VMM-263 USMC Helicopter Squadron in Iraq

THE FIRST USMC HELICOPTER SQUADRON IN IRAQ TO USE THE MV-22 OSPREY

The Osprey is a tilt-rotor plane with helicopter features. It is the future of Marine aviation,
to replace the Vietnam era, CH-46 Sea Stallion, as the main troop carrier in the service.

To say the aircraft is controversial is putting it mildly, over a decade in the planning, and with 2 major crashes, killing 19 Marines in one accident, 15 in another.
After these crashes the Osprey was sent back to the drawing board so to come up with an aircraft the military wants in their fleet.
The "B" model emerged as a more stable fly-by-wire aircraft, and after a few years of tests,
a simulated Iraq-like enviornment to operate in using all the features available to fly it in combat. However, 29 Palms is not Iraq, or is anyone shooting at them as they glide in so pretty like. We who flew combat missions in Vietnam know there's two ways in combat to fly:
1) the NATOPS Manual way
2) the combat survival way

BUT, 'they' say it will do the job - for all of us who support Marine helicopter squadrons, the pilots and crew; the Grunts they will carry, we hope that is the truth.

KEEP YOUR TURNS UP "THUNDERCHICKENS"

SEMPER FIDELIS
facilis Descensus Averno

Dante: "The Road to Hell is Easy

Rest In Peace Pfc. Kenneith Iwasinksi

http://www.thebostonchannel.com

The roll of names of Bay State soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines added one more to an expanding list this weekend.

I ran across some guy's website, decided to forget who (don't need the aggravation).
He he had a link to build your own magnet, as innocuous as you can get, but he chose a "support the troops" yellow ribbon, then customized his to read:
"F**K the Troops, I need the gas!" Those words inflamed some back-mind memory of returning home from Vietnam, and the warm welcome we got raised the shackles enough to want to write this dude a F**K your gas message.
Like I said, I don't need the aggravation of arguing free speech to a nerf ball head.

That is all ...

YN

BELCHERTOWN, Mass. -- Hundreds of people turned out this weekend for the funeral of a Belchertown soldier killed while on duty in Iraq earlier this month.

The Department of Defense said Private First Class Kenneth Iwasinski, 22, died from injuries he suffered after an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

A service at Belchertown High School on Saturday was attended by Gov. Deval Patrick and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray.


Iwasinski was assigned to the Second Infantry Division based in Fort Carson, Colo.