Stories

MASA 24: MWSS-371 and Philippine airfield operators conduct FARP operations at Laoag International Airport - U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 371, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and Philippine Sailors run a fuel line after refueling a KC-130J Super Hercules with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport (VMGR) 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd MAW, during forward arming and refueling point operations at Laoag International Airport, Laoag, Philippines, June 15, 2024. The FARP supported aircraft with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport (VMGR) 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd MAW, and 1st Special Operations Squadron during Marine Aviation Support Activity 24. MASA is an annual Philippine-U.S. military exercise focused on mutual defense, strengthening relationships, and rehearsing emerging aviation concepts. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Nikolas Mascroft)

Invaluable Integration | Philippine native, U.S. Marines build cultural bridges to support MASA 24

Demonstrating the strong people-to-people ties that are the bedrock of the U.S.-Philippine relationship, U.S. Marines with Filipino heritage from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing played a crucial role in their unit’s bilateral operations while forward deployed to various locations in the Philippines. These Marines ensured that 3rd MAW could conduct flight operations alongside their Philippine counterparts by enhancing U.S.-Philippine communication despite language barriers, directly enabling Marine Aviation Support Activity 24 from June 3rd to June 21st, 2024.

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From Two Nations: USMC 1st Lt. Francisderick Corpuz Bridging Cultures through Service in the Philippines - U.S. Marine Corps 1stLt Francisderick Corpuz, center, an air intelligence officer with Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, speaks to a Philippine Marine during Marine Aviation Support Activity 24 at Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines, June 18, 2024.Corpuz’s background as a Filipino native enabled him to deploy as a cultural liaison during MASA 24, bridging communication gaps and providing mutual cooperation between U.S. Marine Corps and Philippine Marines. MASA is an annual Philippine-U.S. military exercise focused on mutual defense, strengthening relationships, and rehearsing emerging aviation concepts. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez)

From Two Nations: USMC 1st Lt. Francisderick Corpuz Bridging Cultures through Service in the Philippines

1st Lt. Francisderick Corpuz, an air intelligence officer with Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, embodied a life woven between two nations, crisscrossing the Pacific in tandem with his father's service as a U.S. Navy corpsman. Corpuz is the sole sibling born in the Philippines among five, and he is now returning to his homeland as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

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MASA 24: VMGR-352 conducts transportation flight operations - U.S. Marines Corps Sgt. Caleb Shockey, a fixed-wing aircraft crew chief with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport (VMGR) 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, loads ground support equipment onto a KC-130J Super Hercules for a transportation flight during Marine Aviation Support Activity 24 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, June 9, 2024. VMGR-352 transported fixed-wing ordnance, including bombs and missiles, and ground support equipment, from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni to Clark Air Base, Philippines, in support of the MASA 24 littoral live fire exercise; the ordnance and equipment was received, ground transported, and guarded by Philippine and U.S. Marines. MASA is an annual Philippine and U.S. Marine Corps exercise focused on mutual defense, strengthening relationships, and rehearsing emerging aviation concepts. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jennifer Sanchez)

U.S. Marine Loadmaster shapes aviation operations in the Philippines: Sgt. Caleb Shockey

From the sunny streets of Chino Hills, California, to operating as a KC-130J Super Hercules loadmaster with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport (VMGR) 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Sgt. Caleb Shockey embarked on his journey in the U.S. Marine Corps after enlisting through Recruiting Station Azusa. Shockey left Chino Hills for Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in February 2020 and has upheld the whole Marine concept since.

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MASA 24: MWSS-371 and Philippine airfield operators conduct FARP operations at Laoag International Airport - U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 371, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and Philippine Sailors refuel a KC-130J Super Hercules with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport (VMGR) 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd MAW, during forward arming and refueling point operations at Laoag International Airport, Laoag, Philippines, June 15, 2024. The FARP supported aircraft with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport (VMGR) 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd MAW, and 1st Special Operations Squadron during Marine Aviation Support Activity 24. MASA is an annual Philippine-U.S. military exercise focused on mutual defense, strengthening relationships, and rehearsing emerging aviation concepts. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Nikolas Mascroft)

U.S.-Philippine bilateral airfield operations: MWSS-371 conducts FARP operations with Philippine Sailors at Laoag

U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, strengthened ties with their Philippine counterparts by conducting bilateral forward arming and refueling point operations during Marine Aviation Support Activity 24, at Laoag, Philippines, June 3 – June 21, 2024.

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