Thunder Chickens take flight

It seems the osprey is mightier than the frog — and a bunch of chickens is ready to prove it.

The New River Air Station-based Marine squadron bearing the moniker “Thunder Chickens” rehatched with new and improved wings Friday as the first operational MV-22 Osprey squadron in the U.S. military.

Now known as Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, the Thunder Chickens returned to the incubator in June, standing down as a CH-46 “Battle Frog” squadron to begin training to fly and maintain the controversial Osprey, which can take off and land like a helicopter and fly like an airplane.

I'm glad to see that the aircraft has passed over its initial development issues. Unfortunately, those issues cost the lives of many marines before the Osprey became fully functional.