Red Lions Fly Mishap-Free Cpl
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Marine Referees, Hawaii Marine Hawaii pictures, B-1 Volume 27, Number 38 October 8, 1998 B-1 Red Lions fly mishap-free Cpl. Barry Melton 363. A class "A" mishap entails this is outstanding." Combat Correspondent the loss of life or loss of an air- Not only did the Red Lions craft. reach 10,000 hours this week, but The Red Lions of Marine Heavy "It's a fairly big deal," said Maj. they also started the new fiscal Helicopter Squadron 363 reached Raymond L'Heureux, the execu- year Thursday as the Aviation 10,000 hours of mishap-free oper- tive officer at HMH-363. "With Support Element's top squadron in ation here Friday, keeping their only seven aircraft on-hand here, it flight hours for FY 1998, accord- CH-53D helicopters and personnel takes a lot more to achieve this." ing to L'Heureux. flying safely for more than four "This isn't something that hap- "It's fitting that we surpassed ION -36.3 years. pens all the time," said GySgt. this mark on the first day of the RED LIONS- The 10,000 hours span since Fred Stammer, the current mainte- new fiscal year," said L'Heureux. 10,000 March 1994 and to class nance with 363. out- "These Marines here work hard MISHAP pertain chief "It's MOWS' rirOUNS "A" mishaps, said Capt. David standing for a helicopter unit. and these 10,000 hours can be Kirk, Naval aviation training oper- With our manpower shortages and Photo by Col Sorry Melton See RED LIONS, ation procedures officer at HMH- the fact that these are old aircraft, A-10 Marines of HMH-363 proudly display a sign commemorating their mishap-free flights. Groups focus on equal rights CMG's intent to sustain transformation Photo by Cpl. Trent Lowry CpI. Barry Melton Lance Cpl. Adam Lopez a forward observer Combo? Correspondent with C Co, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Marines of different ranks and gender Division, checks the bore site column meter, which gives direction and distance to the FOs. met here Sept. 23-30 to discuss equal opportunity issues as part of the Marine Corps commandant's focus group plan. The commandant's intent was to con- C Battery centrate on "sustaining the transformation" for Marines by appointing various Marine Corps installations to hold focus groups tunes up every six months, according to a comman- dant of the Marine Corps memorandum. Cpl. Trent Lowry The groups supply a continuing assessment Combat Correspondent of the equal opportunity climate throughout SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Oahu- the Marine Corps. Explosions from C Battery, 1st Battalion, "These groups are good because they 12th Marine Regiment's live-fire exercise give the commandant a snapshot of equal echoed off the mountains at range firing opportunity issues at a base level," said point 306 here Oct. 1. Master Sgt. Helen Josypenko, the MCB The battery was participating in a tune-up Hawaii equal opportunity advisor. for training at the Pohakuloa Training Area The groups provide a pro-active on the island of Hawaii in January, and their approach to handling problems that might seven-month deployment in March to be present within the ranks of the Marine Okinawa. Corps, according to Josypenko. The Photo by CpI. Trent Lowry "The battery is fairly new, with a new groups were broken down to three different Lance Cpl. Dave Corcoran, an assistant gunner with A Co., 1st Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment, holds a round in commanding officer, executive officer, assis- the tube of his 60mm mortar, waiting to drop and fire during weapons platoon sustainment training Sept. 29 at classes consisting of privates to lance cor- tant X0 and fire direction officer in the past Schofield Barrracks. porals, corporals and sergeants and staff two months," said 1 stLt. Brad Pennella, the non commissioned officers and above, and C Battery executive officer. "We're coming results of the discussions will be sent to 1/3 fires 900 mortar rounds in two days together really well. The progress has been Headquarters, Marine Corps for assess- quick." eficial for forward observers who took mortar in classes, but 1 just need the ment. CpI. Trent Lowry The battery trained to fine-tune the team- to the high ground to give the platoons practice and I'll get better." The different ranks were represented by Combos Correspondent work that goes into a successful artillery eagle-eyed assistance. The FOs called "I've done it all on the mortar, but males and females, Josypenko said. The operation. SCHOFIELD BARRACKS down targeting data to the fire direc- this is the first time I've been the gun- groups