MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Marine (All-Weather) Fighter Attack Squadron 251 started preparing for their first deployment out of Iwakuni during their Western Pacific deployment Feb. 6.
The Thunderbolt's first detachment is to Korat, Thailand for Operation Cope Tiger. The four-week training evolution is a multilateral training exercise involving militaries from Thailand, Singapore and the United States.
"Cope Tiger is a two-part exercise," said Maj. Mathew E. Tolliver, VMFA-251 operations officer. "It will involve a command post exercise and flying training exercise."
The T-bolts left Tuesday and will be returning to Iwakuni in early March. Cope Tiger's mission is to improve combat readiness in a combined force exercise while also enhancing security relations, demonstrate and support security in the region, according to Tolliver.
The Thunderbolts, along with other Station units, will be operating out of Korat Royal Thai Air Base. There will be 16 different types of aircraft used during this exercise.
"Aircraft ranging from helicopters and jets to midair refuelers will be used between all the different services," Tolliver said.
There are many objectives set forth for Cope Tiger including maintenance of military to military relations, conducting a safe, accident free exercise, combining command post and training and improving unit proficiency, according to Tolliver.
"We as a unit also have objectives for Cope Tiger," Tolliver said. "Pilot upgrades including mission commander, division lead, section lead and core proficiency are some of those."
While in Thailand this will be some of the junior Thunderbolt's first time on foreign soil other than within Iwakuni.
"We'll be able to use a few different types of ordnance than we are in Iwakuni," said Cpl. Daniel Uselton, VMFA-251 ordnance technician. "I'm also excited to see how the other countries' ordies operate."
With the different militaries working together, some of the work sections have times set aside when they will assemble with their Singapore and Thailand counterparts.
"We are going to have a 'mixer' for all of the ordies from the different countries," Uselton said. "It should be interesting to talk with them about the different training and work they do compared to us."
This Cope Tiger Detachment encompasses the second most important reason for the Thunderbolts participating in WESTPAC, according to Lt. Col. John M. "Dog" Jansen, VMFA-251 executive officer.
"That reason being to strengthen ties with our international partners through military exercises," said Jansen. "This det also strengthens our national security, because of the significant threat that goes with having known terrorist organizations in the area."