Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C. -- Wing Support Squadron 274 from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, set out for Bogue Auxiliary Air Field to conduct Exercise Carolina Thunder, March 18-22.
The exercise began with hauling the food, equipment and other supplies essential to life in the field out to the site and constructing the tents and barriers.
The intent of the operation was to exercise MAG-29’s expeditionary capabilities while performing in an austere environment, said Maj. Joseph R. Jackson, MAG-29 exercise lead.
“During this training exercise we were operating as though we were the air combat element lead for a Marine Expeditionary Brigade,” said Jackson. “We go through this event to practice how we would run as an ACE in a deployment situation.”
Another intent of the operation was to exercise MAG-29’s capacity to perform all of the functions required for acting as the MEB ACE headquarters.
Jackson added, to complete their mission they had to successfully operate with their MWSS-274 counterparts in both the aviation and ground elements. They performed this exercise to ensure their operational abilities are up to par while working in austere environments such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The training highlighted areas the units were strong in and revealed what aspects they needed to work on,” said Jackson. “Once we see and determine where we stand with all of the elements that we are responsible for we can take any corrective actions that we may need to be as efficient as possible.”
Over the course of five days the units performed many training and situational events, such as troop lifts and transports to assess how they are performing as the ACE for a MEB.
“The operation went very well,” said Maj. Brian J. Taylor, MAG-29’s operations officer. “It is not typical for a MAG to go to the field on its own but with the support of MWSS-274 everything went quite well. There is a lot we learned and a few things we need to work on but as Marines we need to ensure that we are fully operational under less-than-perfect conditions and we did just that.”