Big Bear, Ca, July 26, 2011, 8:00am – Yesterday the residents of Big Bear City, especially those that live near the airport might have heard some loud noises, and felt a little shaking. The commanding officer Lt. Col. Harshberger told KBHR what the troops were doing in Big Bear. The reason is that a squadron of Marines currently based out of 29 Palms has been conducting high altitude training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. The troops flew in on the V-22 Osprey, which is a multi-engine, dual-piloted, self-deployable, medium lift, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) tiltrotor aircraft designed for combat, combat support, combat service support, and Special Operations missions worldwide. The troops are normally based out of South Carolina, and have been spending time at the 29 Palms base. More training will take place from 2:30 to 5:30 today, as pilots are practicing take off and landing in the altitude. Expect loud noises in the Big Bear City area.
