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The crew of an MV-22B Osprey glance out across the ramp at another Osprey preparing for flight. APJ/RVP
(continued from page 15) Anti-air warfare, Offensive air support, Assault support, Electronic warfare, Aerial reconnaissance and Control of aircraft and missiles.
The ACE is usually composed of an aviation unit headquarters and various other aviation units (or their detachments) and its size varies on the size of the MAGTF. There are 4 elements to the MAGTF: The Ground Combat Element (GCE), the Logistics Combat Element (LCE), the Command Element (CE) and the Aviation Combat Element (ACE). The ACE forms the “A” in the MAGTF and its main focus is to contribute the air power to the MAGTF and includes all aircraft their pilots, flight officers, enlisted crewmen, aviation supply and aircraft maintenance personnel, as well as air defense units, and those units necessary for aviation command, control, communications, and aviation ground support.
To better understand how a WTI flight works, I hopped aboard a KC-130J to conduct an aerial refueling flight. I walked into MAWTS -1 HQ where I met Major Ellis who would be the flight Captain. Ellis is a WTI graduate and now serves as a MAWTS-1 instructor. The co-pilot for the mission was Major Lloyd who was going
through WTI as a student. Behind the pilots was Sgt. Madison who acted as an Augment Crew Chief. In the back another WTI instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Hurley, was overseeing Staff Sergeant Pye who was a WTI student. They were both augmented by Sgt. Hawley from VMGR-252.
We flew out of MCAS Yuma and quickly entered the airspace over the airfield known as the “Dome” flying with the call sign “Draft 82” we flew an east west race track pattern with 18 mile legs. It was only a short time before 2 F-35Bs came up to take 8000 pounds of fuel each. Unfortunately for me, the F-35 Intel officer nixed any aerial photos. So with the ramp closed, I waited in the back for the next section to take on gas. Salem 61 and 62 were two F/A-18C Hornets that were being flow by PWTI students. The Hornets were loaded with several 500lb laser guided bombs that would soon be dropped on targets in the desert training area.
The future for WTI is strong as it continues to serve as the best live and simulated training venue for the Marines.