Posted on Jun 19, 2022
Nearly 1,000 U.S. Marines work on joint exercise in Salina, community provides cookout
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https://www.salina.com/story/news/2022/06/18/u-s-marines-get-thank-you-cookout-salina/ [login to see] /
Since June 1, nearly 1,000 United States Marines have been stationed in Salina, working on a joint exercise.
Many in the community wanted to say thank you.
VFW Post 1432 of Salina, VFW headquarters, the Salina VFW Auxiliary and the Salina Military Affairs, helped put together a morale welfare and recreation cookout for the United States Marines, who will be in town until June 28.
Since June 1, nearly 1,000 United States Marines have been stationed in Salina, working on a joint exercise.
Many in the community wanted to say thank you.
VFW Post 1432 of Salina, VFW headquarters, the Salina VFW Auxiliary and the Salina Military Affairs, helped put together a morale welfare and recreation cookout for the United States Marines, who will be in town until June 28.
Nearly 1,000 U.S. Marines work on joint exercise in Salina, community provides cookout
Posted from salina.com
Salina
Marines
MWR
Food/Chow
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Dylan Sherwood, Salina Journal
Sat, June 18, 2022, 9:57 AM·3 min read
VFW Post 1432 Salina Commander Gary Keil helps serve a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Friday, June 17, 2022.
VFW Post 1432 Salina Commander Gary Keil helps serve a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Friday, June 17, 2022.
Since June 1, nearly 1,000 United States Marines have been stationed in Salina, working on a joint exercise.
Many in the community wanted to say thank you.
VFW Post 1432 of Salina, VFW headquarters, the Salina VFW Auxiliary and the Salina Military Affairs, helped put together a morale welfare and recreation cookout for the United States Marines, who will be in town until June 28.
Why are is the U.S. Marine Corps in Salina?
The U.S. Marine Corps is participating in a joint exercise with the Kansas National Guard named Exercise Gunslinger 22, which is designed to increase aircraft control.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Gunslinger 22 is a large military exercise conducted by the U.S. Marine
Corps Reserve's 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and the Kansas Air National Guard's
134th Air Control Squadron out of McConnell Air Force Base.
"We have deployed over 1,300 Marines from eleven Home Training Centers across the
country to three locations in the Salina, Kansas area," said Col. David Joseforsky,
4th Marine Aircraft Wing detachment officer-in-charge, Marine Forces Reserve.
During this exercise, the Marines are performing a broad range of military operations, including helicopter and fixed wing operations, controlling of aircraft,
and aviation ground support.
"Partnering with the other military services, we plan to conclude our operations with an air assault to support the establishment of a helicopter refueling site," Joseforsky said. "Our goal for this training is to ensure that we are ready, relevant and
capable of answering our nation's call."
More: Copper wire valued over $30K stolen from Salina grain elevator
A line of U.S. Marines get served during a cookout Friday, June 17, 2022.
A line of U.S. Marines get served during a cookout Friday, June 17, 2022.
Thankful to Salina
Members of the U.S. Marine Corps said they were thankful for the attention.
"We're extremely appreciative," said Captain Kristin Onofrio, U.S. Marine Corps communication and strategy officer for 4th Marine Aircraft. "We're very thankful for the VFW and the other organizations that put together this dinner for us this evening. When the Marines are training, they don't always have a chance to get a good meal."
Volunteers cooked up hundreds of hamburgers and hot dogs, and provided a lot of snacks .
"We're very thankful for the support that we have received and we are very excited to come back in the future and train here again It's our first time working in this environment," Onofrio said. "It's giving us a unique perspective and a way to utilize our assets and our capabilities outside of what we're normally used to in a training environment."
The USO Kansas provided paper goods and activities for the Marines. Two representatives from the Marine Corps League also provided time to volunteer. David Medina, a chief instructor for the Kansas National Guard shopped and cook for the event.
