ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE TINDAL, Australia -- Marines and sailors deployed to RAAF Base Tindal began the journey home, wrapping up Exercise Southern Frontier and completing another successful exercise down under today.
For Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212, the “Lancers”, based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Southern Frontier is a major training evolution because it gave Marines a rare opportunity to train with live ordnance.
True to their squadron motto, “Train to Fight, Fight to Win,” the ‘Lancers’ unleashed a furious hail of bombs onto the desolate Delamere Range, achieving a huge milestone of 953,000 pounds of ordnance dropped this fiscal year.
The annual training exercise, held in Australia since 1994, is focused mainly on air-to-ground operations with live ordnance.
The Marines supported and flew multiple air-to-ground, close-air support missions, opposed strikes, high explosive ordnance strikes and low altitude flights using live ordnance from their noncombatant expenditure allowance, according to Lt. Col. Michael S. Cederholm, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 commanding officer.
“Last year this squadron employed about 255,000 pounds of ordnance,” said the native of New Hartford, Conn. “As far as I know, this is the first time this squadron has expended all of its NCEA … every flare, every bomb and every rocket.”
In addition to the rare training opportunity to drop live ordnance, the pilots conducted opposed strikes against the RAAF’s 75th Squadron and low altitude flights.
"We train in low altitude arena because this type of training is crucial to getting the pilots ready for real-world operations,” said Cederholm. “In a war-time scenario we may have to fly low because the weather or threat dictates it. This is one of the few places we can conduct this type of training.”
Cederholm also points out that the maintenance Marines played a “starring role” in this exercise. The “Lancer Nation” as he calls his squadron, was able to achieve this milestone for two reasons: jet availability and an improved safety record.
Crediting the hard work of the maintenance Marines, Cederholm said his pilots had more “trusty chariots” this fiscal year, allowing the pilots to fly more hours than they have in the last 4-5 years.
He added that the squadron safety record has improved 50 percent this year which “allows us to train more, fly more and drop more … so it’s a great circle and a true success story.”
The Lancers’ success at this year’s Exercise Southern Frontier also came on the backs of Marines from Marine Aircraft Group 12, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, Marine Wing Support Group 17, Marine Air Control Group 18, Combat Logistics Company 36 and 5th Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company.
Australia is an ideal training environment for this exercise because it offers favorable bombing ranges and training scenarios, according to Lt. Col. Michael P. Antonio, Marine Aircraft Group 12 detachment officer-in-charge. He also noted that the Australians are gracious and hospitable hosts.
“We enjoy developing relationships,” said Antonio. “We take pride in being Marines and enjoy getting out and helping the community.”
The surrounding communities provided Marines with a warm welcome and smiles behind every corner.
“This is my fifth time out here,” said Maj. Joel R. Rauenhorst, VMFA-212 maintenance officer and Easton, Minn. native. “Every time I come down here the Australians always bend over backwards to help us with our training. The people are very straightforward, friendly and professional.
When the Marines weren’t busy putting bombs on target or keeping the ‘birds’ in the air, they could be found sharing their time with local citizens at community relations events coordinated by Lt. Cmdr. Brent D. Johnson, MAG-12 chaplain, and Petty Officer 1st Class, Alverez M. Hemphill, MAG-12 religious program specialist.
“Chaplain Johnson has done a great job with the community relations,” said Antonio. “The Marines enjoy getting out there and meeting the local population. They like working and volunteering their time to help out schools, kids and communities.”