Stories

Following the Deactivation Ceremony of Marine Attack Squadron 513, Lt. Col. Samuel Smith, the VMA-513 commanding officer, left, receives his certificate of retirement from Maj. Gen. Steven Busby, the commanding general of 3rd Marine Air Wing, center, and Sgt. Maj. Raquel Painter, the sergeant major of VMA-513, right, July 12, at the squadron hanger on Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. Smith is the final commanding officer of “The Flying Nightmares.” - Following the Deactivation Ceremony of Marine Attack Squadron 513, Lt. Col. Samuel Smith, the VMA-513 commanding officer, left, receives his certificate of retirement from Maj. Gen. Steven Busby, the commanding general of 3rd Marine Air Wing, center, and Sgt. Maj. Raquel Painter, the sergeant major of VMA-513, right, July 12, at the squadron hanger on Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. Smith is the final commanding officer of “The Flying Nightmares.”

During a week-long deployment for training exercise at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Capt. Shaheed Shabazz, a search and rescue UH-1N Huey pilot training officer with Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., reflects on his career as the curtains come to a close on his ten and a half year long active duty service. “I’m going to take away the camaraderie and pride. The closeness that Marines have by sharing that elite title,” said Shabazz, a native of Chaparral, N.M. - During a week-long deployment for training exercise at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Capt. Shaheed Shabazz, a search and rescue UH-1N Huey pilot training officer with Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., reflects on his career as the curtains come to a close on his ten and a half year long active duty service. “I’m going to take away the camaraderie and pride. The closeness that Marines have by sharing that elite title,” said Shabazz, a native of Chaparral, N.M.

A maneuver coyote with the Tactical Training Exercise Control Group of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., donning orange, provides feedback to infantry Marines with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. during a long range raid training exercise in the desert southeast of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., June 3. The coyotes’ responsibility is to assess and instruct the Marines training for combat. - A maneuver coyote with the Tactical Training Exercise Control Group of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., donning orange, provides feedback to infantry Marines with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. during a long range raid training exercise in the desert southeast of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., June 3. The coyotes’ responsibility is to assess and instruct the Marines training for combat.

The Marines and Sailors of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., completed the final training event of the deployment for training exercise at Range 131 aboard Camp Pendleton, San Diego, Calif., May 16. The training exercise culminated with a real-time, live action simulated scenario with Special Effects Small Arms Marking System rounds. Marines ran their formations in fire teams of four and broke off into pairs of two as a strategic game plan to go building to building until taking their objective. - The Marines and Sailors of Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., completed the final training event of the deployment for training exercise at Range 131 aboard Camp Pendleton, San Diego, Calif., May 16. The training exercise culminated with a real-time, live action simulated scenario with Special Effects Small Arms Marking System rounds. Marines ran their formations in fire teams of four and broke off into pairs of two as a strategic game plan to go building to building until taking their objective.

Sgt. Bruce V. Mack Jr. (right), a Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron cyber security technician based out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., and a native of Canton, Ohio., covers his Marine, Pfc. Conner Robbins (left), an H&HS combat camera videographer and a native of Long Beach, California, around a corner as part of the counter IED training deployment for training exercise held at Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 14. - Sgt. Bruce V. Mack Jr. (right), a Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron cyber security technician based out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., and a native of Canton, Ohio., covers his Marine, Pfc. Conner Robbins (left), an H&HS combat camera videographer and a native of Long Beach, California, around a corner as part of the counter IED training deployment for training exercise held at Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 14.