New Richmond resident serving his first tour in Iraq

U.S. Marine Corporal John Conners, 30, of New Richmond, has recently been deployed to Iraq with the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron #115 (VMFA).

Operating out of the Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, Conners, an airframe mechanic and assistant night crew supervisor for the airframes section, graduated from New Richmond High School in 1995 and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2003.

Stationed aboard the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, S.C., Conners was deployed to Iraq three weeks ago.

“This is my first tour of duty,” Conners said. “Our mission is to provide air support to U.S. and coalition forces on the ground. As an airframes mechanic, I help make sure that the jets are ready to fly by maintaining all of the hydraulics, the structure of the aircraft itself, and the landing gear on the F/A-18’s (fighter jets).”