"Single-seat Marine attack pilot", this defines who you are as an AV-8B Harrier pilot. Although the Harrier can fill many missions, dropping ordnance up-close and personal in support of the infantry is where you will often find yourself. Tradition and history runs deep in this small, proud, and highly professional community. The aircraft is very demanding, single seat (no one to look over your shoulder), single engine (an engine fire or oil leak can make for an exciting day), but overall very rewarding. At the officers club you will immediately have the respect of other tactical aircraft pilots, they will wonder what its like to strap on 24,000 lbs of thrust and hover over the pitching deck of an amphibious ship.

As an AV-8B Harrier pilot you will train towards combat proficiency in an advanced multi-role tactical aircraft. Although the Harrier has been around the Marine Corps since the late 70s the current versions in the inventory, the Night Attack and Radar Attack variants are new. The state of the art avionics and glass cockpit are comparable to the F-18 C/D. Life in the squadron is busy and exciting. You will have a collateral billet and may be responsible for a maintenance shop like Powerline or Airframes and have many of the squadron’s Marines working for you, or you may work in operations and help produce a daily flight schedule for the skipper to approve. You will devote time towards studying a wide range of topics like enemy air-defense systems, combat wingman tactics or weapons delivery techniques. When on the flight schedule, (there is usually a weekly schedule to give you advanced notice) you and your flight lead will plan the sortie. Depending on the complexity of the mission this could take considerable time and may involve planning a low-level route, coordinating live fire ranges, working out timing to a target or coordinate with other squadrons that may be participating in a large force exercise. Harriers are known for being on a high deployment cycle with the MEU (SOC) s (Marine Expeditionary Units, Special Operations Capable). The Harrier squadron will send a boat detachment consisting of approximately 6 jets and 9 pilots with the MEU on a six-month deployment. During these deployments the jets will fold in with the various helicopters and form a composite squadron or ACE (Air Combat Element), it will be a chance to meld with helicopter pilots you may not have seen since flight school or TBS.

After flight school you will pin on your wings of gold and select your aircraft. In the jet-pipeline your options will be EA-6B Prowlers, F-18 Hornets or AV-8B Harriers, all of which are frontline tactical platforms. Selection is based on a mix of your preferences, the Corps needs, and your flight school grades. Typically the number one flight student in his class gets his first choice of platforms. If you ask to fly the Harrier, it may be because the idea of being single seat motivates you, or maybe you enjoy the attack mission, or maybe you like the idea of being forward deployed with the amphibious ships, regardless you are going to a unique airframe. During flight school selection you will also ask for East Coast or West Coast orders, MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina or MCAS Yuma, Arizona.

After receiving wings you will check into the FRS (Fleet Replacement Squadron) VMAT-203 at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. MCAS Cherry Point is also the location of MAG (Marine Air Group) 14, the home of East Coast Harrier squadrons: VMA-542, VMA-223, and VMA-231. These squadrons support MEU FMFLANT (Marine Expeditionary Unit, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic) deployments to the Mediterranean and West Africa. Typically the FRS is a long program, anywhere from 9 months to a year and a half. The program is VSTOL (Vertical Short Take-off and Land) intensive, virtually learning to fly all over again due to the uniqueness of the Harriers capabilities. Expect about 65 hours of flight time at the FRS. Also expect the requisite pool waiting to start your class during which you may enjoy North Carolina’s fine golf courses or Atlantic Beach’s aquatic sports, including fishing, boating and scuba.

If you are assigned to the West Coast you will report into MAG-13, MCAS Yuma Arizona, home of VMA-211, VMA-311, VMA-214 and VMA-513. The West Coast Harriers deploy on West PACs, ports of call will include Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Bali, Australia and of coarse the Persian Gulf (a real garden spot). Yuma is very affordable; you can buy a large 3-bedroom home with a garage and in-ground pool for about $150K. It will be a 2.5 hours drive from San Diego, 3 hours from Phoenix and 5 hours from Las Vegas. Some of the best low level routes and training ranges in the world are a short take off away. Choosing the coast and matching it to your lifestyle can be the key to your happiness.

Once aboard your "Gun Squadron" you will be assigned a collateral billet, usually something fairly simple for a senior Lieutenant or junior Captain like coffee mess officer or assistant logistics officer. The majority of your time will be focused on flying and studies. The typical early syllabus for you will be full of lectures and instructed simulator flights. Your goal will be to become a combat qualified section lead; this typically comes around the 250-flight hour mark but may vary widely depending on the individual and the squadron. You can expect one or two deployments while in your first Gun Squadron tour. A West PAC or Med Float lasts six months and may include 2 or 3 work-up periods of a few weeks at sea each. This will be a chance to see the world but more importantly operate your aircraft in the demanding environment of shipboard operations. You will participate in large international exercises and possibly real world contingencies. On-going real world operations that Harriers regularly participate in are Southern Watch over Iraq, Deliberate Forge over Bosnia and Allied Force over Kosovo and Serbia. By the end of your first tour your achievements may include 500-700 hours of flight time, division lead qualification and possibly some instructor qualifications if you have excelled.

Once you have completed three years in a squadron, you will be expected to move to another assignment. One possibility is Forward Air Controller (FAC). If assigned to become a FAC, you will spend one year with an infantry battalion, LAR (Light Armored Reconnaissance) battalion or tank company. After that year, you will most likely have your pick of duty stations. There are many other possible assignments: Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico Virginia, the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey California, duty as a Marine Officer Instructor for a Reserve Officer Training Corps, duty at the United States Naval Academy, duty as an instructor at flight school in Pensacola FL or in the FRS, and many others.

A good web site to find out just what opportunities await you as an AV-8B pilot is the manpower site at Marine Link. For information log onto "www.usmc.mil". Go to information for and about Marines then Officer Assignments where you will find the fixed wing monitor. There you will find out information about what is available for an AV-8B Pilot in the fleet. Also on Marine Link are updates on deployed MEUs with news clips about the Harrier Boat Dets. There is a plethora of information on the Harrier airframe, Janes will give you performance data, World Air-Power magazine has numerous articles on tactical platforms participating in worldwide operations, and HARP (Harrier Review Panel http://www.usmc.mil/harp) discusses current issues related to the Harrier fleet.

There are many things to consider when choosing your platform; the Harrier is a demanding aircraft with a high mishap rate. In recent years it has struggled with maintenance issues (including multiple fleet-wide groundings for the Rolls Royce Pegasus engine) and pilot flight time has suffered accordingly. However the Marine Corps stands behind the Harrier program, increased funding is on the way including new equipment like Lightning IR-Laser targeting pods. The Harrier missions will expand in the detached escort role as the V-22 Osprey comes online. The Harriers VSTOL capability is the future, the next generation tactical platform for the Marine Corps, the JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) will be STOVL and operate from amphibious ships. Regardless of its recent problems, the Harrier is a rewarding and challenging aircraft to fly; every flight will be an exhilarating adrenaline rush.