By Gidge Dady
NAVAIR Public Affairs

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Patuxent River, Md. - Detachment 2 of the 18th Flight Test Squadron officially stood up July 31 and Air Force Major Gary "Chainsaw" McCollum took the helm as its first commanding officer in ceremonies at the MV-22 Integrated Test Team facility here.

"I'm happy, proud, and thrilled to be granted the opportunity to be part of the outstanding team the Air Force and Marine Corps have created to conduct operational test of the MV-22. Our focus is and will remain viewing the V-22 through the eyes of the future generations of Marines and Special Operations Force (SOF) warriors who will take the Osprey into harm's way in support of our national objectives. We owe it to them never to lose sight of the fact the V-22 is a combat aircraft, and to do everything we can to develop and take advantage of its unique capabilities in support of their mission," said McCollum.

Prior to assuming command of Detachment 2, McCollum served as a V-22 initial cadre instructor pilot when he joined VMMT-204, the MV-22's first training squadron, in 1999. He will now lead a newly formed detachment which is the Air Force part of the V-22 Multiservice Operational Test Team (MOTT). The MOTT is currently comprised of the 11 Air Force members in Detachment 2, one Air Force Operational Test Evaluation Center Test Director, and 18 Marine operators and maintainers.

McCollum said Detachment 2 aircrew and maintainers are now working with the V-22 Integrated Test Team here to make observations that will help them with assessments and evaluations during the dedicated operations test periods which could begin next summer. At that time, they will make initial assessments of the first MV-22 "Block A" upgrade low rate initial production aircraft scheduled to arrive here then. Block A MV-22 aircraft will have a redesigned nacelle and software upgrades and will be used by the fleet.

"We will operate and maintain our aircraft in an operationally representative environment. We'll fly and maintain the V-22 in conditions that are as close as we can reasonably make them to what an operational squadron would encounter on a day-to-day basis. Our flights will be based on representative Marine and SOF missions," said McCollum.

Later on, the larger version of the MOTT, which includes Detachment 2, will conduct the second phase of the V-22's operational evaluation using MV-22 Block A production aircraft from various ship and shore locations throughout the U.S.

The18th Flight Test Squadron is based in Hurlburt Field, FL., and functions as the operational agency for the Air Force Special Operations Command. Detachment 2 was created to operationally test the MV-22 from the special operations perspective to assess the value of it as a baseline variant for the Special Operations Force Osprey,
CV-22.

Photo by Randy Teufel

Photo Caption: Members of the newly established Detachment 2 of the 18th Flight Test Squadron are ready to go to work supporting the MV-22 Integrated Test Team based in Patuxent River, Md. Detachment 2 is the Air Force portion of the Multiservice Operational Test Team and will be charged with operational test of the MV-22 Osprey from a special operations perspective.
Top left to right:
SSgt Michael S. Smith (Mike)
TSgt Steven P. Hersom (Steve)
TSgt Vinence M. Robinson (Vee)
Major Gary "Chainsaw" L. McCollum (commanding officer)
SMSgt Craig S. England
SSgt Joseph C. Schmidley (Joe)

Bottom Left to Right:
MSgt Cameron R. Haak
MSgt Raymond S. Marston (Scott)
TSgt Brandon L. Troyer
TSgt Jason D. Hersom