MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. -- As Autumn begins, the station has made final preparations for the fall's Weapons and Tactics Instructor course, set to kick off Sept. 14
The course is instructed by Marines from Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron-1 and teaches aviation Marines strategies on emploing Marine aviation elements to be part of a Marine Air Ground Task Force or war effort.
"The WTI candidates represent the most talented and experienced Marines that the Marine aviation community has to offer," said Maj. Jon M. Hackett, assistant operation officer at MAWTS-1. "In the operating forces, the WTI functions as the unit commanding officer's expert on the employment of Marine Aviation."
According to Hackett, the WTI also serves as the unit training officer in charge of the weapons and tactics training program. Candidates selected to attend WTI have been hand picked by their commanding officers and must be nominated by their group and wing.
The six-week course is held semiannually in the spring and fall and is comprised of several weeks of academic instruction, followed by more than three weeks of flight training.
"Marines receive over 150 hours of academic instruction on a broad range of aviation related topics, ranging in scope from joint and coalition aviation operations down to individual aircraft weapon systems specifics," Hackett said. "The flight phase is 22 days of live fire evolutions that focus on the tactical employment of individual platforms and the operational integration of all six functions of Marine Aviation in support of a maneuvering ground force. In order to reinforce the close link between aviation and ground forces, a representative ground force is deployed in support of WTI."
Hackett said MAWTS-1 expects more than 2,300 servicemembers from all four Marine Aircraft Wings, three Marine divisions, and U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army and representatives from other nations to participate in the exercise.
The exercise will be a collaborative effort between units on station and abroad, said 1st Sgt. David Knutson, acting sergeant major at Combat Service Support Company-133 (formerly Combat Service Support Detachment-16).
CSSC-133 was stood up specifically for WTI and is expected to provide the bulk of supplies, fuel, water and repairs to the ground elements involved in the exercise.
During the last WTI, CSSC-133 drove more than 6,000 miles to deliver 90,000 gallons of fuel, 152,000 gallons of water, 111 cases of Meals Ready-to-Eat and performed over 75 repair jobs.
"We're in direct support of MAWTS-1 during WTI," said Chief Warrant Officer-3 Phillip Tomac, maintenance officer at CSSC-133.
This will be the first WTI held in a year. The spring course was cancelled because of the majority of units deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Last spring, the station was a ghost town, devoid of most of its aviation elements and Marines because of the war. The cancellation of WTI impacted many on station, from MAWTS-1 to Marine Corps Community Services.
"The loss of WTI had a direct impact on MCCS," said Donald Mitchell, director of MCCS. "There are two major points during the year which affect our sales dramatically. The loss of the last WTI was catastrophic to our sales."
According to Mitchell, MCCS will bounce back with the current WTI. For MCCS, its mission will not only revolve around generating sales from visiting Marines, but also providing them with free entertainment.
MCCS' Single Marine Program has dozens of events planned for September and October, such as basketball tournaments, fun runs, a "Shag Party," Mexican fiesta and comedy night. The SMP plans to make WTI Marines' stay on station a memorable one for the visiting Marines.
"WTI is the busiest time of year for us because we hold a lot of events, and it requires a lot of planning," said Gabriela L. Black, special events coordinator at MCCS. "What's cool is (the visiting Marines) say Yuma is so cool because of all the cool things we do for them."
The hustle and bustle of the station is about to change radically. From the crowded skies overhead to the long lines forming outside of the mess hall, WTI will make the station the place to be in the fall; where else in the Corps will one find infantry Marines, AV-8B Harriers, B-52 Stratofortresses, F-16 Fighting Falcons, SH-60 Sea Hawk Helicopters and other weapons of war together in one place besides an actual war?
"I taught WTI for four years," said Mitchell, a former Marine officer. "It's a major impact on the station for six weeks. WTI stretches the base logistics to the maximum from MAWTS-1 to the MAG and down to the mess hall, gymnasium and movie theater."