News Stories

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. James S. Whiteker, Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 171 commanding officer, addresses the audience during his change of command ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, June 30, 2016. Whiteker relinquished his duties as MWSS-171 commanding officer to Lt. Col. Jason B. Berg after serving as the squadron commander for two years. Whiteker notably led MWSS-171 to unprecedented levels of support for essential exercises, operations and humanitarian assistance efforts across the Pacific. For his efforts as the squadron commanding officer, Whiteker received the meritorious service medal gold star in lieu of a fourth award. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Jessica Quezada/Released) - U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. James S. Whiteker, Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 171 commanding officer, addresses the audience during his change of command ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, June 30, 2016. Whiteker relinquished his duties as MWSS-171 commanding officer to Lt. Col. Jason B. Berg after serving as the squadron commander for two years. Whiteker notably led MWSS-171 to unprecedented levels of support for essential exercises, operations and humanitarian assistance efforts across the Pacific. For his efforts as the squadron commanding officer, Whiteker received the meritorious service medal gold star in lieu of a fourth award. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Jessica Quezada/Released)

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Eckert performs an abdominal exercise with an ammo can while stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Currently serving as a motor transport mechanic with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Eckert’s passion for physical fitness grew once he enlisted and finds ways to incorporate exercises into his daily activities. (Courtesy Photo) - U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Eckert performs an abdominal exercise with an ammo can while stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Currently serving as a motor transport mechanic with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Eckert’s passion for physical fitness grew once he enlisted and finds ways to incorporate exercises into his daily activities. (Courtesy Photo)

Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 participate in a hike during exercise Thunder Horse 16.2 at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Haramura Maneuver Area in Hiroshima, Japan, May 12, 2016. The week-long exercise focused on reinforcing skills that Marines learned throughout their military occupational specialty schooling and during Marine Combat Training in order to maintain situational readiness. Motor transportation operators, bulk fuels specialists, and field radio operators trained in various areas including direct refueling, recovery and general engineering operations and established a tactical motor pool. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Aaron Henson/Released) - Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 participate in a hike during exercise Thunder Horse 16.2 at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Haramura Maneuver Area in Hiroshima, Japan, May 12, 2016. The week-long exercise focused on reinforcing skills that Marines learned throughout their military occupational specialty schooling and during Marine Combat Training in order to maintain situational readiness. Motor transportation operators, bulk fuels specialists, and field radio operators trained in various areas including direct refueling, recovery and general engineering operations and established a tactical motor pool. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Aaron Henson/Released)

Cpl. Michael Martinez, a bulk fuels specialist with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 mans a M240 bravo light-machine while convoying to a simulated aircraft crash site during exercise Thunder Horse 16.2 at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Haramura Maneuver Area in Hiroshima, Japan, May 11, 2016. The squadron conducts exercises such as this several times a year in order to train all the Marines within the squadron, enhance their technical skills, field experience and military occupational specialty capabilities. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Aaron Henson/Released) - Cpl. Michael Martinez, a bulk fuels specialist with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 mans a M240 bravo light-machine while convoying to a simulated aircraft crash site during exercise Thunder Horse 16.2 at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Haramura Maneuver Area in Hiroshima, Japan, May 11, 2016. The squadron conducts exercises such as this several times a year in order to train all the Marines within the squadron, enhance their technical skills, field experience and military occupational specialty capabilities. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Aaron Henson/Released)

Sgt. Isaac Ross, aircraft rescue firefighter with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, helps a child with the fire hose during Junior Recruit Day at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, April 8, 2016. Junior Recruit Day allowed the children of service member’s assigned Marine Aircraft Group 12 to get a first-hand look at what their military parent’s experiences on a daily basis. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Antonio J. Rubio) - Sgt. Isaac Ross, aircraft rescue firefighter with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, helps a child with the fire hose during Junior Recruit Day at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, April 8, 2016. Junior Recruit Day allowed the children of service member’s assigned Marine Aircraft Group 12 to get a first-hand look at what their military parent’s experiences on a daily basis. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Antonio J. Rubio)

