Division CG leads from front in latest round of MV-22 tests
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification #: 2005428173312
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (April 28, 2005) -- The 1st Marine Division commander had a simple message for Marines here about to take part in testing the Marine Corps' MV-22 Osprey.

No fear.

Maj. Gen. Richard F. Natonski, commanding general for 1st Marine Division, flew aboard the MV-22 Osprey from Camp Pendleton to this sprawling desert base to demonstrate to his Marines his confidence in the new tilt-rotor technology. He spoke for nearly a half hour to Marines from Company L, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, who are slated to take part in operational evaluations with the Marine Corps' newest aviation venture.

"I wanted to come out here to look you in the eyes to tell you that this is a good aircraft," Natonski, a 53-year-old from New Canaan, Conn., said to the Marines. "I'm not afraid to fly in it and I know you aren't either. You're going to make a difference by taking part in this test."

Natonski didn't pull punches, immediately addressing two crashes in early testing - both in 2000 killing 19 Marines in Marana, Ariz., and another four in Jacksonville, N.C. The division commander told his Marines the MV-22s on which they would fly were the same only in appearance.

"They've done all the testing and I know in your minds, some of you probably remember we had a couple of these crash," he explained. "That was a different aircraft. They've completely redesigned the engine pods. They've put in new computer software and today the aircraft your flying on - the one that I flew on - has been completely redesigned."

Still, designers are seeking more input from the same Marines who will use the MV-22 for years to come. That's where the division's infantry Marines come in. For the next several days, they'll pack, cram, squish and budge 24 Marines, with a full combat load, into the back of the Ospreys and fly over the California deserts. The idea is to find out what works for the grunts, and more importantly, what doesn't.

"What you guys are doing, as part of this op-eval, is checking out the aircraft," Natonski said. "You know, they've got to test it with people on it, with a base-plate or a SAW or a mortar or an M-240. The fact of the matter is, when you bring on all the junk that we bring on, those are the things they don't always factor in on an aircraft design."

Col. Glenn M. Walters, the commander of the Marine Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron 22, was also on hand to encourage Marines to look around the aircraft and figure what else they'd like to see. Already in earlier tests, infantry Marines affected changes in the seats, resulting in new, better-padded and more comfortable seats that also better withstand the shock of a hard landing. A new digital mapping display is being installed to give troop commanders real-time data of the battlefield as they approach the landing zone.

"We can put satellite imagery in there," Walters, a 48-year-old from Warrenton, Va., explained. "It will also display all the threats, give real-time downlinks so that if anything happens while you're en route, you can pull down the map right there. All of that is because of the comments made by the people this aircraft is built for and that's you."

Natonski told Marines it was time for the MV-22 to replace the aging fleet of CH-46E Sea Knight currently in service. He told Marines that nearly 30 years ago, he was flying aboard CH-46's during the evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam. Those aircraft were already 10-15 years old and many of those same aircraft, although updated and repaired, are still in service.

Not just is the MV-22 going to replace an aging helicopter, it's going to change the way Marines fight, Natonski said.

"This really is the future of the Corps," he said. "Not only can you operate on a ship way off the coast where the enemy doesn't know where you are, but you can fly so far inland, he doesn't know where you're going to land. And you're going to do it fast and you're going to do it over a long course of distance."

The Osprey can fly for 2,100 nautical miles with one aerial refueling and fly at speeds up to 300 knots, according to Headquarters, Marine Corps.

"You can land anywhere, hundreds of miles behind the enemy," he added. "Get them from the rear, secure an area for the landing then to take place. The capability this aircraft gives you is just tremendous."

Natonski told Marines Tuesday's flight marked the first time he'd flown aboard the MV-22. What he saw impressed him.

"That ride I just had on that aircraft from Camp Pendleton was the best ride I've ever had," he said. "I don't know if I'd call it a helicopter or a plane, but I'll tell you what, that thing goes twice as fast, twice as far as a CH-46."

Sgt. Maj. Wayne R. Bell, 1st Marine Division's senior enlisted Marine, joined Natonski for the flight. He told the Marines still waiting for their first ride what to expect.

"The ride in the back was actually a little smoother than a 46," said Bell, a 48-year-old from Boston. "It's a little quieter."

Bell said that quiet didn't equate to weak. The power of the MV-22 was apparent not just in flight after it transitioned, but even on the ground in a forward hover.

"You're kind of anxious, because when you take off, if you're not strapped in, you're going to fall out of the seat," Bell said.

Still, some Marines might miss some of the trappings of the old CH-46. There's only a couple windows and the newness of the aircraft - on one hand was only two weeks off the production line - left Natonski and Bell a little out of sorts.

"It's new," Bell explained. "There's no dirt. I wanted to wipe my feet before I got in."

The general's visit did help in alleviating some anxiety. Pvt. Jesse H. Hinkley, a 20-year-old from Las Vegas assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, has yet to fly aboard any military aircraft. His very first flight will be during the latest round of operational evaluations.

"Am I nervous? A little bit," Hinkley said. "I don't really know what to expect, but I am a little more comfortable that if the general flies out on it, it should be a good experience."

Lance Cpl. Mischa M. Brady, a 23-year-old from Boise, Idaho, said he wasn't nervous at all. In fact, he said the MV-22, to him at least, was just another aircraft. For the rest of his Marines, though, he said that might be a different story.

"I guarantee the general coming out here made a lot of us more confident," said Brady, also assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines. "There's always a few butterflies when it comes to a new aircraft, but to see your commander, it boosted our confidence."

Natonski told the Marines the opinions they offer will have far-reaching effects for generations of Marines to come. Their suggestion to build an aircraft better-suited for infantry Marines will help shape the course of the way Marines will fight.

The Marines who are testing the new aircraft are making history, since the MV-22 may very well be the Corps' tiltrotor aircraft of choice decades from now, said Natonski.

"That's how revolutionary this is," he said.

E-mail Gunnery Sgt. Oliva at: mark.oliva@usmc.mil

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