Jet Stream The
Friday, June 19, 2015 Vol. 50, No. 24 Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C.
Kilo & Oscar Company Graduates See Page 9
“The noise you hear is the sound of freedom.” 2 3 facebook.com/MCASBeaufort 3 Beaufort.Marines.mil
twitter.com/MCASBeaufortSC
U.S. Marines, sailors save Indonesians from tragedy – Page 6
BALTOPS 2015 unifies amphibious NATO forces – Page 7
First of its kind Page 7
UK officials visit Fightertown
UK officers pay visit to MCAS Beaufort Story by Lance Cpl. Jonah Lovy Staff Writer
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort hosted officers from the United Kingdom’s F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program, June 16. The officers toured the facilities aboard Fightertown in order to increase cooperation and further their own F-35 program. The U.K. has been integrated into Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 since February 2015, when the Royal Air Force flew three Joint Strike Fighters to Fightertown. Currently, there are 14 U.K. service members at VMFAT-501. Six distinguished guests visited MCAS Beaufort which included Air Commodore Harvey Smyth, the lightning force commander for the U.K. F-35 program; Group Capt. Paul Godfrey, the current group captain lightning for the U.K. F-35 program; and Group Capt. Ian Townsend, the incoming group captain lightning for the U.K. F-35 program. Smyth, as the Lightning Force Commander, is responsible for the entire F-35 program in the Royal Air Force. Godfrey Photo by Lance Cpl. Jonah V. Lovy is the current Group Captain Lightning, a position that is responsible for U.K. F-35 operations aboard MCAS Beaufort. His Air Commodore Harvey Smyth, left, shakes hands with Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols during a tour of Marine Fighter Attack Training replacement, Group Capt. Ian Townsend Squadron 501, June 16. There are currently 14 U.K. pilots and maintainers with VMFAT-501 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. Smyth is the lightning force commander, responsible for the F-35 program in the Royal Air Force. Nichols is the UK senior national representative for United Kingdom Royal Air Force pilots assigned to VMFAT-501, Marine Aircraft Group 31. see Pilots, page 8
Marine Aircraft Group 31 Change of Command
Hornets sharpen skills down south Story by Lance Cpl. Jonah Lovy Staff Writer F/A-18 Hornets from Marine Aircraft Group 31 participated in a live missile shoot on Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Fla., June 6-12. Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons 122 and 115, and Marine AllWeather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 participated in the exercise. The primary purpose of the exercise was to execute air-to-air live-fire missle shoots against unmanned aircraft, also known as drones. The pilots fired live missiles at the drones to simulate a combat environment. “This is a unique experience,” said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Mitchel, head of the F/A-18 weapon system evaluation program under the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group. “This exercise is the first time these squadrons have had an opportunity to train like this. It’s good to get them out of their comfort zone.” The squadrons are using the ADM-141 Tactical Air Launched Decoy against the drones. The ADM-141 TALD is designed to consee
Missle, page 8
Col. Robert D. Cooper and Col. William R. Lieblein salute the colors with former Marine Aircraft Group 31 commanding officers during a change of command ceremony on the flight line aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, June 12. Lieblein, who assumed command of MAG-31 May 20, 2013, relinquished command to Cooper. Story and Photos by Lance Cpl. Samantha Torres Staff Writer
Colonel William R. Lieblein relinquished command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 to Col. Robert D. Cooper during a change of command ceremony on the flight line aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, June 12. Lieblein assumed command of MAG-31 May 20, 2013. Cooper previously commanded Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 at MCAS Yuma, Ariz. Lieblein thanked his family, friends and fellow Marines for their support and welcomed Cooper to his new command. “I was very fortunate to have a great lineup of squadron commanding officers,” said Lieblein.
“Their leadership is institutional and their perspective is exceptional.” Soon after earning a degree in industrial engineering, Lieblein was commissioned as a Marine officer in August 1989. He began his Marine Corps career at MCAS Beaufort with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 451. Lieblein has been on several deployments, including his most recent, a 13-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. “We’ve made some significant strides over the last two years,” said Lieblein. “At the end of my command tour, I know I’ve made MAG-31 stronger and I know that Col. Cooper will do the same.” see
MAG-31, page 5
Photo by U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Sergio A. Gamboa Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
Marines perform pre-flight maintenance on an F/A-18D Hornet in preparation for a live-fire missile shoot on Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Fla., June 15. Pilots and ground crew received vital experience during simulated combat missions to increase mission readiness. The Marines are with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224, Marine Aircraft Group 31.