The salt-stained jets streaked across the sky signaling the arrival of the newest squadron on the block. They were exhausted from a trans-Atlantic flight that started at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., and ended at Al Asad, Iraq in a few short days in mid-November.

The "Tomcats" of Marine Attack Squadron 311, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, found their "welcome aboard" period short-lived as the AV-8B Harrier II squadron quickly became initiated into the mission tempo of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Initially they supported Operation Al Fajr, or "the Dawn," which was taking place in Fallujah, Iraq at the time, said. Col. Clyde M. Woltman, VMA-311 commanding officer.

"When VMA-311 showed up, within eight hours of the jets arriving here from a (trans-Atlantic flight), we were flying combat missions," said the 45-year-old squadron commander. "We no kidding turned around the jets, fueled them, checked the oil, loaded bombs and were flying combat missions that quickly."

Their quick-paced beginning didn't stop there, but lasted for days, said Pfc. Justin Martin, fixed-wing aircraft mechanic, VMA-311.

"The first week was non-stop. We put everything we had into that week. I didn't even realize the first week had gone by," said the 19-year-old from Pensacola, Fla. "We were flying like crazy and we felt like our job was that much more important. To see people running everywhere getting their job done just makes you want to do your job that much faster. It made the job easier to do."

Another aspect that made the transition easier for the "Tomcats" was the presence of two Harrier detachments that had already been in country for extended periods of time, Woltman mentioned. With VMA-311s arrival, VMA-211 and 214 now fall under the "Tigers" role call.

"The beauty of having three squadrons here is we've been able to create one cohesive unit," Woltman, a Yuba City, Calif., native, said. "We share maintenance, we share airplanes and we swap out pilots. We can fly with one another because we're all standardized across the Marine Corps. It's worked out magnificently well."

The "Tomcats" have been performing their mission requirements and his Marines have been top notch, he added.

"We're doing a number of different operations here including close air support, reconnaissance, convoy escort and other missions as assigned," Woltman said. "I think the squadron has been performing (these missions) extremely well."

Iraq might have been just what the squadron needed after training for nearly nine months for a deployment to Afghanistan, which was cancelled, said Lance Cpl. Matt Duthie, plane captain, VMA-311.

"(The Marines) are a little bit more motivated now that we're out here," said the 19-year-old from Prescott Valley, Ariz. He attributes that to the motivation of working in their current real life environment. "It feels good that we're supporting everyone out there that's actually fighting. I've heard pilots come back and tell us what happened (out there), and possibly we've saved lives of people on the ground out there by getting that bird out and dropping that bomb."

The overwhelming sense of purpose is a good feeling, Martin agreed.

"It took me coming out here to realize that I was doing my job for a reason," Martin said. "Back in the 'rear' it felt like we were doing it for no reason at all, just to do it. Out here, it's actually doing something and makes me feel good. I have a job that means something to somebody. The birds go out for a reason and I'm getting them there."

The excitement of purpose is a positive for the squadron, but nothing will replace good situational awareness, Woltman noted.

"You need to have the wherewithal not to lose your cool because it is a very dynamic and very dangerous situation out there for the Marines on the ground. You need to be calm and procedural and respond in a timely correct fashion," Woltman said. "Marines lives are depending on us to respond correctly the first time."

His Marines have done the training and have been conducting combat operations in country for more than a month now. Woltman said he is now focusing on the mission at hand for the upcoming months.

"The Marines we have been preparing for a deployment for essentially nine months," Woltman said. "We were initially focused on deploying to Afghanistan, but that changed somewhere around the '11th hour.' We've been doing the training for nine months so the Marines are ready for this and motivated for it."

"My goals are to support the Marines on the ground," Woltman continued. "That is the focus of effort. They have their mission, stated by their commanders and we're here to support that effort. I (also) fully intend on bringing back every Marine that I deployed with." [ANN Thanks the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing's Sgt. Nathan K. LaForte]

FMI: www.usmc.mil