Army Spc. Blas Colunga, a senior scout observer stationed

Army Spc. Blas Colunga, a senior scout observer stationed with 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, arrives on land after jumping from an Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter and swimming to shore. Colunga, a Corpus Christi, Texas native, was one of the soldiers conducting helocast operations to refine their waterborne insertion tactics for future deployments and reconnaissance missions. For most helocast insertions, the aircraft assumes an altitude just above the water’s surface, with airspeed of 10 knots or less. Team members then enter the water from the aircraft. The unit certified three new cast masters, re-certified four cast masters and trained six reconnaissance teams. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brittney Vito)