Gunnery Sgt. Victor Velez, left, manpower chief and Gunnery Sgt. Jimmy Ensley, maintenance control chief with Marine Helicopter Squadron One answer questions during an HMX-1 brief at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 14, 2016. The brief afforded HMX-1 Marines the opportunity to provide information and answer questions about the career opportunities available to pilots, crew chiefs, aircraft maintainers and many other Marines at HMX-1. HMX-1 is responsible for direct helicopter support of the White House, which includes supporting the president, vice president, secretary of defense, secretary of the Navy, commandant of the Marine Corps and all visiting heads of state in the Washington, D.C., area. - Gunnery Sgt. Victor Velez, left, manpower chief and Gunnery Sgt. Jimmy Ensley, maintenance control chief with Marine Helicopter Squadron One answer questions during an HMX-1 brief at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 14, 2016. The brief afforded HMX-1 Marines the opportunity to provide information and answer questions about the career opportunities available to pilots, crew chiefs, aircraft maintainers and many other Marines at HMX-1. HMX-1 is responsible for direct helicopter support of the White House, which includes supporting the president, vice president, secretary of defense, secretary of the Navy, commandant of the Marine Corps and all visiting heads of state in the Washington, D.C., area.

A Marine from Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 assists Sgt. Deedmund Nettles, left, food service specialist with MWSS-171, in removing his personal protective equipment during Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response training at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 18, 2015. The course covered topics such as the hazards associated with working around chemicals, how to locate information on different chemicals, and the four aspects of planning and organizing a hazardous waste site, which are organizational structure, work plan, safety meetings and inspections. This training provided Marines with the proper knowledge to identify contain and clean up hazardous materials. - A Marine from Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 assists Sgt. Deedmund Nettles, left, food service specialist with MWSS-171, in removing his personal protective equipment during Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response training at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 18, 2015. The course covered topics such as the hazards associated with working around chemicals, how to locate information on different chemicals, and the four aspects of planning and organizing a hazardous waste site, which are organizational structure, work plan, safety meetings and inspections. This training provided Marines with the proper knowledge to identify contain and clean up hazardous materials.

Pfc. Raymond Ramirez, an embarkation Marine with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, poses after successfully completing an operational decontamination exercise at the MWSS-171 motor transportation wash rack at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Nov. 18, 2015. Ramirez was one of the multiple Marines to finish the five-phase exercise aimed to increase combat proactivity and readiness in a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear environment. - Pfc. Raymond Ramirez, an embarkation Marine with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, poses after successfully completing an operational decontamination exercise at the MWSS-171 motor transportation wash rack at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Nov. 18, 2015. Ramirez was one of the multiple Marines to finish the five-phase exercise aimed to increase combat proactivity and readiness in a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear environment.

Marines and firefighters climbed the training tower during a 9/11 remembrance climb aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sep. 9, 2015, to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11. Participants included Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting, the Provost Marshal's Office and the Special Reaction Team Marines with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Fuel Division Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, and Japanese firefighters. Each participant carried with them a photo of a fallen firefighter as they climbed the training towers 18 times for a total of 110 floors, the same amount of floors as the twin towers. - Marines and firefighters climbed the training tower during a 9/11 remembrance climb aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sep. 9, 2015, to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11. Participants included Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting, the Provost Marshal's Office and the Special Reaction Team Marines with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Fuel Division Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, and Japanese firefighters. Each participant carried with them a photo of a fallen firefighter as they climbed the training towers 18 times for a total of 110 floors, the same amount of floors as the twin towers.

Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462, stationed load onto Marine Wing Support Squadron 171’s MK-31 tractor/extended bed during Exercise Forest Light 16-1 at Camp Aibano, Japan, Sept. 8, 2015. MWSS-171 is supporting Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 and 1st Battalion 2nd Marines during this exercise using their communications, motor transport and refueling capabilities. - Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462, stationed load onto Marine Wing Support Squadron 171’s MK-31 tractor/extended bed during Exercise Forest Light 16-1 at Camp Aibano, Japan, Sept. 8, 2015. MWSS-171 is supporting Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 and 1st Battalion 2nd Marines during this exercise using their communications, motor transport and refueling capabilities.