Photo Info

Carolina Thunder

By Vertical Mag

by James De Boer | May 8, 2013

Published on: May 8, 2013
Estimated reading time 7 minutes, 38 seconds.

The full range of U.S. Marine Corps helicopter capabilities were practiced by Marine Aircraft Group 29 in Exercise Carolina Thunder 2013.
For two weeks early last year, the shores in and around Virginia and North Carolina played host to 25 ships, 120 aircraft and 20,000 personnel from United States and coalition military forces as part of Exercise Bold Alligator 2012. The exercise, jointly organized by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the U.S. Navy, focused on the planning and implementation of a large amphibious operation, and proved that the two were still a formidable collaborative force. It also left a lasting impression on Col. Scott S. Jensen, who served as the commanding officer of the aviation combat element during the exercise, which controlled all of the amphibious air assets. 
Col. Jensen, who is the commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 29 (MAG-29), recognized that although his Marines had now seen what is was like to perform a large-scale amphibious operation, there was a need to further the training to show what it would be like to continue the fight deeper into enemy territory. Exercise Carolina Thunder 13 (CT13) was initiated.
For one week in March 2013, about 500 Marines left the comforts of their base at Marine Corps Air Station New River and moved into tents at Bogue Field, a Marine Corps auxiliary airfield in North Carolina. From their new base, MAG-29 trained as if they had just come off the ship and into an expeditionary environment full of unknown threats and logistical difficulties. The MAG practiced the full gamut of USMC helicopter capabilities including troop lifts, offensive air support, small boat insertions, embassy evacuations, as well as tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel (TRAP) and other missions. 
Maj. Joseph R. Jackson, MAG-29 exercise lead, said: “During the exercise, the Marines were operating as though we were the lead aviation element for a Marine Expeditionary Brigade,” so they needed to be prepared for all types of scenarios.
MAG-29 consists of seven helicopter squadrons that include Bell AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, Bell UH-1N Huey and new UH-1Y Venom models, as well as the mighty Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters — but perhaps the most important squadron when working in an expeditionary environment is Marine Wing Support Squadron 274 (MWSS-274). A MWSS has a very challenging mission, as it is tasked with providing various essential functions including mobile electrical power, heavy equipment, tactical aviation refueling, basic runway services, internal airfield communications, weather, crash/fire/rescue aircraft and rapid ground refueling, messing facilities and base security. “We bring the base, they bring the airplanes,” said Capt. Rex Brooks, operations officer for MWSS-274. In this instance, that required MWSS-274 to bring a few hundred Marines and a lot of heavy equipment down to Bogue Field, in order to construct the facilities needed to begin helicopter operations.
Maximizing the Missions
With the recent federal budget cuts beginning to take effect, it was important for the Marines to get as much training as they could out of the week-long exercise — so when planning began, the operations officers decided to run multiple missions to maximize the benefits for each of the MAG squadrons.
Some of the first missions saw Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadrons 464 (HMH-464) and 366 (HMH-366) conduct a high value individual (HVI) raid with support from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 (HMLA-167). This involved getting Marines on the ground quickly to extract an enemy who will have very useful information. Later the same day, word came into the command center that a two-seat fighter plane had been shot down by an SA-6 surface-to-air missile. HMH-464 and HMLA-167 received a TRAP mission to rescue the downed pilots. The mission was conducted at night with the use of night vision goggles and was an example of how the Marines just get it done.
HMH-366 was back at it the next day when it conducted two soft boat insert missions. This saw small boats — with their crew — launched off the back ramp of the CH-53 into the water. While HMH-366 was busy with that mission, its sister CH-53 squadron, HMH-464, conducted an airfield seizure with HMLA-167.
One of the larger missions during the exercise was the evacuation of personnel from a fictitious embassy in Fayetteville, N.C. The mission would involve a total of eight helicopters including a UH-1N that acted as a command and control platform, with another UH-1N and an AH-1W acting as close air support and escort, and three CH-53Es that would carry the assault force. Two other CH-53Es would provide ground refueling from fuel bladders in the back of the helicopters. The flight from Bogue to the landing zone was over 100 miles (160 kilometers) and involved intense planning and coordination. The group transported 72 Marines (24 in each CH-53) to the landing field, where they began the evacuation of over 100 embassy personnel. The evacuees were then airlifted to Simmons Army Airfield.
CT13 was the first large East Coast exercise to include the new UH-1Y, after HMLA-167 became the first East Coast squadron to add the Venom to its fleet at the end of 2012. The “Yankee” model, as the Venom is also known, brings several improvements over the older N-model Hueys. The upgrades give the new aircraft a 125-percent greater payload, nearly 50 percent more range and maximum cruise speed, and increase the types of missions that can be performed. But the squadron said, like all new aircraft, some growing pains have occurred, including the buildup of water into the new composite blades.
All said, CT13 was a valuable exercise for all involved, and if the need ever arises in the months and years ahead, the wide variety of demanding missions performed by MAG-29 will mean it’s better prepared than ever to answer the call.
Vertical 911 would like to thank Col. Scott S. Jensen for his help for this story.

James De Boer has worked as a freelance aerial photographer for the past 10 years. He is currently based in New York City.


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