News Stories

Lt Col. Shawn Basco, commanding officer of Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, left, shakes hands with wing commander Mark Larter, the senior Australian defense officer for Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, Australia, June 6, 2014, upon arrival aboard base. Marine with VMFA(AW)-242 arrived in Australia as part of Exercise Southern Frontier 14, an annual bilateral training exercise between the RAAF and the United States Marine Corps with a primary focus on offensive air support. - Lt Col. Shawn Basco, commanding officer of Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, left, shakes hands with wing commander Mark Larter, the senior Australian defense officer for Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, Australia, June 6, 2014, upon arrival aboard base. Marine with VMFA(AW)-242 arrived in Australia as part of Exercise Southern Frontier 14, an annual bilateral training exercise between the RAAF and the United States Marine Corps with a primary focus on offensive air support.

Japanese media members interview Col. Robert Boucher, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, during Friendship Day May 5, 2014. More than 50,000 people came aboard MCAS Iwakuni to see military vehicles and aircraft, meet American service members and get a taste of American culture. - Japanese media members interview Col. Robert Boucher, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, during Friendship Day May 5, 2014. More than 50,000 people came aboard MCAS Iwakuni to see military vehicles and aircraft, meet American service members and get a taste of American culture.

PFC Armando Martinez, left, and PFC Maigyne Edge perform maintenance on a Tractor, rubber tired, Articulated steering, Multi-purpose vehicle (TRAM) aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 15, 2014, in preparation to participate in Exercise Cobra Gold. Martinez and Edge are heavy equipment operators with MWSS-171. Exercise Cobra Gold is a multinational joint exercise conducted annually in Thailand and is comprised of forces from participating nations including: Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the United States. China will also participate in the exercise as an observing nation. - PFC Armando Martinez, left, and PFC Maigyne Edge perform maintenance on a Tractor, rubber tired, Articulated steering, Multi-purpose vehicle (TRAM) aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 15, 2014, in preparation to participate in Exercise Cobra Gold. Martinez and Edge are heavy equipment operators with MWSS-171. Exercise Cobra Gold is a multinational joint exercise conducted annually in Thailand and is comprised of forces from participating nations including: Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the United States. China will also participate in the exercise as an observing nation.

Cpl. Branden Arnett, motor transportation operator with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, guides a Logistics Vehicle System Replacement MKR-18 Cargo Vehicle through and overpass during the relocation movement of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 15, 2014. - Cpl. Branden Arnett, motor transportation operator with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, guides a Logistics Vehicle System Replacement MKR-18 Cargo Vehicle through and overpass during the relocation movement of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 15, 2014.

Pfc. Chase Leake, left, Lance Cpl. Stephanie Jordi, middle, and Lance Cpl. Juan Gonzalez, assemble an M-31 Marine Corps Expeditionary Arresting Gear System Nov. 28 at Tinian’s West Field during Exercise Forager Fury II. The arresting gear is a dynamic piece of equipment critical to FF II, which is a joint exercise designed to employ and assess combat power generation in a deployed and austere environment. The Marines are expeditionary airfield system technicians with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Pfc. Chase Leake, left, Lance Cpl. Stephanie Jordi, middle, and Lance Cpl. Juan Gonzalez, assemble an M-31 Marine Corps Expeditionary Arresting Gear System Nov. 28 at Tinian’s West Field during Exercise Forager Fury II. The arresting gear is a dynamic piece of equipment critical to FF II, which is a joint exercise designed to employ and assess combat power generation in a deployed and austere environment. The Marines are expeditionary airfield system technicians with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Lance Cpls. Ryan Gamino and Johnny Gomez, right, calculate needed points for M-31 Marine Corps Expeditionary Arresting Gear System as they began setup surveyor lining spots along Tinian’s West Field runway Nov. 22 during exercise Forager Fury II. The joint exercise is designed to employ and assess combat power generation in a deployed and austere environment. Gomez and Gamino are combat engineer drafting and surveyors with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Lance Cpls. Ryan Gamino and Johnny Gomez, right, calculate needed points for M-31 Marine Corps Expeditionary Arresting Gear System as they began setup surveyor lining spots along Tinian’s West Field runway Nov. 22 during exercise Forager Fury II. The joint exercise is designed to employ and assess combat power generation in a deployed and austere environment. Gomez and Gamino are combat engineer drafting and surveyors with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Lance Cpl. Dean O. Barrett, from San Diego, Calif., attaches hoses to a tactical water purification system’s fuel pump Nov. 6, 2013, around a beach area on Tinian to provide Marines a potable water source during exercise Forager Fury II. Barrett is a water support technician with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Lance Cpl. Dean O. Barrett, from San Diego, Calif., attaches hoses to a tactical water purification system’s fuel pump Nov. 6, 2013, around a beach area on Tinian to provide Marines a potable water source during exercise Forager Fury II. Barrett is a water support technician with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Maj. Jonathan Kehr, Marine Aircraft Group 12 logistics officer, hits a tennis ball to Sgt. Michael Ledyard, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 career planner, during the Commander’s Cup Tennis Tournament that took place near the Robert M. Casey Medical and Dental Clinic aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 6, 2013. The tennis tourney is the second-to-last Commander's Cup event scheduled this year. - Maj. Jonathan Kehr, Marine Aircraft Group 12 logistics officer, hits a tennis ball to Sgt. Michael Ledyard, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 career planner, during the Commander’s Cup Tennis Tournament that took place near the Robert M. Casey Medical and Dental Clinic aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 6, 2013. The tennis tourney is the second-to-last Commander's Cup event scheduled this year.

Cpl. Tyler Alcisto, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 motor transportation mechanic, works on a dead-lined 7-ton truck at the MWSS-171 motot-T warehouse at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Aug. 21, 2013. While the majority of the unit is away, motor-T mechanics repair the vehicles for operational use once the Marines return. - Cpl. Tyler Alcisto, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 motor transportation mechanic, works on a dead-lined 7-ton truck at the MWSS-171 motot-T warehouse at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Aug. 21, 2013. While the majority of the unit is away, motor-T mechanics repair the vehicles for operational use once the Marines return.

Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 prepare to simulate a roll over inside a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Egress Trainer in building 268 here, Feb. 20, 2013. The MRAP Egress Trainer in designed to simulate a Cat II Cougar 6X6 rolling over, whether by an improvised explosive device or by accident. The MET is equipped with four cameras to monitor the inside of the simulator and has 4 emergency stop buttons in case of an emergency. - Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 prepare to simulate a roll over inside a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Egress Trainer in building 268 here, Feb. 20, 2013. The MRAP Egress Trainer in designed to simulate a Cat II Cougar 6X6 rolling over, whether by an improvised explosive device or by accident. The MET is equipped with four cameras to monitor the inside of the simulator and has 4 emergency stop buttons in case of an emergency.