RAF Chinook Crews First Overseas Students To Complete US Marines Training

An RAF Chinook helicopter flying in formation with two United States Marine Corps CH-53 Sea Stallions (Picture: MOD).

Four Royal Air Force personnel have graduated from a US Marine Corps training course, becoming the first non-American students to have fully participated in the Weapons Tactics Instructor (WTI) course.

Chinook pilots and crewmen from RAF Odiham have spent the past seven weeks working around the clock at Marine Air Corps Station Yuma in southern Arizona.

They have trained alongside over 200 US Marine students.

The training takes place twice a year as part of the WTI development programme developing aircrew, both pilots and NCOs, to an instructional level.

Around 2,000 US personnel support the exercise which covers an area from Texas to California.

Group Captain Lee Turner, Station Commander RAF Odiham and Commander of the RAF Chinook Force said: "This is really world class training.

"It’s challenging for our crews and for our personnel here, not only the climatic conditions but also the complex nature of the training and the intensity of this which is a very focussed seven-week course.

"It’s a proud moment to be here as the first overseas fully participating members of the course."

The Detachment Commander responsible for the four RAF students and four instructors was Squadron Leader Chris Middleton from RAF Benson. He said: “For the students, this is a testing course.

"It’s training we haven’t received on the helicopter course for a generation.

"The complexity and scale is an issue for the students but over three to four weeks of ground school and then a crawl, walk, run process they get to be experts by the end.

“In recent wars we’ve found ourselves with the US Marine Corps fighting side by side.

"If we have the lessons that we’ve gained working together in our pockets already then we’re going to be a more effective fighting force.”

Chinook pilot Flight Lieutenant Jim Luke said: “It’s an awesome course to be part of and is as close as you’ll get to live operations.

"The students have felt the pressure; it has a relentless pace to it with six-day weeks, 12 hours a day through academics and flying."

The RAF currently has Chinook helicopters involved in the Middle East on Operation Shader, supporting France in Mali and training on Exercise Saif Sareea 3 in Oman.