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Friday, April 4, 2014 Vol. 49, No. 13 Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C.
Charlie and Oscar Company Graduates
“The noise you hear is the sound of freedom.”
n Entertainment n News Briefs n Weather n Around The Corps n Graduates
2 3 3 10 15
CLC-23 family day Page 8
Laurel Bay Teacher of the Year Page 12
See Page 15
VMFA-533 trains for deployment Page 13
Courtesy Photo
An F/A-18 with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 flies over the Helmand River in Afghanistan. The Checkerboards are the last F/A-18 squadron to fly in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Cpl. John Wilkes Editor
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312, also known as the Checkerboards are deployed aboard the USS Harry S. Truman in support of Navy Carrier Air Wing 3 as well as Carrier Strike Group Ten. Carrier Strike Group Ten is one of five U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently
assigned to the United States Fleet Forces Command. U.S. Navy carrier strike groups are employed in a variety of roles which involve gaining and maintaining sea control as well as projecting naval air power ashore. The Navy carrier air wing attached to the USS Harry S. Truman has continued to provide close air support for maritime security operations.
To prepare for this deployment the Checkerboards participated in training exercises and scenarios aboard Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Air Station Key West, and Naval Air Station Fallon and participated in a month-long pre-deployment exercise aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. VMFA-312 completed many training scenarios and programs such as the Strike Fighter Advanced Readiness Program. The
Sweathogs construct landing zone at Fort Stewart
Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 spray hydroseed on a mock tactical landing zone aboard Ft. Stewart Ga., March 25. Cpl. Timothy Norris
Staff Writer
Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 constructed a mock tactical landing zone and repaired training structures at Fort Stewart, Ga., March 19-25. The training focused on mission essential skills including tactical landing zone construction, vertical construc-
tion repair and mine sweeping among other necessary capabilities to sustain a forward operating base. “It’s a win-win because Fort Stewart is getting range maintenance done and we’re getting mission essential training,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Daniel Presley, MWSS-273 heavy equipment platoon commander. The Sweathogs chose Fort
Stewart because of the large training space available and close proximity to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. Fort Stewart is only two hours away from the Air Station, which is a much easier trip to make than the 18-hour trek to the next nearest base, Camp Lejeune N.C., with all the heavy equipment. see
sweathogs, page 6
purpose of which is to hone pilot’s skills in planning and executing various strike fighter missions. During training everyone from pilots to maintenance were evaluated on effectiveness as well as combat readiness. The Checkerboards will “fight on,” as their motto states, as they complete their mission as the last F/A-18 squadron to fly in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Phishing for money Cpl. Sarah Cherry Staff Writer
Internet scams, hacking schemes and identity theft continue to grow as technology continues to grow in capability and scope. A recent source of theft in Beaufort involves selling items to strangers online. The seller posts an item for sale online. The buyer agrees to the price and pays with a check written for more than the cost of the item. The buyer requests the amount over purchase price to be refunded in cash. The check is intially cleared by the sellers bank, so they agree to refund the excess cash. Several weeks later the bank will inform the seller that the check was fradulent. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, banks are required to provide money for check in five days or less, although forgeries may not be declared for weeks at a time. Other thefts and scams take a variety of forms, deceiving victims into giving their information to false sources. “The primary thing people would probably run into would be phishing, where people are trying to get you to divulge information,” said Cheryl Huff, cyber security manager for Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. “They’ll pretend to be a website like your bank or insurance company, and send you e-mails and phone calls saying we think we found a problem or we need you to change your password.” Other ruses include a missed phone call that puts targets on hold, charging them for time, and a purchasing scam leaving sellers empty-handed. “It’s an inherent risk,” said Huff. “Everybody is susceptible to hacks. Pretty much if it sounds too good to be true, it is.” There are several ways for people to protect themselves. “When you find stuff like that you don’t want to take their word for it,” said Huff. “One of the main things is making sure you’re on the secure portion of the site.” People can also find out if a phone call or e-mail is legitimate by calling the reputable number they have for their bank or insurance company and asking, she said. When buying items from strangers through the internet, there is risk whether or not you meet the person.