Final MV-22 Deployment Closes Book on Operation Iraqi Freedom Legacy

Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Cpl. Ryan Young, USMC

[SandRat]

In this file photo, MV-22 Ospreys with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron-162 land in Amman, Jordan, July 22, 2008. The deployment of the MV-22 Osprey in Operation Iraqi Freedom is coming to a close as the final Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Squadron prepares to head home this spring. Photo by Cpl. George Papastrat, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

AL ASAD AIR BASE — The presence of the MV-22 Osprey in Operation Iraqi Freedom is coming to a close as the final Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Squadron prepares to head home this spring.

The Marines of Marine Medium Tilt-rotor squadron (VMM)-266, also known as the Fighting Griffins, have spent every day since their End of Mission Ceremony, April 1, preparing themselves and the aircraft they fly to redeploy home after approximately six months of successful combat support operations here.

During their deployment, the squadron flew approximately 3,040 hours, hauled nearly 418,000 pounds of cargo and transported around 15,800 passengers. The maintenance Marines of VMM-266 kept their wrenches turning 24 hours a day for the entire deployment to keep the aircraft ready for operations.

"All the Marines performed their parts without a hitch," said Maj. Brian McAvoy, the executive officer of VMM-266. "Watching it all come together each day is a huge credit to the Marines here."

The Fighting Griffins are the last of three Osprey squadrons to deploy to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Throughout their deployment, the Fighting Griffins have added to the success of previous squadrons raising the number of total cargo, passengers and flight hours the Osprey has flown.

"The Marines have done great proving the capabilities of the Osprey in a deployed environment," explained Lt. Col. Christopher Seymour, the commanding officer of VMM-266.

The experience gained from VMM-266's deployment, coupled with the contributions of VMM-263 and VMM-162, has taught the Osprey community a great deal about the aircraft, which has quickly become a new source of pride in Marine Corps aviation.

The deployments have tested the aircraft's flight capabilities, pushing the parameters in which it is safe to fly the aircraft and have proven the maneuverability of the aircraft in threat scenarios.

"The aircraft was able to test under fire and it, as well as the pilots, proved themselves," said McAvoy. "The Osprey platform has passed the test of survivability. The experience we got here is vital to the growth of the aircraft."

While three Osprey squadron's personnel have rotated in and out of Iraq since September 2007, the aircraft they have been flying have remained in country the entire time, traded between each incoming squadron. This extended stay for the flying machines has shown maintenance Marines what parts of the aircraft can withstand the harsh environment, and which parts show quicker wear, according to Maj. Michael Boorstein, the VMM-266 maintenance department officer-in-charge.

The Fighting Griffins are now spending their days aboard Al Asad Air Base preparing the aircraft to redeploy. To ensure the aircraft is ready to go home, the Marines will complete maintenance on major components of the aircraft, perform quality assurance inspections and complete a thorough cleaning of each aircraft's interior and exterior, according to Gunnery Sgt. William Jankowski, the quality assurance chief with VMM-266.

As the posture improves in OIF and the forces begin a responsible drawdown, the Osprey squadron anticipates getting back to the Marine Corps' amphibious role as well as the possibility of supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, said McAvoy.

"It feels like we have closed the chapter of this Osprey story well," McAvoy said. "We did it well here and we are going to go do it somewhere else well."

(By Cpl. Ryan Young, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing)

[SandRat]

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[Travis McGee]

They still building them?

[SandRat]

as far as I know.

[12Gauge687]

As far as I know. Here's a photo that shows the scale of those rotors compared to humans.

[Travis McGee]

Squantos sees the new ones flying around his part of the world. He says that they do stuff he never saw any aircraft do during many years in the USAF around fixed wings and helos. I’d love to see an airshow where they really put them throgh their paces. I was an early skeptic, I was dead set agin’ em. But they seem to have been debugged, and they can really fly, or so I’m told.

[Squantos]

I am unsure of new .......I still see em flying around here. Not sure . Sorry .

Ya’ll Stay safe !

[Travis McGee]

I’ve never seen one fly. I’d like to see them in the hands of a hotshot pilot who really knows the envelope.

[Squantos]

Oh yeah .....night and day when you get a pilot that flys VIP’s and is instructed to not spill their coffee and a pilot that has been shot at and is putting troops into a hot LZ fast !

I too would love to see what they can “really” do .

My observations here are limited these days as usually they are going into or from a landing / takeoff approach pattern. Cannon AFB over at Clovis NM on TX/NM border was supposed to get some of the ones allocated for USAF Spec Ops but unsure if that has taken place yet. Kirtland AFB has em over near Tijeras Slim .......PJ’s new ride I am told !

[Travis McGee]

I’d love to see what some of the TF-160 hotshot pilots could do with them after a few months of fam flights.

That should be awesome for SOFs.

[Squantos]

Oh man ......those guys are the reason their aircraft have web seats ......:o)

So the troops don’t suck up seat cushions when pucker factor sets in !

I flew with a lot of UH1 and Blackhawk sorts that had lots of time in Vietnam and elsewhere that could do magical things that can make all but the seasoned passenger or crewman puke !

Fun in training ........scary as hell in the dark stepping off skids still sliding forward at about 10 mph or more. Sort of get off fast or yer going back with us thang !

[Travis McGee]

Especially when flying nap of earth profiles, with pilots who honestly believe,

“If you don’t come back with branches in your skids, you are not flying low enough.”

[12Gauge687]

I’ve been a big fan of the concept ever since I saw a film of the Bell peorotype in the Seventies. Last year, a Marine general came to Chicago to give a presentation. I put him and his ADC up at my club. He asked me what he could do for me. I said, “Get me onto an Osprey.” He said he would try.

Unfortunately, when I went to Camp Lejeune for a Dining Out, his ADC said the flight was nixed by HQ Marines because most of the pilots were still learning the ropes on the MV-22. Nevertheless, I’m still interested in getting on one day. They’re doing more PR stuff with bird like taking Congressional muckey-mucks so maybe I’ll have a chance.

[Squantos]

I had on a couple of occasions to fly back seat in an OV-10 Bronco in SEA and actually was flown between canopy layers of the jungle a couple of times. We returned to base and all those fire flies I saw were damn corrosive for some reason.

Combat experienced pilots are a blessing and resource that should be nurtured and preserved ........and learned from !

Just my opinion of course.

[Southack]

I would have never believed it had I not been shown...that the Osprey really was combat ready, viable, useful, and safe.

[Squantos]

Always kind of angered me when incentive rides were given to celebrities etc when GI’s weren’t........but I understand where the dollars come from and DOD has to pander to these presstitutes and polidiots at times but man there were AC that I had to BEG to get a ride on / in.......When I reinlisted each time that was my main goal. Get a ride in back seat of a D model fastmover if at all possible. F-15, F16, F5, A-37 and F4 were my fast rides for fun !

[DuncanWaring]

I saw an amusing training/demo film back in the late 1970s from a The Russians Are Coming! exercise in Europe.

The camera was near the treeline in a large open area, near a farmhouse; watching, you see a helicopter appear over the trees, NOE, settling down to a very low hover behind the farmhouse. Someone hops out of the helicopter, runs up behind the farmhouse, looks around the corner, sees nothing of concern, and motions to the helicopter to come-along.

[A.A. Cunningham]

All of the “experts” who claimed the Osprey would never work are conspicuous in their silence.