By Sgt. Jessica Quezada, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni
Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11 and Marines assigned to Marine Air Control Group (MACG) 18 participate in a community relations project leading up to Exercise Valiant Shield (VS) 2016, filling in potholes on a main road in Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI), Sept. 11, 2016. VS is a biennial U. S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps exercise held in Guam, focusing on real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces at sea, in the air, on land and in cyberspace. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Benjamin A. Lewis/160911-N-TR141-033)
Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11, Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, Combat Logistics Company 36 and other elements of Marine Aircraft Group 12 assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, journeyed to Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, to participate in Exercise Valiant Shield 2016 from Sept. 12 23, 2016.
As part of a biennial field training exercise, Valiant Shield brings together service members from across the U.S. Pacific Command to employ a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of American joint forces.
The biggest thing is the interoperability, said Marine Corps Col. Daniel Shipley, MAG-12 commanding officer. We train within our own services, but now is the opportunity to train with other branches combined . . . so its really a chance to practice our interoperability, tactics, techniques and procedures to prove our ability to do that together.
The MAG-12 Ready Group will work alongside members of the Army, Navy and Air Force in order to develop skills that enhance maritime interdiction, defensive counter-air operations, personnel recovery, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, and command and control.
We will execute missions that represent the span of the aviation combat element and integrate with the joint forces for aviation operations, said Marine Corps Lt. Col. William Millett, MAG-12 operations officer. We will have joint vignettes, executing very large and complex missions. At the squadron level, its an exercise in integration where we will perform standard missions and then apply those to larger aircraft formations, multiple targets, and multiple waves of fighters managing fuel and assets over time.
Assets of the Ready Group will execute these missions on Guam and around the Marianas Island Range Complex, allowing maximum projection capabilities in a large venue with all participating services.
Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11 and Marines assigned to Marine Air Control Group (MACG) 18 participate in a community relations project leading up to Exercise Valiant Shield (VS) 2016, filling in potholes on a main road in Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI), Sept. 11, 2016. VS is a biennial U. S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps exercise held in Guam, focusing on real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces at sea, in the air, on land and in cyberspace. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Benjamin A. Lewis/160911-N-TR141-040)