MARINE Lance Cpl. Cheska Saren and Marine Cpl. Chris Buendicho never expected to come back home for training. But with the current Geiger Fury exercise and Aviation Training Relocation training taking place on Guam and Tinian, the two are relishing being back home.

Saren and Buendicho are part of Marine Aircraft Group 12 or MAG-12, which has been training since May 14 and will continue training until June 8. Training is being conducted at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and both West and North Fields on the island of Tinian. The group is from Marine Corps Iwakuni Air Station in Japan.

Saren, 20, is from Garapan, Saipan and is assigned to the VFMA 242 squadron. Buendicho, 21, is from Agat and is assigned to the VFMA 121 squadron.

Saren said she joined the Marine Corps because of the history they made in Saipan, the CNMI, and Guam.

“The Marines set foot on land they didn’t know about but still did what they were asked to do and gave me the freedom that I have and the blue passport that I hold; and I thought to myself, I’d like to do that for somebody else, whether directly or indirectly,” she said.

Footsteps

Buendicho joined the Marine Corps to follow the footsteps of his father Tony Buendicho, who also served in the Marine Corps. His family was supportive of him joining the Marines and he received some sound advice from his father.

“My dad’s reaction was to brace myself because it’s not anything I’m expecting and that’s true, it definitely caught me by surprise,” he said.

When her mother learned Saren was going to join the Marines, the initial response was negative.

“All she thought of was guns and war and she didn’t want her little girl to be in a firefight or in trenches,” she said. “But over time, she’s seen the maturity I’ve gotten from being in the Marine Corps and the places I’ve traveled to.”

Saren, a power line mechanic, has a wide variety of duties she handles.

“Basically everything that makes the jets go fast, that’s what I work on,’ she said. “I also am in charge of prepping the aircraft for launch and after it gets back I make sure it gets the fuel that it needs and inspections that are required to keep the integrity of the aircraft.”

Buendicho is a flight equipment technician. His job is to make sure the pilots have the survival equipment in the event of an emergency. “My job is basically to keep them alive with the equipment,” he said.

Both are happy to be training in the region. “Coming here was a big opportunity for me to be back home with my people and the traditions that I grew up with,” Saren said, adding she’s gone on special liberty to see her family.

“This is my second deployment with my unit and we actually stopped for a week here. As far as actual training, I didn’t expect it and I’m glad I’m here,” Buendicho said.

Giving them high marks were Marine Capt. Alex Espinoza, 34, of Oregon, with the VMFA 242 squadron; and Maj. Mark Bortnem, 42, of Michigan, with the VMFA 121 squadron. Bortnem and Espinoza commended the younger Marines on their work.

“These two and probably a little over 500 of their fellow Marines that are here keep this big mission rolling,” Bortnem said. “We have one here who fixes all the airplanes and we have one who ensures our safety while we’re in them. To have them from the islands is really important to us.”

Approximately 700 personnel are participating in the ATR training on Guam and around 200 personnel are participating in Geiger Fury on Tinian.