Need Aviator Help for a Novel

[phrogdriver]

I think it's "air liaison officer," which is an Army term for FAC, I believe. Odd choice of words for a Marine.:icon_down

 

[marinegrunt]

I think it's "air liaison officer," which is an Army term for FAC, I believe. Odd choice of words for a Marine.:icon_down

While commonly referred to as a FAC, there could be more than one for a given mission. However, the ALO was the official billet title of the pilot permanently assigned to the rifle battalion. A FAC would be out in the field controlling air, but the ALO would also be back at headquarters locking on helos for transport and the like.

 

[phrogdriver]

While commonly referred to as a FAC, there could be more than one for a given mission. However, the ALO was the official billet title of the pilot permanently assigned to the rifle battalion. A FAC would be out in the field controlling air, but the ALO would also be back at headquarters locking on helos for transport and the like.

Haven't looked at a current T/O lately, but that billet is referred to in conversation as the "battalion air officer."

 

[phrogpilot73]

Haven't looked at a current T/O lately, but that billet is referred to in conversation as the "battalion air officer."

Actually the T/O is for (3) 7502 Forward Air Controllers. The Battalion Air Officer is a by name/billet only. If all three rifle companies need FACs - the Battalion AirO goes out, and ceases functioning in his previous iteration.

marinegrunt - when's the last time you were in a battalion and were you east/west/Okinawa?

 

[GO_AV8_DevilDog]

*deleted*

 

[phrogpilot73]

here it comes..

Not really, he's a reserve Colonel in a civil affairs billet. I'm just guessing the last time he was in a battalion was a while ago, because the lingo doesn't match.

 

[GO_AV8_DevilDog]

Not really, he's a reserve Colonel in a civil affairs billet. I'm just guessing the last time he was in a battalion was a while ago, because the lingo doesn't match.

noted, and fixed

 

[marinegrunt]

Actually the T/O is for (3) 7502 Forward Air Controllers. The Battalion Air Officer is a by name/billet only. If all three rifle companies need FACs - the Battalion AirO goes out, and ceases functioning in his previous iteration.

marinegrunt - when's the last time you were in a battalion and were you east/west/Okinawa?

My last infantry tour was as a company commander in 2/4 in 1986-89. We did a unit deployment to Oki and a cruise to the Med.

It may have been wrong terminology, but we always referred to the pilot who stayed in the battalion CP as the ALO and the ones who went out with the rifle companies as FACs.

 

[marinegrunt]

I was wondering if my brain had completely atrophied concerning the ALO question, so I did a Google search. I came up with the following in MajGen Jensen's bio, coincidently when he was with my old battalion, 2/4, albeit several years earlier.

After completing The Basic School, Major General Jensen entered flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator in August 1977. Afterwards, he reported to the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, where he was assigned to HML-167, Marine Aircraft Group 29, and served in a variety of billets including Ground Safety Officer, Intelligence Officer, and Adjutant. Subsequently, Major General Jensen was assigned to HMH-461 as the Intelligence Officer for an amphibious deployment to Norway, and upon return received orders to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines in Okinawa, Japan where he served as the Air Liaison Officer and H&S Company Commander.
http://www.marines.mil/units/mcieast/Pages/cg/default.aspx

This was from http://www.marines.mil/units/mcieast/Pages/cg/default.aspx

 

[marinegrunt]

Not really, he's a reserve Colonel in a civil affairs billet. I'm just guessing the last time he was in a battalion was a while ago, because the lingo doesn't match.

OK, I have to ask. How did you know I was in a CA billet?

 

[HeyJoe]

OK, I have to ask. How did you know I was in a CA billet?

It's part of MODFU, the powers moderators have in individual and shared knowledges to vet members of the forum ensuring posers don't take up residence. Phrog was simply sharing a little insight from Google search related to info you provided in your posts that reveal your promotion date, company name(s)/location, interest in hobbies like photography, etc. Recommend you ask him further questions via PM feature unless you want that type info in public forum.

 

[marinegrunt]

It's part of MODFU, the powers moderators have in individual and shared knowledges to vet members of the forum ensuring posers don't take up residence. Phrog was simply sharing a little insight from Google search related to info you provided in your posts that reveal your promotion date, company name(s)/location, interest in hobbies like photography, etc. Recommend you ask him further questions via PM feature unless you want that type info in public forum.

I am an open book, so I don't care what is posted. I saw that his last location was at Pendelton, so I wondered if we had possibly met sometime.

I have to admit, I am impressed that you take the action to limit posers!

 

[eddie]

individual and shared knowledges to vet members

Is "knowledges" in the dictionary yet?

 

[phrogpilot73]

My last infantry tour was as a company commander in 2/4 in 1986-89. We did a unit deployment to Oki and a cruise to the Med.

It may have been wrong terminology, but we always referred to the pilot who stayed in the battalion CP as the ALO and the ones who went out with the rifle companies as FACs.

...2nd Battalion, 4th Marines in Okinawa, Japan where he served as the Air Liaison Officer and H&S Company Commander.

Sorry to have seemed like I was coming in hot, but as heyjoe mentioned - we've had some posers that come in here, so when our spidey senses tingle we start asking questions. I've only ever heard ALO used by Army/Air Force, but after further digging it seems that Okinawa deployments tend to refer to them as ALOs vice Battalion Air Officers. Even as recently as 2003. Which is kinda weird, since MCO 1301.25B delineates three FACs one of whom will be assigned as the Air Officer.

OK, I have to ask. How did you know I was in a CA billet?

I have to admit, I am impressed that you take the action to limit posers!

If you stick around the website long enough, you'll see that we get our fair share of fakers. All the guys here with wings below their name earned them in real life, and we take great pride in making sure they actually did.

I wasn't originally going to throw the CA billet out on the open forum, but it seemed as though the usual poser-hunt feeding frenzy was about to start. I threw that out to let everyone know that we had vetted and you are who you say you are. Welcome aboard!

Oh, and I've only ever been to Pendleton for TAD (CH-46E training squadron), so I may have to double check my bio if it seems I did a tour out there.

 

[marinegrunt]

Sorry to have seemed like I was coming in hot, but as heyjoe mentioned - we've had some posers that come in here, so when our spidey senses tingle we start asking questions. I've only ever heard ALO used by Army/Air Force, but after further digging it seems that Okinawa deployments tend to refer to them as ALOs vice Battalion Air Officers. Even as recently as 2003. Which is kinda weird, since MCO 1301.25B delineates three FACs one of whom will be assigned as the Air Officer.




If you stick around the website long enough, you'll see that we get our fair share of fakers. All the guys here with wings below their name earned them in real life, and we take great pride in making sure they actually did.

I wasn't originally going to throw the CA billet out on the open forum, but it seemed as though the usual poser-hunt feeding frenzy was about to start. I threw that out to let everyone know that we had vetted and you are who you say you are. Welcome aboard!

Oh, and I've only ever been to Pendleton for TAD (CH-46E training squadron), so I may have to double check my bio if it seems I did a tour out there.

There is no complaint from me. I have my gold jump wings and dive helmet, and I have debunked two serving Marines in my career for wearing one or the other. And while a mid, I went to the BUD/S Indoc program, so I know enough about the SEALS to be able to catch the hordes of posers sitting at half the bars in Thailand (they all are either SEALS or SAS).

I am just glad that I my mind hasn't totally frizzled away and I remembered correctly our use of the term ALO. I don't mind all the mistakes I have made with aviation in my book (which is why I came here in the first place), but to make a rifle battalion error would be just plain embarrassing!