3rd MAW strengthens as WTI 1-21 concludes

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – (November 3, 2020) Upon the completion of Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-21, over 100 newly qualified instructors return to their respective squadrons throughout the Marine Corps. 
 
Culminating in a fully integrated, combined arms exercise encompassing all functions of Marine aviation, WTI prepares graduates to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force with mission planning, briefing and debriefing, threat systems, and unit weapons system employment.
 
“The WTI course is critical to the readiness of not only 3rd MAW, but the whole Marine Corps aviation enterprise. My pilots, crews and maintainers get tremendous opportunities to execute against some very varsity level problem sets. Make no mistake about it, our lethality across aviation combat functions – from command and control to aviation ground support logistics, and everything in between – is sharpened during WTI. The weapons we carry forward are forged at [Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron (MAWTS) 1],” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Mahoney, 3rd Marine Air Wing Commanding General. “All of these capabilities are essential to maintaining 3rd MAW readiness, and will ultimately help prepare our Marines to effectively move forward and confront challenges across the globe.”
 
During WTI 1-21, 1st, 2nd and 3rd MAW provided aircraft such as the F-35C Lightning II, AH-1Z Viper, UH-1Y Venom, and CH-53E Super Stallion to assist in the ability to conduct all of the functions of Marine aviation. 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment arrived from Camp Lejeune to conduct predeployment training in conjunction with the aviators.
 
Weapons and Tactics Instructor course is a seven-week period of instruction, hosted by MAWTS-1 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., that incorporates Marine Corps planning and implementation of advanced air and ground tactics though a series of escalating evolutions in order to produce certified weapons and tactics instructors.
 
The mission of MAWTS-1 is to provide standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications that support Marine aviation training and readiness, and to provide assistance in the development and employment of aviation weapons and tactics.
 
3rd MAW continues to “Fix, Fly and Fight” as the Marine Corps’ largest aircraft wing, and remains combat-ready, deployable on short notice, and lethal when called into action.
 
Access the following link to view imagery from WTI 1-21:

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey, assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), participating in Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-21, refuels during a static forward arming and refueling point (FARP) training exercise while utilizing the tactical aviation ground refueling system (TAGRS), at Holtville Airfield, Holtville, California, Oct. 5, 2020. The WTI course is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness, and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Shannon Gibson)

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Brandon Mote, a crew chief with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, Marine Aviation Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, participates in the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-21, while firing an M2 .50-caliber machine gun from a CH-53E Super Stallion in Yuma, Arizona, Oct. 3, 2020. The WTI course is a seven-week training event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness, and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Dominic Romero)

U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, gain the capability of conducting a hot-load of ordnance on an F-35C Lightning II, while being validated at south combat aircraft loading area, during the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-21, at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, Oct. 6, 2020. The WTI course is a seven-week training event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness, and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Dominic Romero)

U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) prepares to conduct an external lift during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-21 at Auxiliary Airfield II in Yuma, Arizona, Sep. 24, 2020. The WTI course is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness, and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Dominic Romero)

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Manuel Yanez, a KC-130J Hercules fixed wing aircraft crew master, assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), supervises Marines during an air delivered ground refueling mission during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-21, at Stoval Airfield, Dateland, Arizona, Oct. 16, 2020. The WTI course is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Alexander N. Sturdivant)