korea, island of Guam and Australia routinely introduces the squadron to new challenges and drives home the flexibility and adaptability of leatherneck air.
"We'll be doing air-to-air simulations as well as air-to-ground, and we'll also be dropping live ordnance on the island target ranges," Koelzer said.
"It's a great opportunity for our pilots to learn the terrain and get experience, as well as for our Marines to experience new and different cultures," he explained.
"We can simulate all facets of weapon targeting and delivery now without having to carry JDAM or JSOW [joint stand-off weapon] training weapons," said Captain Kevin Paetzold, a Hornet pilot from Keller, Texas.
"Back in Fort Worth, we would execute dedicated JSOW or JDAM sorties to familiarize the pilots with the weapons. Since arriving in Okinawa, pilots have been executing simulated JDAM or JSOW releases on sorties as a secondary training mission," Paetzold said.
With the upgrades to the aircraft came the Tactical Aircraft Mission Planning System (TAMPS). The system gives the aircrew the ability to plan weapons delivery information for "smart" weapons such as JDAM and JSOW before the mission commences. Once mission planning is complete, the information, which has been digitally stored, can be loaded on a data cartridge and transferred to the aircraft for training or employment.
"Learning how to use the TAMPS system was an integral part of the upgrade process for our aircraft and aircrew," said Maj Everett Hood, an F/A-18A+ pilot from Austin, Texas. "The training opportunities here have been outstanding. We have been able to conduct air-to-ground training with Rockeye cluster bombs as well as 500- and 1,000-pound high explosive bombs. Being able to execute tactics with these weapons on a daily basis for the past month has been a huge training opportunity for the pilots."
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"This deployment has been a tremendous experience for all the Marines in the squadron," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Tim Doty, squadron aviation ordnance officer. "I have young Marines that are getting to handle many different types of ordnance on a daily basis. You can't beat that type of training."
Additionally, the squadron pilots have been doing everything possible to exercise the digital close air support capability that the Hornet received with the newest software replacement.
"This squadron has been exercising the digital CAS system for over a year now," said Maj Dan Dewhirst, a Hornet pilot from Fort Worth. "Every pilot in the squadron is familiar with and has used the digital CAS system. The workload in the cockpit is dramatically reduced, as well as the time required to get ordnance on target."
The squadron, which at the time this article was compiled was two-thirds of the way into its deployment with 1stMAW, also trained in Guam during Exercise Jungle Shield. In August, the squadron flew to Darwin, Australia, for Exercise Southern Frontier. The pilots are continuing to hone invaluable air-to-ground skills.
"Target recognition with the forward-looking infrared (FLIR) pod will be a big part of our focus of effort in Australia," said Capt Kevin McDonald, an F/A-18A+ Hornet pilot from Aledo, Texas. "We will use the FLIR to acquire and mark the targets using the laser. Pilots in other aircraft will practice target acquisition with their laser designator tracker.
"The support from 1stMAW, MAG-12, Kadena [AB] and from Kadena Range management has been outstanding. We can only hope that the airspace in Guam and Australia will be as conducive to training as it has been here."
For all who have earned and worn the eagle, globe, and anchor, the Marine
Corps Association is
the professional organization for all Marines -- active duty, Reserve,
retired, and Marine veterans.
The MCA understands and identifies with the sacrifices made and the
services rendered as a
Marine to this great country. We strive to keep our members informed of
developments and future
plans, while emphasizing the rich history of the Marine Corps and keeping
everyone abreast of
current operations.
