JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST -- It looked like a warzone. A UH-1Y Venom’s two .50 caliber machine guns methodically fired through light smoke as the rounds pierced their targets and sent clouds of dust into the already hazy sky. Rockets screamed through the air, striking armored vehicles on the ground.
But it was not a warzone. The smoke was drifting over from a prescribed fire and the armored vehicles were husks designated for target practice by the Marine Corps aviators overhead.
On Feb. 22, Marines with the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 took to the ranges here to perform training designed to ensure the squadron’s readiness to deploy at a moment’s notice.
“This type of exercise is highly adequate training to keep the squadron prepared for a deployment,” said Marine Corps Maj. Jarrod Depasquale, a reserve pilot with the HMLA-773. “The experience is there, we’re just flexing our muscles to keep it fresh.”
During the training, an AH-1W SuperCobra provided cover for a UH-1Y as the crew simulated the transport of friendly units into contested areas.
While the pilots focused on carefully maneuvering the aircraft, the UH-1Y crew chiefs trained their guns on targets down the range.
“Our job is to provide air assault for our ground troops,” said Marine Corps Sgt. Matthew Lehman, HMLA-773 helicopter mechanic and aerial observer. “We need to understand every single aspect of the weapons systems onboard. It can be the difference between life and death.”
The HMLA-773 has both active duty and reserve Marine Corps aviators. The aviators are required to maintain a certain amount of flight training hours in order to stay qualified with their respective aircraft. This training is an essential opportunity for the aviators to acquire flight training hours.
The qualifications this training upholds ensure the helicopter pilots and their crews are comfortable, effective and ready to perform in a deployed environment at any moment.
“The reservoir of experience in the squadron is deep – the average flight time in this squadron is over 2,000 hours a pilot; the training is nothing revolutionary,” said Depasquale. “However, the training ensures that if we were to deploy, it would be a very short run-up period. We do more than enough to keep the fires warm.”