Marine Cobra pilots are hitting the field with the grunts they'll support in combat
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  1. #1
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    Exclamation Marine Cobra pilots are hitting the field with the grunts they'll support in combat

    West Coast Marine pilots are getting a taste of the grunt life.

    Capt. Jason Grimes, a Cobra pilot with Marine Light Attack Squadron 369, recently spent two months with infantry battalions as part of the new Aviator Immersion Program. Grimes was the first Marine to complete the program, which is meant to help Marine aviators work more seamlessly with ground troops.

    He teamed with members of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines during a combat readiness evaluation. Then he went to Bridgeport, California, with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines as they completed mountain warfare and climate survival courses.

    “I went to every single part of the battalion. I talked to all of them about their capabilities, their limitations," Grimes said. "I got a huge amount of knowledge on a battalion. I’m able to teach some of the guys I work with a little bit of what I’ve learned.”

    The program is the brainchild of Col. Michael Borgschulte, commander of Marine Aircraft Group 39. Borgschulte wanted his pilots to get an appreciation of what it's like to be in the infantry and what kind of air support ground troops need, said 2nd Lt. Casey Littesy, a spokeswoman for 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

    “Other pilots have trained alongside the infantry as forward air controllers, but this program is an effort to allow more Marines — for a shorter duration of time — the opportunity gain a better understanding of and appreciation for the ground combat element and the Marine air-ground task force concept,” Littesy said.

    Even though Grimes had learned how to think like a rifle platoon commander at The Basic School, he said he was reminded about how tough life can be for infantrymen in the field. Typically, squadrons spend a lot of time planning but only a day in the field, whereas infantrymen are always in the field or preparing to go.

    “Being in an infantry battalion is far more physically demanding on everything they have to,” Grimes told Marine Corps Times.


    The toughest part, he said, was training with 2/5 at Bridgeport during their mountain warfare courses.

    “For the actual exercise, it was 19 days we spent straight in the field or on the mountain,” he said. “That was definitely pretty difficult. We got hit by a couple of good snow storms.”

    The Marines had to lug between 80 and 100 pounds of gear on their backs at altitude — and then carry more gear on a sled. While some Marines got frostbite and hypothermia, they had prepared well to deal with the ailments.

    During his time with 2/5, Grimes talked to company commanders about the best way to utilize aircraft and he gave classes to Marines on air support, but he also learned a great deal. Now his squadron is training with 2/5 at Camp Pendleton, California. Training with the grunts means that the squadron does not have to simulate what it’s like to insert or support Marines, Grimes said.

    “We can actually have ground units and we can have other air assets together on that mission,” he said. “It’s not like we have to play pretend to get training out of it. We can do the real thing and get even more training out of it because we’re actually doing it.”

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  2. #2
    Good idea. Should not be a new concept in training however. We should've been doing this all along. The reverse is also true. The infantry officers should be spending some time with aviation squadrons - for the exact same reasons.


  3. #3
    Cobras were a welcome site in Nam.


  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Tennessee Top View Post
    Good idea. Should not be a new concept in training however. We should've been doing this all along. The reverse is also true. The infantry officers should be spending some time with aviation squadrons - for the exact same reasons.
    funny you should mention that top, as that's exactly what greg"pappy" boyington did with his black sheep squadron pilots and look at how successful they were.


  5. #5
    The article simply stating that "Cobra" pilots are getting a chance to experience the ground side..

    Infantry (Grunt) Units have had Forward Air Controller's (FAC's) or Fixed Wing Pilots and Helicopter Pilots from either Hmm/Hmh Squadrons in each Battalion since the very early 80's.. Length of tour was normally 18 month's..

    The primary function was to assist the Bn Cmdr in useage of both asset's, especially if the Unit was a Marine (SOC) Bn that started rolling out in mid 85'...

    Just adding some clarification....


  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Mongoose View Post
    Cobras were a welcome site in Nam.
    They were in Iraq as well. Marine air always inspired confidence.


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