August 12, 2004

SecNav flies in Osprey, awards Navy Cross to sailor

Associated Press

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. — Navy Secretary Gordon England flew Wednesday in a V-22 Osprey and honored a serviceman for rescuing Marines in the Iraq war last year.
England’s visit to Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., marked the third time in recent months a top Department of Defense official has rode in the tilt-rotor aircraft, which can take off and land like a helicopter but fly like an airplane.

Military officials hope the Osprey will one day replace the Marine Corps’ aging fleet of CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, but it’s still undergoing flight tests after a series of problems in 2000.

After the flight, England added his endorsement of the aircraft.

“I’m delighted that we made the right decision a couple of years ago to continue the Osprey as a transitional aircraft,” he said. “It’s a vastly superior aircraft to a helicopter (and) now that we’re getting through the testing, I wish that we had this (aircraft) today.”

The Osprey was grounded for about 18 months following a pair of crashes in 2000 that killed 19 servicemen in Arizona. Four Marines were killed in another crash that year when an Osprey went down during a training mission near Jacksonville.

In August 2003, the Corps created a test squadron at New River to put the newly redesigned aircraft back into test flights.

Military officials hope to begin a new six-month operational test and evaluation program in January to “determine if the aircraft is operationally effective and suitable,” said Master Sgt. Brenda Donned, a New River spokeswoman.

At Camp Lejeune, adjoining New River, England presented the Navy Cross to Navy Hospitalman Louis Fonseca Jr. for saving the lives of many Marines from Lejeune’s 2nd Marine Regiment when it came under heavy fire near the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003.

Fonesca rescued five troops inside an amphibious assault vehicles that caught on fire during the hours-long battle.

“It’s a terrific day — a great day to serve and honor somebody who exhibited extreme valor and courage,” England said during the ceremony outside the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital.

England told Fonesca: “You are the finest of the finest.”

Sgt. Nick Elliot, 23, from New Castle, Del., suffered severe injuries to his neck and arm during the fight, losing much of the back of one leg. Still, he vividly remembers hearing reports of Fonseca’s actions.

“I heard over the radio that he was going here and there,” Elliot said.

England later visited Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station in Havelock, where he praised local efforts to preserve a future for area military installations.

England said, however, that decisions involving the Pentagon’s next round of base closings were still months away.

“I can only tell you I’m proud of what they do, and they should be proud of what they do,” England said in response to a question about the future of Cherry Point at a luncheon. “There are other communities that do a great job. The question is do we have an over capacity.”

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 Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results.

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