USMC Mounted Color Guard to Present Flag at Yuma Airshow in March

The U.S. Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard presented the American flag and spoke with attendees alongside Marine Corps recruiters at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma on March 14, anchoring the ceremonial opening of the installation's largest annual community event.

The Yuma Airshow opened its gates at 9:00 a.m. and ran a packed performance schedule from 10:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. The Mounted Color Guard appeared as part of a lineup that stretched from military band performances to multi-aircraft pyrotechnic demonstrations. MCAS Yuma describes the event as "the installation's largest annual community outreach event, showcasing Marine Corps aviation and strengthening the bond between the installation and the community."

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band and the Battle Color Detachment both performed during the main show block, which also included a Military Free Fall School skydiving demonstration with eight jumpers. A USMC multi-aircraft demonstration with pyrotechnics put the AH-1Z, CH-53K, F-35B, F/A-18C, KC-130J, MV-22B, and UH-1Y in the air simultaneously.

Civilian performers added considerable depth to the day. Ace Maker Airshows flew two T-33s, and the KC Flight Formation Team put 12 Van RVs into coordinated flight. The Planes of Fame paired an F-86F against a MiG-15, a head-to-head from opposite sides of the Korean War. The Army Aviation Heritage Foundation recreated a Vietnam-era downed pilot extraction with an AH-1 and UH-1 supported by live pyrotechnics. Tora Tora Tora closed out the program with a full Pearl Harbor attack recreation using eight period aircraft: two Mitsubishi A6Ms, two Nakajima B5Ns, two Aichi D3A Type 99s, and two Curtiss P-36s, all with pyrotechnics.

On the ground, Precision Exotics ran high-speed demonstrations with a Lamborghini Huracan Evo, McLaren 570S, and Ferrari 488, and the Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Truck staged two races.

Sgt. Davin Tenbusch of Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow photographed the Mounted Color Guard's participation. A 13-image gallery from the event was posted to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service on March 17.