“There is a Tsunami of Change Coming.”: The Osprey in Bold Alligator 2012

02/12/2019
By Second Line of Defense

Lt. Col. Boniface, the Osprey Squadron commander in Bold Alligator 2012, discusses the “breaking glass” function of the Osprey in re-shaping the USN-USMC team. The ARG-MEU is constraining when one looks at the capabilities of the Osprey and the coming impact of the F-35B.

“I can move my chess pieces behind the other guy’s chess pieces. It is not fair but we can now do it.”

“There is a Tsunami of change coming.”

During the exercise, his squadron landed an Osprey on a T-AKE ship. This was very significant. “We have not even begun to think about what this ship can bring to the seabase.”

The much larger area of operation means that “we need to rework significantly command and control” for the ESG-MEB operational approach.

Lt. Col. Boniface is the Commanding Officer, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266, MCAS New River. We last talked with him about his experience in Libya.

http://www.sldinfo.com/the-role-of-the-osprey-in-operation-odyssey-dawn/

March 3, 2012