goosegagnon2
Member
Just throwing this one out there, what happens to USMC NFOs?
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Just throwing this one out there, what happens to USMC NFOs?
Fly,
Same reason the AF needs an EA capapbility...
Last night, I mentioned I had the opportunity to speak with two PXO ECMOs... both mentioned how, with the AF getting rid of the EF-111s and all of the US military EA assets and responsibilities falling on the Navy and USMC, the VAQ community is a bit over worked. Now imagine if the Marines got rid of their EA assets...
Also, from what a few of the Marines have posted on AW, they like to have control of their own air assets... and frankly, I don't blame them for it.
If there are any Prowler guys out there that can add, clarify, debunk or otherwise comment, I'd be glad to hear...
Fly, if you were being rhetorical, smack me now.
Cheers,
Bubba
Same reason the AF needs an EA capapbility...
Last night, I mentioned I had the opportunity to speak with two PXO ECMOs... both mentioned how, with the AF getting rid of the EF-111s and all of the US military EA assets and responsibilities falling on the Navy and USMC, the VAQ community is a bit over worked. Now imagine if the Marines got rid of their EA assets...
Also, from what a few of the Marines have posted on AW, they like to have control of their own air assets... and frankly, I don't blame them for it.
If there are any Prowler guys out there that can add, clarify, debunk or otherwise comment, I'd be glad to hear...
Fly, if you were being rhetorical, smack me now.
Cheers,
Bubba
Rog-O
Harrier Dude
Living the dream
I wouldn't call it outdated. I'm not even sure it's truly self sufficient. We still have to rely on the air force and navy for stratlift, tankers (largely), transport, etc.
What we want is control of our fire support assets (and troop lift, too, but nobody has treid to take that from us yet). Over the years, other services have tried to take them from us with the promise that they'll cover us later if we need them. Many times we have been "fvcked at the drive through". That has made us very distrustful of those deals. We want to keep our assets under our control to the maximum extent possible.
Why not EA? I have no idea. That would seem to contradict our own interest in controlling fire support assets, but I think it all comes down to money. We can't afford to replace our Prowlers and we know that even if we did, they'd be taken away from us and given to the JFACC anyway. Maybe we just caved on that one aspect. DC-Air is the only guy who can really answer that. Maybe we should get him on AW.
I understand and appreciate your desire to control your own airpower. I only meant outdated in the sense that EA is now a national asset and not really under the Corps' control.
Brett
Harrier Dude
Living the dream
I know. That's essentially what I'm saying. I think that the Corps has come to the conclusion that we've already lost control of our EA assets, so why fund them? We'll use our money and efforts to keep control over the other functions of air. I don't necessarily agree with this decision, but I'm not a 3 star general, either.
It's always been a pretty high viz endeavor and recently the mission has been growing in certain "interesting" directions. I'm not sure what things were like when the EF-111 was around, but these days we're a GO/NO GO for just about every air and many ground/SOF missions.
Brett
It ebbs and flows according to what is going on in the world. There are three expeditionary squadrons whose sole purpose is to support USAF operations. They did ONW/OSW before OIF and they currently do OEF from Bagram, among other things. In the years right after 9/11, their deployment rates were pretty high, but so were lots of others. Those were the days of 9-10 month cruises for some airwings as well. All in all it's managed fairly well though.
Brett
Though a prowler dude, I have heard little regarding our future.
But looking at it from a very junior JO level(deliberate use to emphasize my position in the pecking order) we are going to have a pretty big crunch starting in 2008 when VAQ 129 starts doing away with the prowler.
Once the RAG switches over fully and stops training pilots but ESPECIALLY EMCO's and maintenance crew, the Corps will either have to start it's own RAG, train them OJT or get out of the EA business altogether well before the 2013 projected date.
It may be my cynicism but I suspect that the rumors of a prowler pilot draft indicate that the Corps may try overmannning the squadrons to have a pool of pilots on hand till 2013, makes no sense to me but hey 'right way, wrong way, Marine Corps way'
But looking at it from a very junior JO level(deliberate use to emphasize my position in the pecking order) we are going to have a pretty big crunch starting in 2008 when VAQ 129 starts doing away with the prowler.
Once the RAG switches over fully and stops training pilots but ESPECIALLY EMCO's and maintenance crew, the Corps will either have to start it's own RAG, train them OJT or get out of the EA business altogether well before the 2013 projected date.
It may be my cynicism but I suspect that the rumors of a prowler pilot draft indicate that the Corps may try overmannning the squadrons to have a pool of pilots on hand till 2013, makes no sense to me but hey 'right way, wrong way, Marine Corps way'
With the emboldened statement fully in mind
, you can't just stockpile a bunch of JOs for that purpose without screwing up everyones career progression, B billets, etc. Don't forget, 129 isn't just going to vanish on the Prowler side. They're going to have to be providing the legacy Navy Prowler squadrons with new aircrews until right up to the sundown (probably more like 2015). Presumably, there is already a long term plan in place to provide for aircrew and maintainer training for the Corps' Prowlers when 129 goes all Shocker, especially if they intend to fly them until 2025 (yeah right).Brett
With all the above said, it brings a question to the not-yet-winged Ensign's mind...
I'll first preface this by saying I want Prowlers, I want to be an ECMO. Now providing all of that happens, it looks as though I'll be winged sometime next year. From what I've seen over in VT-86, studs are getting Prowlers like the plague...
Seeing as how going to the Shocker means 3 NFO's will be boiled down to 1 NFO, what does that mean for those of us eager studs who want (or get voluntold) to go Prowlers? Will I have a job in a few years? Will I still be in the NAvy, etc. etc.
This is my only sticking point about going Prowlers... No problems with being a WSO... just would rather be an ECMO...
I'll first preface this by saying I want Prowlers, I want to be an ECMO. Now providing all of that happens, it looks as though I'll be winged sometime next year. From what I've seen over in VT-86, studs are getting Prowlers like the plague...
Seeing as how going to the Shocker means 3 NFO's will be boiled down to 1 NFO, what does that mean for those of us eager studs who want (or get voluntold) to go Prowlers? Will I have a job in a few years? Will I still be in the NAvy, etc. etc.
This is my only sticking point about going Prowlers... No problems with being a WSO... just would rather be an ECMO...
It's being closely managed and shouldn't be a factor. Lots of people in our community remember the bad job they did with the A-6 sundown and have taken steps to avoid that w/ Shocker. It also helps that the switchover will occur over a 5-6 year period. You can put it out of your mind as a concern.
Brett