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KC-130 lands on Tinian’s Baker runway
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Posted on Dec 08 2013
[B]By LANCE CPL. ANTONIO RUBIO[/B]
[I]Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni[/I]
TINIAN, Northern Mariana Islands—A Marine Corps KC-130J Hercules aircraft landed on Baker runway at Tinian’s North Field during exercise Forager Fury II on Dec. 5.
The aircraft, with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force performed the second landing to be accomplished at Tinian’s North Field since 1947.
Prior to the aircraft being able to land at Baker runway, repair work was needed to ensure the runway was suitable conditions, according to Lt. Col. Howard Eyth, commanding officer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st MAW, III MEF.
“The Marines really enjoyed the opportunity to get tactical operation training and experience that they employed to accomplish this task,” said Eyth. “Persevering the runways was number one and exposing an infrastructure that potentially could be used to introduce American military forces into the Marianas for purposes of training.”
The purpose of exercise FF II is to employ and assess combat power generation and operations in a deployed, austere and unimproved environment.
“We as a squadron are very excited to come out and participate in FF II for the immense training value that it afforded us,” said Eyth. “There is no opportunity for us in Iwakuni, Japan, to employ much of the equipment we have simply because there are no training areas in the vicinity in Iwakuni. To be able to come out here and demonstrate how integrated we are with MAG-12 and operate as an organic aviation ground support capability in a venue such as this and we consider ourselves lucky to have the chance to contribute our piece to making this a very successful exercise.”
