MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- The "Bats" of Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, hosted members of the Marine aviation community April 20 at the Miramar Officers' Club for a "hotwash" of their role in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
More than 100 officers and enlisted Marines sat quietly as officers representing VMFA-242 (AW) explained their living and working conditions, aircraft maintenance, mission planning and tactics used during their eight-month deployment to Iraq.
The squadron deployed to Iraq with 202 Marines, 12 F/A-18D Hornets and 19 plane crews. They were combat ready within four hours of arrival and had a full flight schedule operating within 36 hours of arrival.
"Our challenge was to support the coalition force, primarily Marines of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, at a pace three times higher than normal without a significant increase in personnel or equipment," said Maj. Jeffrey G. Hancock, operations officer, VMFA-242 (AW). "To provide close-air support and fulfill other tasking, we flew an average of 110 hours per month - (with a peak of more than 1,452 hours during a major engagement in Fallujah, Iraq) - and carefully plan for and supervise the utilization of Marines, aircraft, and equipment, in order to prevent an accident and to have the greatest effect on the enemy."
The Marines and Sailors with VMFA-242 (AW)sustained the pace for over 210 days with little down time, all the while dropping 75 percent of the ordnance for I MEF, often within danger close, or within 200 meters of friendly forces, without a single "fratricide" incident.
"Keeping Marines mentally focused was a challenge, working eight months, 12 hours on, 12 off, with two maintenance days really began to take a toll, but through some creative scheduling and supervision by our staff noncommissioned officers, we were able to schedule a day off every six days for most of our (aircraft) maintainers," said Maj. Thomas E. Frederick, maintenance officer, VMFA-242 (AW). "The results were phenomenal support to the (I MEF) commander, but it took a toll on the senior maintainers and aircrew."
One key that every speaker emphasized was the electrical conditions in Iraq.
"Make sure you address your power concerns; external power was unreliable, generators are at a premium and our (supply and logistics section) brought five generators with us and essentially saved the day," Frederick said. "It is hard to accomplish a technical mission without connectivity."
The actual missions conducted by the Bats included close air support, convoy escorts, counter improvised explosive device patrols, cordon, search and raid operations, as well as armed reconnaissance and precision strikes.
"Time on station was the key; responding to a call for CAS within what ground commanders call 'two minutes to live' was aided by the 'embedding' of forward air controllers within ground units," Hancock stated. "We couldn't have done any of it without the Litening advanced targeting pod, which was much improved over past systems."
In addition to other lessons the Bats passed on to their peers, Hancock provided sage advice to those deploying to Iraq in the future.
"This is your opportunity to help develop a nation and protect your homeland from foreign threats. Your individual actions and sacrifices are vital to the United States and to the preservation of freedom worldwide. Make it count," he said.