May 30, 2004 — The Secretary of the Navy, the honorable Mr. Gordon R. England, awarded the Aviation Unit Safety Award to Lt. Col. Mark S. Jebens, commanding officer, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, here May 18. The squadron reached the 50,000 Class "A" mishap-free hour milestone on Jan 29 while aboard the MORE
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May 30, 2004 — The air was stifling inside the KC-130 Hercules aircraft as the loud hum of its rotors signaled the approach of the giant cargo plane. The zero illumination night lowered the threat of enemy contact around the drop zone as the aircraft slowed to 140 knots and gained altitude to reach 800 feet above ground level. The two loadmasters readied MORE
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May 29, 2004 — Leadership was smoothly transitioned here as Maj. Gen. James F. Amos relinquished command to Maj. Gen. Keith J. Stalder during the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing change of command, May 29. For Amos, a University of Idaho graduate, the ceremony marked the bittersweet conclusion to an eventful tour of duty with 3rd MAW, which saw him deploy the unit to MORE
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May 28, 2004 — The Marines of Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, arrived here in February with one thing in mind, supporting the Marines and Sailors of 3rd MAW with anything they need. The metalworkers of MWSS-273 maintenance are here not only to assist, they are here to design and build anything a unit needs MORE
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May 23, 2004 — Far removed from the everyday comforts of home, the Marines and Sailors of Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing serving at distant outposts here were treated to the ultimate delight recently when a variety of ice cream was delivered to their collective doorsteps. Dubbed "Operation 31 Flavors" by MORE
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May 23, 2004 — Language can form barriers that are complicated to overcome and in a situation where one must be able to designate friend from foe, knowing the local dialect can save your life. Most American servicemembers serving in Iraq do not speak Arabic; much less the Iraqi dialect of the language, which posed a serious problem when interaction between Iraqi MORE
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May 22, 2004 — Marine Attack Squadrons 542 and 214, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, arrived here in the mid-afternoon hours and throughout the night of May 18, to augment the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force missions throughout Western Iraq. VMA-542, nicknamed the "Tigers," departed Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., about a week MORE
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May 19, 2004 — The spirits of the Marines and Sailors of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing were lifted here, May 17 and 18, during a surprise visit from the Honorable Mr. Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy. Making stops at various locations throughout the air base, the Baltimore native spent time speaking to, taking photographs amongst and answering the questions of MORE
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May 19, 2004 — Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and a helicopter support team from Combat Service Support Company 117, Combat Service Support Battalion 7, Combat Service Support Group 11, 1st Force Service Support Group, joined forces to show there's no limit to what they can deliver on the battlefield. MORE
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May 17, 2004 — The treacherous stretches of desert that characterize life here may not seem like the ideal backdrop for something as heartwarming as a family reunion. However, for Sgt. Maj. Melvin O. Chestnut, sergeant major, Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 38, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the harsh environment has proven to be the MORE
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