discussed for two hours issues like - "A lot of the new Marines in the battery Mortarmen from the Weapons tion center for plotting target trajecto- ner in a live-fire exercise," said Lance sexual harassment, discrimination and the went through the Crucible together in boot Platoons of 1st Battalion, 3d Marine ries. Cpl. Cody Nelson, a mortarman with C Marine Corps' discipline system. camp, and through training at Marine Regiment practiced targeting 60mm "The forward observers are getting Co. "You have to make sure you have "The results of the discussions were use- Combat Training and at Fort Sill (artillery mortars here Sept. 28 and 29. a lot of good practice in as well, with the correct data on the gun (for target- ful and all groups were very professional school)," Pennella said. "While they learned The Marines fired more than 900 all of the rounds we've been able to ing). Everything has to be perfect each during their discussions," Josypenko said. to work well together as a team, they need to mortar rounds during two days of live- fire these two days," Noel said. time you fire." "There was a lot of discussing and not apply what they learned on the gun-line in firing to sharpen their skills. The Marines' experience with the "The most challenging thing is for many arguments." action in order to be proficient." "The importance of the training is to firing process of the 60mm guns everyone to work together to get the The battery's gunners positioned their get the speed and proficiency of these ranged from novice to salty, but every- rounds on target without visual," said M198 155mm Howitzers in line to provide Marines up," said 1 stLt. Tom Noel, a one had something to learn. Lance Cpl. Mike Iverson, a fire direc- the most efficient firing configuration. platoon commander with B Co. who A mortarman with A Co., Lance tion controller with A Co. "Since the "Getting the gun set-up is both physically Index served as range officer for the live-fire Cpl. Andres Ramirez, said he recently FDC is the brains of the mortar sec- and mentally strenuous," said Lance Cpl. exercise. "In combat situations, came to the mortar platoon from being tion, if the rounds are off target the A Section Joshua Harper, a gunner with C Battery. "It they'll be able to quickly have rounds a rifleman in a platoon. mistake comes back to us." may be difficult to learn at first, but once you on target when having to move with "This is my second time doing live- The forward observers, fire direc- get the hang of it it's pretty easy." Motorcycle Safety Notes A the company." fire training," Ramirez said. "I've tion center and gunners were all able to The gun-line is just one component of the 802 Housing A 3 The live-fire training was also ben- learned everything about the 60mm get a lot of practice, according to Noel. battery's whole unit. Forward observers, Adopt a playground A 3 communications and the fire direction center Corporals' Course A 4 all work together to complete the mission. Vet Clinic A 5 Photo by Cpl. Barry Melton "One of the hardest things about NCO Day A 5 Lieutenant Gen. being a forward observer is judging dis- A 6 Frank Libutti, com- Personality Feature tance, because the terrain and sunlight Word to pass A 8 manding general of Marine distorts the observed distance," said Every Clime and Place A 9 Expeditionary Force, Lance Cpl. Adam Lopez, a forward Blotter A 10 speaks with Sgt. observer with C Battery. Lending Locker Move A 10 Cornel Bartley, the "The benefit is that we can see the 60 mm mortar section results and the success we have when the B Section leader with Weapons rounds hit their targets, which the gun- Platoon, G Company, line normally can't see," Lopez said. Battalion, 3d 2nd Communications is the lifeline to the Photography on Oahu B 1 Marine Regiment, artillery battery, without which the bat- Marine Referees here Monday. The tery could not fire, according to Staff Sgt. Intramural Scores B 2 general visited 3d Elias Perez, the communications chief Flag Football B 3 Marine Regiment Marines and Sailors with C Battery. Football Pool B 4 here and in the field "We have to make sure the nets are up Archery B 3 at Schofield Barracks so we can keep in constant communica- Hockey B 4 this week as part of tion with range safety, the forward Hispanic Soccer B 4 his visit to Oahu. observers, FDC and gunline," Perez said. Religion B 4 The battery will participate in two more Movies B 5 live-fires between now and December, Ads, Ticket To Fun B 5 Pennella said. A-2 October 8, 1998 Hawaii Marine Clinic Change of Command Observe motorcycle safety precautions Capt. J.S. Edrnundson will take command from Capt.