MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225, Vikings, finished their six-month tour here and returned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Sept. 20.
The VMFA (AW)-225 Vikings were on tour here as part of the Unit Deployment Program to participate in various training exercises which took place throughout the Pacific theater.
“UDP is about being ready for conflict in this area if anything ever popped up, but it’s also about training, and while we were here we were able to do a lot of training to maintain a level of readiness for our aircrew, and our Marines were able to take advantage of that opportunity to see a lot of things in the world that in a lot of cases you don’t get a chance to see,” said Col. Douglas W. Pasnik, VMFA (AW)-225 commanding officer.
During their tour here, the Vikings participated in exercises over Malaysian, South Korean and Japanese airspace.
Some of the exercises the Vikings partook in were Foal Eagle, Key Resolve, Air Warrior, Belligerent Kettle, Ardent Blitz and others.
Although each exercise provided the Vikings with a different challenge and presented them with opportunities to learn something new, many of the VMFA (AW)-225 pilots were especially excited when they landed in Malaysia to participate in exercise Air Warrior.
While in Malaysia, the Vikings squared-off against Mikoyan MiG-29s during simulated air assaults planned in support of the exercise.
“We had an opportunity to fight an air-to-air opponent or a type of airplane that we could see as a future air-to-air opponent in different places of the world that some guys just dream about fighting but never get an opportunity,” said Pasnik.
“That was just a great exposure event for us,” Pasnik added.
Pasnik said he thought the deployments were also a good way to expose his Marines to the conditions other people live in.
Many of the VMFA (AW)-225 Marines participated in various community relations projects, visiting orphanages and schools during their tour here, and took trips with the Single Marine Program to various locations in Japan.
Lt. Col. Daniel Shipley, VMFA (AW)-225 executive officer, said he was proud of how the VMFA (AW)-225 Marines conducted themselves during their tour here and how they were able to handle the challenges they were faced with during the various exercises.
He said he also believed the arrival here of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115, based out of Beaufort, S.C., would be a good experience for the squadron.
“I think 115 is a good squadron that came in here,” said Shipley. “They’re as positive as we are, and they’re ready to hit the ground running in a very good sense, and I look forward to hearing about their success while they’re out here.”
Shipley said he was grateful for the station’s hospitality and feels the squadron is leaving in a better condition than they arrived, thanks to the experiences they’ve had while on tour here.