MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Marines and Sailors with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron (HMLAT) 303, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment; and 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, held a family day aboard Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California, July 16.
The event was held to showcase the aircraft, equipment, hard work and dedication of the Marines to friends and family members.
“It’s great to see the Marines enjoying the time with their family in the workplace,” said Lt. Col. Sam Deputy, commanding officer of HMLAT-303. “We spend a lot of time in that hangar and to see Marines in that hangar with their families and a smile on their face is a great thing.”
HMLAT- 303 served a pancake breakfast, set up aircraft static displays, and performed an aerial demonstration with UH-1Y Hueys, AH-1W Super Cobras and AH-1Z Vipers. The service members with 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, provided a live-fire demonstration with several .50-caliber and M240 machine guns mounted on Humvees while 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, performed a live-fire demonstration using an M777 howizter.
“Family day is the chance to show our families and loved ones what we do,” said Deputy. “A lot of times our Marines fix helicopters and they don’t get a chance to see them fly and deploy ordinance, and that’s what they are designed to do.”
According to Deputy, the purpose of family day is to build camaraderie in the unit internally and show to the family members what their Marines do every day because having family support is necessary for mission readiness.
“Events like today demonstrate just how supportive our families are of what we do on a day to day basis,” said Lt Col. Scott Weiss, the commanding officer of 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment. “We wouldn’t be able to do it without them.”