Commandant sees how Marines at Al Asad use technology to fight war on terror
Marine Corps News
Story Identification #: 2004121515119
Story by Sgt. Nathan K. LaForte
AL ASAD, Iraq (Dec 15, 2004) -- Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Michael W. Hagee and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. John L. Estrada recently visited Al Asad, Iraq to see how and if the Marine Corps' new technologies are helping their Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
During the Dec. 13 visit, they were briefed on a spectrum of Marine Corps systems that have not only aided 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing operations here, but also the ground Marines they support.
One of the technologies Hagee reviewed has immediate relation to those Marines on the ground is the Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAM. This is a global-positioning-system guided 500-pound bomb with the ability to be employed in bad weather conditions. The F/A-18D Hornet can carry up to four JDAMs and attack four separate targets at one time with each of the bombs.
"We work with (infantry Marines) and almost daily we have situations where we dealing with 'danger-close' scenarios," said 27-year-old Capt. Jake Purdon, weapons systems officer from Merriam, Kan. "Most of our weapons now are laser guided, which means we have to see the target and point our aircraft at that. With the JDAM, we don't have to do that. We drop it and go away. You don't have to fly directly over a target because once you release it, it's going to do its thing and get to the target."
Purdon gave the demonstration at his unit, Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, Marine Aircraft Group 16. Hagee agreed that the 'fire and forget' bomb has, from all accounts, been a reliable asset.
"From what I have read," Hagee said about the JDAM, "it has worked relatively well."
Other technologies that have proved very valuable to the Marines are two different thermal imaging and laser designator systems, which are used on Hornets and UH-1N Hueys. Also reviewed were the rear-mounted ramp gun for the CH-53E Super Stallion, called the M3M GAU-21 .50-caliber machinegun system, and a logistical planning and preparation system that enables cargo helicopter pilots in Iraq to map out their daily flights in significantly less time than it took in past deployments.
Another innovation was a Man-pack receiving system, or MPRS, that allows a Marine at a forward position to receive imagery taken by the Litening Pod System on the Hornet. One of Hagee's last stops was to view a Sherpa global-positioning parachute delivery system, which allows Marines to drop important supplies to hard to reach places with accuracy.
While at the base, Hagee held a "town hall" meeting with the Marines to answer any questions they may have about their role with the increasing technology they are involved with.
"We are modifying our training in all of our schools," Hagee said to the Marines at the meeting, "... we are modifying our education almost on a day-to-day basis as we learn lessons over here. We are getting the information that you all are providing back to the training sites that are preparing Marines to come over here right now."
"We're taking the same information and sending it back to (the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory) at Quantico, Va., to see whether or not we need to modify doctrine in order to prepare ourselves for future battlefields," he added.
Of all the great innovations and technologies the Marines are now using in Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Estrada brought the point back to the simplest form. Great weapons are nothing without great troops using them.
"There's a lot of great and exciting things that is going on for the future of our Corps," Estrada said. "(There are) great platforms and weapons systems that are coming on board. (New Marines) are going to need your leadership. Our Marine Corps and our future Marines will benefit tremendously from your leadership, your experience and your knowledge here in the 21st Century."
(See related story by Cpl. Joel A. Chaverri "Marine Corps Cammander visits Al Asad")
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