MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312, stationed out of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., arrived here Oct. 7 as part of the Unit Deployment Program.
Lt. Col. Harry F. Thomas commands the "Checkerboards," which consists of approximately 220 Marines and approximately 10 F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.
The Checkerboards replaced VMFA-323, which returned to MCAS Miramar, Calif.