By Robbin Laird During a July 2021 visit to 2d Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) I talked with LtCol J. Eric Grunke and LtCol Jessica Hawkins. Grunke just relinquished responsibility to Hawkins for the Marine Aviation Training Systems (MATS) ecosystem within 2d MAW; encompassing all aviation simulators and the necessary infrastructure.…
When I visited MARFORPAC in 2014, it was the beginning of what the Obama Administration called the “Pivot to the Pacific.” But that really did not happen as the Russians seized Crimea, and the wars in the Middle East ramped up. Those demand sets still weigh heavily on the U.S.…
By Matt Gonzales MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII In August, Marine Corps Systems Command led one of the largest command and control user evaluations since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. MCSC collaborated with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, Navy and Coast Guard to execute Island Marauder…
By Robbin Laird My last visit to Hawaii and meetings with the MARFORPAC commander and his staff was in 2014. In August 2021, I visited again and spent several days in the Islands, during which I visited both MARFORPAC and PACAF. Since my last visit, what the Marines refer to…
By Robbin Laird During my visit to Honolulu in early August 2021, I visited MARFORPAC for several days. I had been last there in 2014-2015, so had a chance to look at changes underway since then. One of those changes has been the focus on naval integration and how the…
I first met Brigadier General, retired, Robert Novotny at RAF Lakenheath in 2016. There we focused on the coming of the F-35 to the base after the Brits would deploy the aircraft onboard their new class of carriers. We discussed the broader implications of being able to integrated F-35s throughout…
As the Marines rework how they are going to shape their way ahead with regard to the joint force and full spectrum crisis management, their ability to operate from seabasses to expeditionary bases to the wider littoral operations is a crucial contribution. With their Osprey and F-35B capabilities already providing…
By Robbin Laird During my July 2021 visit to 2nd Marine Air Wing, I had a chance to meet with the leadership of MAG-14. I met with Col. Williams, the MAG-14 Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Harrell, the MAG-14 Executive Officer and Maj. Cunningham, the MAG-14 Operations Officer. Based at Cherry…
