MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 Lancers returned to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni June 20 after a successful three-month deployment.
The primary mission of the Lancers was to provide close air support for multinational forces on the ground engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom and the war against terrorism.
"We're very happy to have had the chance to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom," said Lt. Col. James Bishop, VMFA-212 commanding officer. "Emotionally, that's what Marines want to do, get out there and do their part for their country."
The Lancers covered a wide range of support operations throughout Afghanistan during their three-month deployment.
"We ran support missions in Afghanistan from the Pakistani border in the south up to Kabul and Gardez in the north," said Capt. Scott Davidson, VMFA-212 pilot.
The deployment was anything but easy, but gave the Lancers the much wanted opportunity to be a part of the ongoing war on terror.
"It was motivating to actually be doing something in support of Enduring Freedom," said Cpl. Edward Gress, ordnance technician. "It's a good feeling to be putting bombs on planes headed for the enemy and then to see those aircraft coming back empty."
Despite the long hours, the Marines who kept VMFA-212's aircraft in the air never lost track of the reason they were there.
"It reminded us why we all joined the Marine Corps in the first place," said Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Barajas, ordnance technician. "We looked past the long hours and the heat due to the fact that we were taking part in Operation Enduring Freedom."
The squadron is pleased with the fact that it got a chance to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom, noted Davidson.
"We actually requested to be allowed to go out and support real world operations, so we're very happy to have been a part of it," said Davidson.
This is also the first time that VMFA-212 has been involved in a real world scenario since Operation Desert Storm, more than 10 years ago, and has shown the Lancers that it is capable of much more than they originally thought, according to Lance Cpl. Jarrod Jones, a power line technician on his first deployment.
"After working all those long hours I learned that I don't really need a lot of things to get the job done," said Jones. "We just had the basics."
Another significant first of this deployment was that it was the first ever combat deployed composite squadron in Marine Corps history.
"We swapped aircraft, pilots and maintainers with VMFA-332," said Davidson. "We received four F/A-18Ds and gave 332 some of our F/A-18Cs."
While on deployment the Lancers not only supported the forces fighting on the front lines of the war against terrorism, but they also supported those in the rear who wanted to help maintain the memories of our loved ones who were lost on Sept. 11.