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Harrier squadrons finish war safely

Marine Corps News

Release Date: 8/25/2003

Story by Cpl. Nathaniel C. LeBlanc

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (Aug. 7, 2003) -- During Operation Iraqi Freedom the Marine Attack Squadrons 223, 231, and 542 provided close air support for coalition ground forces throughout the region with their AV-8B Harriers.

Together, the sister VMA squadrons have set ground-breaking accomplishments throughout the liberation of Iraq.

Among the three squadrons, they flew more than a thousand sorties and completed mission after mission. These accomplishments could not have been made possible without the safety-first attitude of the Marines who kept the pilots' aircraft ready to launch at moments notice.

"All the Marines did an outstanding job, they performed their jobs safely and effectively in the stressful and potentially dangerous environment of shipboard operations," said Capt. Donald Gerber, ground safety and airframes officer with VMA-223.

As VMA squadrons, they are responsible for providing the troops on the ground with close air support when needed.

"The Marines, especially the ground forces, did an incredible job in Iraq," said Capt. Michael Hunting, pilot for VMA-223. "In fact, the ground forces moved so fast that within several days we had to work harder just to keep up with them."

During the coalition fighting forces' road to Baghdad, the operation tempo picked up for the Marines both on the ground and in the air.

"The factor in the Marines performance was consistency and they worked closely as a team," said Lt. Col. Frank Bottorf, commanding officer of VMA-542. "They were there for each other and for our fellow Marines of other attack squadrons." Teamwork and the sense of mission accomplishment motivated Marines to perform there duties with determination while keeping a safety mind-set.

"While you are working under pressure and the job has to be done, we work as a team to make sure that the job is done. Especially during a time like Operation Iraqi Freedom," said Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Redman, airframes mechanic with VMA-223. "But like in all aviation squadrons, safety is paramount especially in a deployable 'Harrier Gun Squadron.' Without a safety attitude we could lose valuable Marine assets and even lose lives."

The Troops throughout the region rely on the close air support of the VMA squadrons. Without ground crews thinking safety first in their work, the Harriers can't make it to their mission and may put lives at risk.

"Without a positive command safety climate, Marines might be prone to cut corners to get the job done," Gerber said. "This is a dangerous situation, which can lead to loss of personnel or equipment, resulting in mission degradation. But the Marines, maintained a very high state of morale, fueled largely by a strong belief and sense of purpose to accomplish the mission safely."