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Category: Marines

Last two USMC WSO have graduated

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The last two weapons systems officers (WSO) for the U.S. Marine Corps have graduated on Sept. 24.

PENSACOLA, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2021) Marine 1st Lt. John Roger Rueckel III is pinned with his weapons systems officer (WSO) Wings of Gold during a ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Sept. 24, 2021. Rueckel became the last Marine to graduate from the “Sabrehawks” of Training Squadron 86 at NAS Pensacola as the Marine Corps transitions from the F/A-18 Hornet to the F-35 Lightning II. VT-86, located at NAS Pensacola, trains the world’s finest combat-quality naval flight officers, committed to global security and prosperity, and projecting naval air power worldwide. (U.S. Navy photo by Jason Bortz)

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#FighterFriday

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F/A-18 Hornet with the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing shows the state flag of Texas next to a KC-135R Stratotanker with the 155th Air Refueling Wing, Aug. 19, 2021, during an air refueling near Abilene, Texas. F/A-18 pilots received fuel from the basket on the KC-135R Stratotanker with the 155th Air Refueling Wing as part of their mission readiness requirements. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Alexander D. Schriner)

VMFA-211 dedicates AV-8B to the late Lt. Col. Raible and Sgt. Atwell

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A retired AV-8B that was damaged during the Camp Bastion attack in 2012 has been dedicated to the late Lt. Col. Christopher Raible and Sgt. Bradley Atwell on Aug. 19.

U.S. Marines, veterans and families pose in front an AV-8B Harrier during a dedication ceremony at the open air museum on Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, August 19, 2021. Marines from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and across the Marine Corps participated in a ceremony unveiling and dedicating an AV-8B Harrier at the museum to the late Lt. Col. Christopher “Otis” Raible and Sgt. Bradley Atwell, whom gave their lives defending the aircraft as well as surrounding Marines during an attack on Camp Bastion, Afghanistan in 2012. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alondra Ortiz-Montejano)

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CH-53K’s first fleet mission was a tough operation to lift a MH-60S at 12,000 ft

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The CH-53K King Stallion has executed its first fleet mission on Sept. 5 in California. The heavy-lift helicopter help to recover a Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter from Mount Hogue.

A Marine Corps CH-53K King Stallion lifts a Navy MH-60S Knighthawk Helicopter from a draw in Mount Hogue, California, Sept. 5, 2021. The Knighthawk conducted a hard landing during a search-and-rescue mission, which resulted in no casualties or injuries of its crew. The two day operation was the first official fleet mission for the CH-53K King Stallion, as it is currently undergoing an operational assessment while the Marine Corps modernizes and prepares to respond globally to emerging crises or contingencies. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Therese Edwards)

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