MARINE CORPS AUXILIARY LANDING FIELD BOGUE, N.C. -- Members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 conducted their annual Communication Exercise, May 5 – 9 at Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue, N.C.
While there, the squadron trained to become efficient in supporting the squadron’s mission of providing aviation ground support assets to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and all supporting elements of the Marine Air Control Group.
2nd Marine Aircraft wing is home to more than five different aircraft platforms ranging from fixed-wing to rotary-wing. MWSS-271 ensures ground personnel have the proper equipment to speak with commanders who in turn provide the pilots with information to provide defense capabilities to the ground troops.
Communication Marines supported the exercise by creating, maintaining and distributing communication assets to necessary channels within the chain of command.
“The big thing that we are trying to do right now is mesh the data side with my radio side and push their stuff out wirelessly instead of running cables everywhere,” said Sgt. Jacob L. Bennett, a field radio operator with the squadron.
Field radio operators, cyber network operators, field wireman and ground communications organizational repairers combined efforts work toward negating the use of wires while operating in close proximity to the flight line, according to Bennett.
“Our (communication exercise) is a field exercise designed to get our platoon back to the basics,” said Bennett. “We are out here training Marines in their job since there are no operations for us to support right now besides ourselves.”
While integrating the different military occupational specialties, this also was a time for new Marines to get a sneak-peak of what operations would be like when supporting a mission for 2nd MAW.
“The Marines are pushing emails and chat rooms, internal and external telephone use as well as voice communications via radio networks,” said Bennett. “We have long hall communications out here that we are using to talk to Cherry Point right now and we also have our internal stuff, like our tactical nets for the inside.”
The training the Marines received prepares them for operations in combat.
“When we deployed last year, we didn’t provide all the services. We made sure the services were available,” said Bennett. “Here we control everything. We get the information from higher and then we make our own infrastructure.”
While learning the ins-and-outs of their jobs, Marines with the squadron are also enjoying the camaraderie of learning from those senior to them and advancing in their career field.
“I think the training is going really well,” said Lance Cpl. Fredrick Glass, a cyber-network operator with the squadron. “With our MOS, it’s about what you have and what you can make it do. Knowing how to manipulate the equipment will make you a better data Marine and more valuable to the mission.”