Vol. 71, No. 40
October 3, 2013
www.cherrypoint.marines.mil
MWCS-28 supports Combined Endeavor CHIEF PETTY OFFICER JAMES BANES COMBINED ENDEAVOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS
COURTESY PHOTO
Lance Cpl. Dallin Brimley carries two ammunition cans during a combat fitness test. Brimley and fellow Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron 28 conducted their CFT while supporting Operation Combined Endeavor 2013 in Grafenwoehr, Germany.
U.S. ARMY GARRISON, GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – Lance Cpl. Ryan Zabriskie was completing his training at the schoolhouse at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., when someone tapped him on the shoulder and said he needed to report for a briefing on Exercise Combined Endeavor. Zabriskie was not the only one of the group that left North Carolina Sept. 16 for Grafenwoehr, Germany, on their first exercise in support of a fleet activity. “This is totally new for us”, said Sgt. Christopher Wallace of Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28. “None of us have worked in a multi-national environment before and some have never deployed at all.” For a first exercise, Combined Endeavor 2013 can be quite a challenge. CE ‘13 is the world’s largest communications and interoperability exercise involving 38 participating nations. The mission requires seasoned professionals that can handle many moving parts with minimal problems. The young Marines of MWCS-28 were tasked with providing communications serSee ENDEAVOR page A7
VMA-542 ‘Tigers’ depart for Mountain Roundup PFC. VICTOR A. ARRIAGA MCAS CHERRY POINT
More than 150 Marines with Marine AttackSquadron 542 departed to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho Friday to participate in a multinational combined-joint exercise dubbed Mountain Roundup 2013. The exercise is part of German Air Force Tornado Fighter Weapons Instructor Course Mission Employment Phase where everyone involved works to provide proficient integrated combined joint forces. The first training day in Mountain Roundup began Wednesday officially kicking off the exercise. “This is huge for us,” said Maj. Howard L. Longwell, the operations officer with the squadron. “This gives the young guys a chance to come out and participate in an exercise and see other assets that they normally don’t get to see.” VMA-542 will provide armed reconnaissance, strike reconnaissance and close air support throughout the exercise. “We are going to be doing a lot of things while we are out there,” said Longwell. “We are mostly there to support the Germans but we are getting training in as well.” Longwell says that Mountain Roundup is the German Air Forces’ version of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Weapons and Tactics Instructor course offered at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. “This exercise is very similar to our WTI because it brings assets together from different countries and military branches,” he said. Some of the countries involved in Mountain Roundup are Canada, Germany and the Netherlands who will all be providing pilots, airSee TIGERS page A7
Next Generation Enterprise Network new official intranet PFC. GRACE L. WALADKEWICS MCAS CHERRY POINT
Oct. 1 marked the official change of the Navy Marine Corps Intranet to the new network called the Next Generation Enterprise Network. The Navy and Marine Corps are taking separate paths for the future of their information technology under NGEN. They have transitioned from the formerly contractor-owned and operated network to the Navy system being owned by the government but contractor-operated and the Marine Corps being government-owned and operated with contractor support. “The Marine Corps will be utilizing a touch and labor contract during the transition period from NMCI to the Government-owned, Governmentoperated with contract support,” said Maj. Alfred B. Hammett, the Telecommunications Information Systems Directorate director at Cherry Point. “The Marine Corps will be managing their own network once again as they did prior to NMCI.” The Next Generation Enterprise Network is the follow-on to the Department of the Navy’s current network NMCI. The transition began in 2011 and the Marine Corps plans to have fully transitioned by April 2014. NGEN will supply a protected information technology infrastructure for the United States and certain surrounding areas and expand training and administrative capabilities. The implementation of the new system is expected to save the Navy and Marine Corps approximately $1 million over the next five years. The Marine Corps Network Operations and Security Center supported by regional Information Technology Support Center-East, and base, post and station communications sections will now control the regional network segment for the Marine Corps, allowing greater control over the network, said Hammett. “The new system will allow us to train as we fight,” said Hammett. “Controlling our garrison networks in alignment with the deployed environment gives local administrators capabilities to fix and update the network, gives the base S-6 more network control and integrates us into the joint information environment.” NGEN will convey information transport services and offer access to core enterprise applications for the military personnel. The military hopes that NGEN will provide the framework for the future Naval Networking Environment. They hope to one day have it be an entirely integrated enterprise-wide networking setting where information and services are constantly on hand and available to Department of the Navy users.
LANCE CPL. MIKE GRANAHAN
Cpl. Brandon M. Bower presents his meal consisting of shrimp scampi, Wisconsin cheese soup, linguini pasta, asparagus with bacon pieces, wheat bread, and ice cream delight during the chef of the quarter competition on Cherry Point Sept. 26. Bower placed first in the competition and is a food service specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron.
Marine chefs face off during competition LANCE CPL. MIKE GRANAHAN MCAS CHERRY POINT
Three food service specialists faced off Sept. 26 in the chef of the quarter competition on Cherry Point. The competition put to the test all attributes necessary to be a successful Marine Corps chef including preparation, presentation, taste, Marine Corps and military occupational specialty knowledge, and overall Marine appearance. Cpl. Brandon M. Bower took first place in the competition with his shrimp scampi, Wisconsin cheese soup, linguini pasta, asparagus with bacon pieces, wheat bread and ice cream delight. “It’s all about leading by example,” said Bower, a food service specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron. “We have new Marines coming in that aren’t familiar with (the competition) and you step up. That makes them want to do it the next time around.” See CHEF page A7
MWHS-2 conducts field training exercise PFC. VICTOR A. ARRIAGA MCAS CHERRY POINT
More than 50 Marines and Sailors from Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2 conducted a field training exercise Sept. 23-26 at Marine Corps Outlying Landing Field Atlantic. Marines and Sailors participated in training consisting of land navigation, convoy operations, conditioning hikes and weapons handling to refresh fundamentals learned at entry-level training. “We had a great field exercise and had a great time,” said Sgt. Maj. Scott D. Grade, the squadron’s sergeant major. “We struggled the first night, but the Marines pushed through and did a fantastic job.” The training exercise was a learning experience for Marines who normally do not get to partake in field exercises, said 1st. Lt. Kyle R. Mirabelli, the adjutant for the squadron. “We brought the Marines out here so they
See INTRANET page A7 See FIELD page A7
Lending Act
A2
Seafood Festival
B1
Parachute training
A3
Cancer awareness
B2
Pig Pickin’
A5
Announcements
B3
PFC. VICTOR A. ARRIAGA
Staff Sgt. Noemi Rodriguez, left, and 1st. Lt. Kyle R. Mirabelli wait for a convoy of Marines at Marine Corps Outlying Landing Field Atlantic before conducting a mock ambush Sept. 25. Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2 Marines participated in a field training exercise Sept. 23-26 and practiced convoy operations and ambush scenarios. Rodriquez is the administrative chief for the squadron and Mirabelli is the adjutant for the squadron.
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