Foal Eagle 2011 keeps jets fueled
US Marine Corps News
4/1/2011 By Lance Cpl. Michael Iams, Marine Corps Bases Japan
CAMP MUJUK, POHANG, Republic of Korea — Marines with 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, began Exercise Foal Eagle 2011 by preparing the Pohang Airfield to support aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.
Marines with Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st MAW, and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I MEF, currently attached to 1st MAW through the unit deployment program, deployed to Korea for Exercise Foal Eagle to refuel and resupply the F/A-18 fighter jets that will land here.
“Exercise Foal Eagle is an annual exercise where we maintain interoperability between the Republic of Korea Air Force, and U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps air assets,” said Master Sgt. Edward Talley, an intelligence chief with MAG-12.
During this exercise, Pohang Airfield had been slated to a primary support base from which the jets would operate, said Talley.
“The aircraft would also carry out their missions and fly out of Pohang instead of Iwakuni,” he said.
With the redirection of some personnel to mainland Japan, Pohang Airfield will instead be a support base for the jets providing refuel capabilities. Pohang Airfield’s supporting capabilities will include hot pits, stations where aircraft can be refueled while the engines are running.
One of the goals for the exercise is to test the use of Pohang Airfield for use during a contingency, according to Chief Warrant Officer John Valdez, an ordnance officer with VMFA(AW)-242.
“Our role for (Exercise) Foal Eagle is to support and refuel the jets if the tanker is not available to do that while in the air,” said Cpl. Pedro Abreu, an avionic technician with VMFA-314.
“The Marines have worked hard to set all this up and get the airfield operational,” said Valdez.
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