Stories

Chief Petty Officers celebrate 111 years of tradition

The Navy Chief Petty Officers of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and supporting units celebrated the 111th birthday of the chief petty officer rank, April 1 here at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation building. More than 30 Sailors and Marines attended the breakfast. The senior Navy enlisted for 3rd MAW, Command Master Chief German E. Fiesco, and Navy Lt.

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2nd Marine Division - 2nd Marine Division

CASEVAC corpsmen risk their lives to save another

A convoy moves across the Iraqi desert, the unexpected happens: BOOM! An explosion sends fire and shards of hot, jagged shrapnel through the midsection of the convoy. A Marine yells to another, "The hummer's on fire, let's get out!" He turns to find the driver unconscious. He gets out screaming, "We've got wounded!" A casualty evacuation call is

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Staff Sgt. John A. Flores cuts out a stencil on a helicopter blade he is converting into plaque for another Marine, Aug. 18, at Al Asad, Iraq. Flores, a career retention specialist with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), paints used rear-rotor helicopter blades and transforms them into Marine Corps memorabilia. Flores is a San Antonio native. - Staff Sgt. John A. Flores cuts out a stencil on a helicopter blade he is converting into plaque for another Marine, Aug. 18, at Al Asad, Iraq. Flores, a career retention specialist with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), paints used rear-rotor helicopter blades and transforms them into Marine Corps memorabilia. Flores is a San Antonio native.

Career Planner uses skills to award Marines

Many service members have spent long deployments away from family to serve their country during war and peacetime, but sometimes the stress can take its toll. Staff Sgt. John A. Flores uses his hobby to expand his artistic talent through painting, which helps him through the hardship of deployment, but also gives something to his fellow Marines.

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Marines with Attack Squadron 223, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, change the engine on an AV-8B Harrier. Beneath a clear moonlit sky, the Bulldogs made history Feb. 10, setting a new record of 60,000 Class A mishap-free hours flown by a Harrier squadron. The squadron has been forward deployed to Iraq since August 2005. - Marines with Attack Squadron 223, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, change the engine on an AV-8B Harrier. Beneath a clear moonlit sky, the Bulldogs made history Feb. 10, setting a new record of 60,000 Class A mishap-free hours flown by a Harrier squadron. The squadron has been forward deployed to Iraq since August 2005.

Marines with several different regiments, groups and squadrons in 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and I Marine Expeditionary Force sat through a conference to discuss tactics, techniques and procedures at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Nov. 29, to prepare for the scheduled deployment to Iraq in January. The conference helped strengthen the relationship and communication between the air and ground elements of the Marine Air Ground Task Force. - Marines with several different regiments, groups and squadrons in 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and I Marine Expeditionary Force sat through a conference to discuss tactics, techniques and procedures at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Nov. 29, to prepare for the scheduled deployment to Iraq in January. The conference helped strengthen the relationship and communication between the air and ground elements of the Marine Air Ground Task Force.

Aviation, ground elements come together for preparation

Ever since the experimentation of combined air and ground tactics into war fighting in 1927, the Marine Corps has continued to utilize and improve this style of fighting to take the advantage and push its way to victory in many different battles. Marines with several different regiments, groups and squadrons in 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and I Marine

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A Marine color guard stands steady as Col. Guy M. Close (center) and Sgt. Maj. Abelardo Flores uncase the Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing colors in front of the group headquarters building, Feb. 5. The California-based group replaced their East Coast counterpart, MAG-26, as the higher headquarters for a dozen Army and Marine aviation, aviation support and medical units. MAG-16 and its subordinate squadrons provide the essential aviation support to Multinational and Iraqi ground forces across the group's area of operations. Close is the commanding officer of MAG-16 and Flores is the group sergeant major. - A Marine color guard stands steady as Col. Guy M. Close (center) and Sgt. Maj. Abelardo Flores uncase the Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing colors in front of the group headquarters building, Feb. 5. The California-based group replaced their East Coast counterpart, MAG-26, as the higher headquarters for a dozen Army and Marine aviation, aviation support and medical units. MAG-16 and its subordinate squadrons provide the essential aviation support to Multinational and Iraqi ground forces across the group's area of operations. Close is the commanding officer of MAG-16 and Flores is the group sergeant major.

Aviation authority transferred to MAG-16 in Western Iraq

Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, returned to the dust-blown streets and runways of Al Asad, Iraq, Feb. 5, replacing MAG-26 as the primary facilitator of aviation support in their area of responsibility. Nearly one year had passed since MAG-26, 2nd MAW, took the reigns from their West Coast counterpart MAG-16. During those

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Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 listen to Army Staff Sgt. Arthur L. Williams stress the importance of a good grounding point when fueling a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter at Al Asad, Iraq, Oct. 16. Williams, a Dillwyn, Va., native, is a section sergeant for Echo Company with the Army's 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). MWSS-273 operates under Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd MAW. - Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 listen to Army Staff Sgt. Arthur L. Williams stress the importance of a good grounding point when fueling a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter at Al Asad, Iraq, Oct. 16. Williams, a Dillwyn, Va., native, is a section sergeant for Echo Company with the Army's 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, Marine Aircraft Group 16 (Reinforced), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). MWSS-273 operates under Marine Wing Support Group 37 (Reinforced), 3rd MAW.