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Friday, June 16, 2017 Vol. 52, No. 23 Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C.
“The noise you hear is the sound of freedom.”
Lima Company Graduates See Page 08
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Chaplain’s Corner: Nomadadic Lifestyle of the Military
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PROTECT WHAT YOU’VE EARNED
VMAQ-4 deactivates after 35 years
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MWSD-31 hones skills, remains mission ready
Marines prepare to fire MK19 grenade launchers during a training exercise at U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Stewart, Ga., June 14. Machine Wing Support Detachment 31 conducted the three-day long training at a range to ensure their Marines are tactically proficient in handling and employing the M240 machine gun and the MK19 grenade launcher to provide convoy security. The Marines firing are with MWSD-31, Marine Corp Air Station Beaufort, and the primary safety officers are with Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Story and photos by: Lance Cpl. Ashley Phillips Staff Writer
Marine Wing Support Detachment 31 conducted a three day-long machine gun training exercise at U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Stewart, Ga., June 6. Various components of MWSD-31 conducted the training at a range to prepare themselves for future exercises and deployments. “In the upcoming months we will be participating in an Integrated Training Exercise,” said 1st Lt. Brian Hoff, the acting executive officer of Service Compa-
ny, MWSD-31. “This range is being conducted to train Marines from all of our components. During this exercise Marines from different platoons will be training to ensure that they are all proficient in providing convoy security.” According to Hoff, typically the Motor Transportation Platoon provides convoy security, but due to manpower reduction, they could potentially need to have Marines form other platoons, such as heavy equipment and the support engineers, trained as well. During convoy security training the Marines will be working with
mounted M240B machine guns and MK19 grenade launchers. “The primary focus will be firing mounted weapons from the vehicles,” said Hoff. “We are able to do this training about twice a year. Each time we do this we use the ‘walk-crawl-run’ method, starting off the simpler tasks and moving to the more advanced tasks.” During the three days at Fort Stewart the Marines
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Mini Marines kicks off aboard MCAS Beaufort Story and photos by: Lance Cpl. Benjamin McDonald Staff Writer
Marines volunteered at the Mini Marines program aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, June 10. The family event was organized by Marine Corps Community Services South Carolina to build camaraderie amongst the Marines and promote a family atmosphere for the military children in the Tri-command. “I am impressed by all the Marines that are out here to volunteer for the families of the Marines in the Tri-command area,” said Staff Sgt. Omar Caraballo Pietri, the career planner for MCAS Beaufort. “It shows that these Marines realize they are a part of an organization that is bigger than them. To me volunteering is one of the most important things a Marine can do to give back to their community and the Marine Corps.” see
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Children participate in a tug-of-war during the Mini Marines Program aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, June 10. Marine Corps Community Services South Carolina held the two-hour event for the children of service members to give them a small glimpse into their parent’s military lives. The children were able to participate in featured a confidence course, a team building station and a modified Combat Fitness Test.
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