MCAS Cherry Point News

Maj. Gen. Glenn M. Walters, right, leads a large pack of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing runners during the 2nd MAW Marine Corps Birthday Run, Nov. 9. More than 1,000 Marines ran in the birthday run. Brig. Gen. Gary L. Thomas, center, and Sgt. Maj. Lisa Nilsson, right, ran with Walters and will be going forward as the commanding general and sergeant major of 2nd MAW fwd. Walters is the commmanding general for 2nd MAW. - Maj. Gen. Glenn M. Walters, right, leads a large pack of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing runners during the 2nd MAW Marine Corps Birthday Run, Nov. 9. More than 1,000 Marines ran in the birthday run. Brig. Gen. Gary L. Thomas, center, and Sgt. Maj. Lisa Nilsson, right, ran with Walters and will be going forward as the commanding general and sergeant major of 2nd MAW fwd. Walters is the commmanding general for 2nd MAW.

Cpl. Scott Tomaszycki, dressed as a Southwest Asia Marine, speaks about the war era he represents during the Cherry Point 237th Marine Corps Ball Ceremony at the station theater Nov. 8. - Cpl. Scott Tomaszycki, dressed as a Southwest Asia Marine, speaks about the war era he represents during the Cherry Point 237th Marine Corps Ball Ceremony at the station theater Nov. 8.

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 Re-enforced Marines begin suiting up for shipboard firefighting training outside the Cherry Point Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting firehouse, Nov. 2. More than 100 traveled to Cherry Point to receive the training in preparation for an upcoming deployment with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. - Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 Re-enforced Marines begin suiting up for shipboard firefighting training outside the Cherry Point Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting firehouse, Nov. 2. More than 100 traveled to Cherry Point to receive the training in preparation for an upcoming deployment with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

As a collateral duty inspector with Marine Electronic Warfare Squadron 1, Lance Cpl. Nicholas E. Pope's job is to inspect the completion of maintenance on EA-6B Prowlers.A Prowler doesn't lift off the ground without Pope's final inspections, a job few in his unit are authorized to sign off on."Being a young E-3 and holding such a high billet is a great honor," said Pope a native of Albuquerque, N.M. As a CDI it is Pope's job to issue out maintenance jobs and orders to Marines of various ranks. Using tact and professionalism he informs those of equal or higher ranks of jobs he needs them to complete to effectively support the mission of VMAQ-1.Pope indicated the hardest part of his job is keeping his wits and sanity knowing if there is a mishap with an aircraft he has authorized to fly he must be accountable and accept the consequences of his decision."My job is important but I have realized that this is much bigger than me. It's about the completion of the mission and the safety of our fellow Marines," he said. Not going unnoticed, Pope has been named Marine of the Quarter for his squadron twice, been the recipient of multiple meritorious mast certificates and will be meritoriously promoted to the rank of corporal on December 2. - As a collateral duty inspector with Marine Electronic Warfare Squadron 1, Lance Cpl. Nicholas E. Pope's job is to inspect the completion of maintenance on EA-6B Prowlers. A Prowler doesn't lift off the ground without Pope's final inspections, a job few in his unit are authorized to sign off on. "Being a young E-3 and holding such a high billet is a great honor," said Pope a native of Albuquerque, N.M. As a CDI it is Pope's job to issue out maintenance jobs and orders to Marines of various ranks. Using tact and professionalism he informs those of equal or higher ranks of jobs he needs them to complete to effectively support the mission of VMAQ-1. Pope indicated the hardest part of his job is keeping his wits and sanity knowing if there is a mishap with an aircraft he has authorized to fly he must be accountable and accept the consequences of his decision. "My job is important but I have realized that this is much bigger than me. It's about the completion of the mission and the safety of our fellow Marines," he said. Not going unnoticed, Pope has been named Marine of the Quarter for his squadron twice, been the recipient of multiple meritorious mast certificates and will be meritoriously promoted to the rank of corporal on December 2.

Expendables captain Jermond Griffin puts up a hook shot during the final minute of an intramural basketball game against the Spartans inside the Marine Dome Oct. 29. Griffin scored 11 point to lead his team to a 58-50victory. - Expendables captain Jermond Griffin puts up a hook shot during the final minute of an intramural basketball game against the Spartans inside the Marine Dome Oct. 29. Griffin scored 11 point to lead his team to a 58-50victory.

Cones line the center of runway 32L as the contractors put the finishing touches on the newly resurfaced runway on Cherry Point Oct. 26. This was the first runway to be worked on since the start of largest paving project aboard the air station since the last repaving project in 1998. The cost of this project when finished will be $10.39 million dollars, which is less than half the cost of an AV-8B Harrier. "People may think spending this amount of money on a runway is absurd and useless," said Mike D. Morgan, the construction manager for Cherry Point's facilities maintenance department. "Think of it from this perspective, if we don't spend this money and we lose even a single Harrier we are losing more than $20 million dollars to buy a new one. With just one successful month of have a foreign object damage free landing space, this project pays for itself." - Cones line the center of runway 32L as the contractors put the finishing touches on the newly resurfaced runway on Cherry Point Oct. 26. This was the first runway to be worked on since the start of largest paving project aboard the air station since the last repaving project in 1998. The cost of this project when finished will be $10.39 million dollars, which is less than half the cost of an AV-8B Harrier. "People may think spending this amount of money on a runway is absurd and useless," said Mike D. Morgan, the construction manager for Cherry Point's facilities maintenance department. "Think of it from this perspective, if we don't spend this money and we lose even a single Harrier we are losing more than $20 million dollars to buy a new one. With just one successful month of have a foreign object damage free landing space, this project pays for itself."