Looking Back and Looking Forward with the Osprey: The Perspective of LtGen (Retired) Heckl
09/16/2024
By Robbin Laird
Recently, LtGen Heckl retired from the USMC after 37 years of service. He has held several command positions and has a wealth of combat experience. In a series of interviews with him, we will be discussing both his experience and his judgement with regard to the way ahead for the joint force as it addresses the challenges of the evolving strategic environment.
In this first interview, we focused on his experience with the Osprey and how he views its role and impact on USMC operations. We discussed this from the standpoint of his own experience with the aircraft beginning with his initial engagement with the program, his deployment to Iraq and then his experience with the aircraft as it has evolved over time within the context of USMC operations.
We started with his initial involvement with the aircraft. He came to the Osprey from a CH-46 background and operations with that aircraft in a variety of combat situations. Heckl noted that when he left as at MAWTS-1 instructor in 1999, he had been selected as one of the initial members of the new VMMT-204 squadron to replace HMT-204. There were two accidents involving the aircraft in 2000 which slowed down the process of launching VMMT-204 so Heckl left to deploy with HMM-263 which formed the Aviation Combat Element for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and participated in the initial combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
https://sldinfo.com/2024/09/looking-back-and-looking-forward-with-the-osprey-the-perspective-of-ltgen-retired-heckl/
