MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115, Silver Eagles, arrived here Sept. 17 from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., for a six-month tour as part of the Unit Deployment Program.
VMFA-115 replaces Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225, Vikings, which returned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Sept. 20.
Col. Douglas W. Pasnik, VMFA(AW )-225 commanding officer, said he enjoyed his tour here and is grateful to the surrounding community for the hospitality shown to his squadron.
Lt. Col. Danny L. Johnson commands the Silver Eagles, consisting of approximately 200 service members and about 10 F/A-18 aircraft.
“It’s great to be back in Japan again,” said Johnson. “Everyone is excited and looking forward to the exercises and supporting operational plans that are of utmost importance out here.”
While deployed here, VMFA-115 is slated to participate in various exercises scheduled to take place in Okinawa, Thailand and South Korea.
“Improving our combat readiness will be the one takeaway (from the exercises),” said Johnson. “We’re trying to make ourselves more ready in case we do have to execute plans that are important out here. We’ll be more ready as time goes on, right up to the point we leave and head back to the states. Combat readiness is our goal.”
Some of the Silver Eagle pilots expressed excitement for the scheduled exercises.
“I‘m pumped,” said Maj. Jerry Estell, VMFA -115 aircraft maintenance officer. “We now are here in theater to support operational plans and to get flying and get to do a lot of training that we missed out on earlier this year as we were preparing the aircraft. Now we have plenty of those jets, those training aids, to get back on the tactical step and get ready to do our job here for the next six, seven months.”
The Silver Eagles are equipped with lot 9 Hornets, some of the oldest F/A-18s still in service.
The VMFA-115 jets have recently undergone modifications which bring them up to date with their newer counterparts.
“(The modifications) bring a pretty big punch to the capabilities of the aircraft,” said Estell. The scheduled exercises give the VMFA -115 pilots the perfect opportunity to test the new modifications the jets have been outfitted with, he added.
Along with the scheduled exercises, the VMFA-115 commanding officer is scheduling various professional military education classes to discuss the legendary Marine Corps battles fought during the World War II Pacific campaign.
Johnson said he is already planning PME classes for the Silver Eagles once they land in Okinawa for their first training exercise.
He also hopes to schedule transportation to take some of his squadron to Iwo To, formerly Iwo Jima, for a PME.
“What I want the Marines to take away with them are the experiences or the lessons learned we’ve had in the past and apply them to what we are doing right now and for them to be ready for the future,” said Johnson.
Many of the Marines were enthusiastic as they looked forward to the PMEs and training exercises.
“Being here in Japan, what I’m most looking forward to are the PME trips that we might take to Mount Fuji or the island of Iwo Jima,” said Cpl. David Bissett, a VMFA-115 aviation information systems specialist.
Bissett said he is happy to be here and excited with all that’s being planned during their tour in the Pacific.