thedrifter
05-01-07, 07:01 AM
Published - May, 1, 2007
More Marines on the way
Carlton Proctor
cproctor@pnj.com
Pensacola always has been a true-blue Navy town, but these days there's an upstart rival for the city's affections.
The Marines have landed in force and found a home here, and many more are on the way.
Col. Christopher E. Holzworth, who commands the Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 based at Pensacola Naval Air Station, said over the next five years, the Corps' presence in Pensacola will expand dramatically.
Driving the anticipated buildup in Pensacola is Congress' recent authorization expanding the Marine Corps from its current strength of 181,000 to 202,000 over the next five years.
And Pensacola's Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 will be among those commands that will benefit the most from that buildup.
By 2012, Pensacola's Aviation Training group likely will grow to about 9,000 Marines from 7,200, Holzworth said.
"The command here is changing -- it's getting bigger and better," he said. "It's the foundation of all aviation-related training on the enlisted side. And ... it's going to be a pivotal and important command for training those Marines, especially as we add six more aviation squadrons to meet operational needs."
Lt. Col. David S. Glassman, Holzworth's executive officer, said the training command in Pensacola will be to aviation what Parris Island is to the Corps' ground combat training operations.
To accommodate the growth, Holzworth said infrastructure improvements will take place at Pensacola NAS, including construction of a new barracks and new aviation hangar, and improvements to enlarge runways used in pilot training.
"We're ramping up right now," noted Holzworth. "We're added 43 more instructors to the pilot (training) side, and I have 1,500 more Marines than I had when I took command here 21 months ago."
Currently, under Holzworth's command, about 7,200 Marines -- most of whom will be sent to combat zones in Iraq -- are trained annually by 811 instructors (up from 722) in 137 military warfare specialties.
Nearly 90 percent of the Marines trained in Pensacola are enlisted personnel and are between the ages of 18 and 24, Holzworth said.
The remaining 10 percent are undergoing training as pilots, and maintenance, ordinance and air traffic control officers.
And as the Marine Corps' expansion ramps up, the bulk of the additional aviation specialists will be trained in Pensacola.
What's more, Holzworth expects the status of the command in Pensacola eventually to be upgraded, likely resulting in a flag-rank officer (brigadier general) being assigned to head Training Support Group 21.
"We do see an enlargement not only of the command-based structure to support requirements, but also of our permanent staff," Holzworth said.
He also noted the financial impact the anticipated military buildup will have on the Pensacola economy.
The expansion of training, and the additional numbers of enlisted personnel and officers, will have the economic impact of adding a large corporation to the Pensacola economic landscape.
Instructor positions, for example, are highly paid positions averaging between $70,000 to $80,000 annually, he said.
Ellie
More Marines on the way
Carlton Proctor
cproctor@pnj.com
Pensacola always has been a true-blue Navy town, but these days there's an upstart rival for the city's affections.
The Marines have landed in force and found a home here, and many more are on the way.
Col. Christopher E. Holzworth, who commands the Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 based at Pensacola Naval Air Station, said over the next five years, the Corps' presence in Pensacola will expand dramatically.
Driving the anticipated buildup in Pensacola is Congress' recent authorization expanding the Marine Corps from its current strength of 181,000 to 202,000 over the next five years.
And Pensacola's Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 will be among those commands that will benefit the most from that buildup.
By 2012, Pensacola's Aviation Training group likely will grow to about 9,000 Marines from 7,200, Holzworth said.
"The command here is changing -- it's getting bigger and better," he said. "It's the foundation of all aviation-related training on the enlisted side. And ... it's going to be a pivotal and important command for training those Marines, especially as we add six more aviation squadrons to meet operational needs."
Lt. Col. David S. Glassman, Holzworth's executive officer, said the training command in Pensacola will be to aviation what Parris Island is to the Corps' ground combat training operations.
To accommodate the growth, Holzworth said infrastructure improvements will take place at Pensacola NAS, including construction of a new barracks and new aviation hangar, and improvements to enlarge runways used in pilot training.
"We're ramping up right now," noted Holzworth. "We're added 43 more instructors to the pilot (training) side, and I have 1,500 more Marines than I had when I took command here 21 months ago."
Currently, under Holzworth's command, about 7,200 Marines -- most of whom will be sent to combat zones in Iraq -- are trained annually by 811 instructors (up from 722) in 137 military warfare specialties.
Nearly 90 percent of the Marines trained in Pensacola are enlisted personnel and are between the ages of 18 and 24, Holzworth said.
The remaining 10 percent are undergoing training as pilots, and maintenance, ordinance and air traffic control officers.
And as the Marine Corps' expansion ramps up, the bulk of the additional aviation specialists will be trained in Pensacola.
What's more, Holzworth expects the status of the command in Pensacola eventually to be upgraded, likely resulting in a flag-rank officer (brigadier general) being assigned to head Training Support Group 21.
"We do see an enlargement not only of the command-based structure to support requirements, but also of our permanent staff," Holzworth said.
He also noted the financial impact the anticipated military buildup will have on the Pensacola economy.
The expansion of training, and the additional numbers of enlisted personnel and officers, will have the economic impact of adding a large corporation to the Pensacola economic landscape.
Instructor positions, for example, are highly paid positions averaging between $70,000 to $80,000 annually, he said.
Ellie