POLLOCKSVILLE, N.C. — The Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 spent a week at the Oak Grove Marine Corps Outlying Field for the large-scale exercise Operation Potomac Enforcer.

What You Need To Know

  • The exercise was held from December 5-12
  • The exercise is meant to help Marines practice working in enemy weapon engagement zones, meaning an area where enemy attacks can reach them
  • In this training they worked with the newest addition to the Marine Corps, the CH-53K, the most advanced heavy lift helicopter, which can carry 36,000 pounds

A platoon sergeant for the fuel section of the Marine Wing Support Squadron 272, Alexander Chaucer is a first-generation Marine in his family.

“Today we received aircraft grade petroleum, which we then tested and issued back to aircraft so that they can perform their mission,” Chaucer said.

Chaucer grew up in Jacksonville, and three years ago he decided to take on his childhood dream of becoming a Marine.

Now in 2023, he leads his platoon on a simple but important mission, they are responsible for refueling the aircrafts.

Trainings like this are necessary to ensure the military’s success.

“It provides us with an area for us to conduct all kinds of missions that we wouldn't be able to be able to do in our own hometown or home base,” Chaucer said.

The exercise, which took place December 5-12, is meant to help Marines practice working in enemy weapon engagement zones, meaning an area where enemy attacks can reach them.

One of the aircrafts they have been working with during this training is the CH-53K, an advanced heavy lift helicopter than can carry at least 36,000 pounds.

“The new 53 kilo allows us to load more equipment into austere environments, which allows us to set up our tactical fueling systems and in turn refuel this equipment so it can continue out its missions,” Chaucer said.

Chaucer leads his platoon with urgency to get the chopper in and out of the fueling station.

“The longer this aircraft stays on station, the less time is spent out in the battle space, and that can be providing casevac and providing airstrikes and other sortie-based missions that are pivotal to the success of the ACE and the Marine Corps as a whole,” Chaucer said.

Chaucer knows with trainings like this, he is able to help his junior Marines replicate war-like scenarios and push them to reach success.