On July 9, 2024, the Camp Lejeune Fire and Emergency Services Division (FESD) successfully used their newly acquired small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) in a critical search operation for a missing child on Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The operation demonstrated the effectiveness of drone imagery capabilities, which made the operation a success.
In a strategic shift to enhance operational capabilities, the U.S. Marine Corps is transitioning its sUAS from fleet operations to installation commands. This initiative, spearheaded by Lt. Col. Frank M. Colpo, director of Aviation at Marine Corps Installation Command, aims to repurpose these assets to support and improve the effectiveness of various installation missions.
“I definitely think in a way it does give the community a peace of mind in knowing that we have the capability of seeing a bird’s-eye view of things” Lt. Attwood Mobley III, a firefighter with Fire Station 3
FESD was given the opportunity to be an early adopter of the sUAS program. On Feb. 5, 2024, three FESD personnel participated in a sUAS training course, conducted by Training and Logistics Support Activity-East. The training equipped them with the skills necessary to incorporate the use of sUAS into a wide range of operational scenarios, including wildfire management, accident scene assessments, natural disaster responses, fire investigations, search and rescue operations, hazardous material management, and unexploded ordnance incidents.
A notable example of the practical benefits of the sUAS program was seen in early July when FESD put their new capabilities to the test during a critical search operation for a missing child.
“Upon arrival, the [sUAS] was in the air within eight minutes… It took around 45 minutes [to locate the child],” said Jabbock Ackley, a firefighter with Fire Station 6, FESD, MCB Camp Lejeune.
The drone provided continuous, real-time data, enabling search teams to quickly locate the missing child. It allowed the search team to cover more ground and quickly gain valuable aerial perspectives.
Photo by Cpl. Leo Amaro
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Lt. Attwood Mobley III, a firefighter with Fire Station 3, MCB Camp Lejeune, emphasized how the successful use of the sUAS highlights its potential for improving response times and operational effectiveness.
“With this [sUAS], we do have a flare capability,” said Mobley. “What that means is that we can pick up heat signatures.” Mobley added, “I can see us using it even in open water type of areas… We can use it to see how the wind has driven a fire or in the direction it could be going.”
Following this successful deployment, FESD plans to further integrate sUAS into their training exercises to enhance their preparedness for various emergency scenarios. A Mobile Training Team session held in the summer of 2024 at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida trained four members of the Provost Marshal Office as sUAS operators along with similar training on Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany in Georgia. The use of sUAS technology underscores the Marine Corps’ dedication to improving mission success and operational efficiency across its installations.
“I definitely think in a way it does give the community a peace of mind in knowing that we have the capability of seeing a bird’s-eye view of things,” said Mobley. “I know for me that’s comforting especially whenever there’s missing persons… it doesn’t matter if its day or night, we’ll be able to find them.”
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