Behind the scene of a WTI mission
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - Marine Corps Air Station Yuma gave local community leaders the chance of a life time, to experience what it’s like to be on a WTI mission.
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and the community work together to give weapons and tactics instrutor students access to the City of Yuma for proper training.
Cynthia Blot, City of Yuma Community Development Assistant Director says, “I think it’s really important that we continue to support WTI and the military, base, like I said they are a vital part of our community, and them sharing this opportunity with us, shows the partnership thats been created over decades, so very excited to be on this flight.”
“WTI, once they graduate the course, they’ll go back to their individual units, and they’ll be the lead instructors inside their units," says Col. Joshua Smith, WTI Squadron One Commanding Officer.
WTI is an annual course that happens at MCAS Yuma twice a year.
The significance of WTI is to teach all aviation specialists the most prevalent technique in the world of war fighting.
“As war fighting evolves we’re able to teach those latest and greatest tactics and they in turn are able to go back to their units and teach their personnel in their units those same things," says Col. Smith.
Community leaders and our reporter, Madeline Murray, got the chance to be a part of a mission very relevant to a disaster relief mission, where marines distribute water and supplies out to the City of Yuma.
Being behind the scenes of the exercise gave community leaders the perspective of what WTI students are learning and how important conducting missions are in the City of Yuma.
The commanding officer of WTI squadron one, Col. Joshua Smith shares how landing in a realistic environment is important to this training.
“Environment for our pilots to land in an actual city is something that is very rare, and its very relevant to their training, it’s much like the marine expeditionary units that go and execute training to prepare for deployment, they’ll actually go to a city, its not an opportunity that’s wide spread.”
Only the highest skilled marines get to participate in this elite aviation training program.
