Stories

Lt. Col. Wes Spaid, left, assists Capt. Derek Mills during an inspection of an AV-8B Harrier at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Aug. 26, 2014. Spaid is the Aviation Combat Element commander with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and visited the air station to get a better understanding of the different aircraft within the ACE. Mills is a Harrier instructor pilot with Marine Attack Training Squadron 203. - Lt. Col. Wes Spaid, left, assists Capt. Derek Mills during an inspection of an AV-8B Harrier at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Aug. 26, 2014. Spaid is the Aviation Combat Element commander with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and visited the air station to get a better understanding of the different aircraft within the ACE. Mills is a Harrier instructor pilot with Marine Attack Training Squadron 203.

Lance Cpl. Nathan Nguyen fires a M-1014 combat shotgun during a live-fire range at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 25, 2014. Nguyen is an aviation communications technician with Marine Air Support Squadron 1. - Lance Cpl. Nathan Nguyen fires a M-1014 combat shotgun during a live-fire range at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 25, 2014. Nguyen is an aviation communications technician with Marine Air Support Squadron 1.

Navy Lt. Andrew Dominguez claims the male first place trophy after finishing the Marine Corps Community Services' Sprint Triathlon/Relay at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Aug. 16, 2014. Dominguez is a physical trainer with the Cherry Point's Naval Heath Clinic and native to San Antonio, Texas. - Navy Lt. Andrew Dominguez claims the male first place trophy after finishing the Marine Corps Community Services' Sprint Triathlon/Relay at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Aug. 16, 2014. Dominguez is a physical trainer with the Cherry Point's Naval Heath Clinic and native to San Antonio, Texas.

Combat engineers with Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 fill a simulated crater during a Base Recovery After Attack drill at Marine Corps Outlying Field Camp Davis, N.C., Aug. 14, 2014. A BRAAT drill simulates an enemy attack on a base and provides steps to return runways, facilities and essential services to operational conditions. - Combat engineers with Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 fill a simulated crater during a Base Recovery After Attack drill at Marine Corps Outlying Field Camp Davis, N.C., Aug. 14, 2014. A BRAAT drill simulates an enemy attack on a base and provides steps to return runways, facilities and essential services to operational conditions.

Cpl. Kyle James, left, and Sgt. Ruben Ochoa battle an aircraft fire during Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting training at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Aug. 14, 2014. James and Ochoa are both ARFF specialists with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron. James is a native of Pasadena, Texas, and Ochoa is a native of Bakersfield, Calif. - Cpl. Kyle James, left, and Sgt. Ruben Ochoa battle an aircraft fire during Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting training at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Aug. 14, 2014. James and Ochoa are both ARFF specialists with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron. James is a native of Pasadena, Texas, and Ochoa is a native of Bakersfield, Calif.

The monitor feed of an unmanned aerial vehicle commander shows the impact of a Hell Fire missile during training at Avon Park Air Force Range, Fla., Aug. 4, 2014. Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 integrated with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 to conduct the live fire training during a 10-day field exercise to increase VMU-2’s ability to operate in a deployed environment. - The monitor feed of an unmanned aerial vehicle commander shows the impact of a Hell Fire missile during training at Avon Park Air Force Range, Fla., Aug. 4, 2014. Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 integrated with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 to conduct the live fire training during a 10-day field exercise to increase VMU-2’s ability to operate in a deployed environment.

Corporal William Nash uses a radio during training at Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic, N.C., July 14, 2014. Members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 established a forward arming and refueling point at the new military operations in urbanized terrain facility to simulate a deployed environment. Nash is a field radio operator with the squadron. - Corporal William Nash uses a radio during training at Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic, N.C., July 14, 2014. Members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 established a forward arming and refueling point at the new military operations in urbanized terrain facility to simulate a deployed environment. Nash is a field radio operator with the squadron.

Student pilots perform a touch-and-go landing during field carrier landing practice with the EA-6B Prowler at Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue, N.C., July 17. The pilots are with Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Training Squadron 1. - Student pilots perform a touch-and-go landing during field carrier landing practice with the EA-6B Prowler at Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue, N.C., July 17. The pilots are with Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Training Squadron 1.

Members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 274 conduct command and control training at Marine Corps Outlying Field Camp Davis, N.C., July 15, 2014, as part of a squadron-wide field exercise. The squadron companies conducted training to prepare their Marines for operations in austere environments. - Members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 274 conduct command and control training at Marine Corps Outlying Field Camp Davis, N.C., July 15, 2014, as part of a squadron-wide field exercise. The squadron companies conducted training to prepare their Marines for operations in austere environments.