"They're brothers in arms," said Medina, who's also a member of the Military Affairs Council, the VFW and the VFW riders. "There's a big joke that goes around between Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, even the Coast Guard, but when it comes down to it, you've got each others' back. You gotta take care of each other one way or other."
VFW Post 1432 Salina Commander Gary Keil said he's appreciative of doing this cookout for the Marines and showing Salina isn't just a hole-in-the-wall.
"We do things for the veterans and everything, and it kind of shows our appreciation to them for being here," Keil said."
..."Dylan Sherwood, Salina Journal
Sat, June 18, 2022, 9:57 AM·3 min read
VFW Post 1432 Salina Commander Gary Keil helps serve a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Friday, June 17, 2022.
VFW Post 1432 Salina Commander Gary Keil helps serve a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Friday, June 17, 2022.
Since June 1, nearly 1,000 United States Marines have been stationed in Salina, working on a joint exercise.
Many in the community wanted to say thank you.
VFW Post 1432 of Salina, VFW headquarters, the Salina VFW Auxiliary and the Salina Military Affairs, helped put together a morale welfare and recreation cookout for the United States Marines, who will be in town until June 28.
Why are is the U.S. Marine Corps in Salina?
The U.S. Marine Corps is participating in a joint exercise with the Kansas National Guard named Exercise Gunslinger 22, which is designed to increase aircraft control.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Gunslinger 22 is a large military exercise conducted by the U.S. Marine
Corps Reserve's 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and the Kansas Air National Guard's
134th Air Control Squadron out of McConnell Air Force Base.
"We have deployed over 1,300 Marines from eleven Home Training Centers across the
country to three locations in the Salina, Kansas area," said Col. David Joseforsky,
4th Marine Aircraft Wing detachment officer-in-charge, Marine Forces Reserve.
During this exercise, the Marines are performing a broad range of military operations, including helicopter and fixed wing operations, controlling of aircraft,
and aviation ground support.
"Partnering with the other military services, we plan to conclude our operations with an air assault to support the establishment of a helicopter refueling site," Joseforsky said. "Our goal for this training is to ensure that we are ready, relevant and
capable of answering our nation's call."
More: Copper wire valued over $30K stolen from Salina grain elevator
A line of U.S. Marines get served during a cookout Friday, June 17, 2022.
A line of U.S. Marines get served during a cookout Friday, June 17, 2022.
Thankful to Salina
Members of the U.S. Marine Corps said they were thankful for the attention.
"We're extremely appreciative," said Captain Kristin Onofrio, U.S. Marine Corps communication and strategy officer for 4th Marine Aircraft. "We're very thankful for the VFW and the other organizations that put together this dinner for us this evening. When the Marines are training, they don't always have a chance to get a good meal."
Volunteers cooked up hundreds of hamburgers and hot dogs, and provided a lot of snacks .
"We're very thankful for the support that we have received and we are very excited to come back in the future and train here again It's our first time working in this environment," Onofrio said. "It's giving us a unique perspective and a way to utilize our assets and our capabilities outside of what we're normally used to in a training environment."
The USO Kansas provided paper goods and activities for the Marines. Two representatives from the Marine Corps League also provided time to volunteer. David Medina, a chief instructor for the Kansas National Guard shopped and cook for the event.
"They're brothers in arms," said Medina, who's also a member of the Military Affairs Council, the VFW and the VFW riders. "There's a big joke that goes around between Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, even the Coast Guard, but when it comes down to it, you've got each others' back. You gotta take care of each other one way or other."
VFW Post 1432 Salina Commander Gary Keil said he's appreciative of doing this cookout for the Marines and showing Salina isn't just a hole-in-the-wall.
"We do things for the veterans and everything, and it kind of shows our appreciation to them for being here," Keil said."
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel That pretty cool. Thanks for the share Brother Chip. I could use a couple of those burgers about now. I haven't ate a thing except a piece of brownie since about 0700 hours. It's making me hungry reading about it and I can even smell it. Dang Brother, why did you post this?!!! (Kidding!)
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Always nice to see the military and the local community working together PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
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