Why does the Marine Corps have its own "Air Force"?

[HeyJoe]

You mean this guys office?

Pre-xactly! +1

And the Colonel defended it with about as much logic and manliness. One of our pilots was a former USNA linebacker and while I was chatting witht he Colonel, he shifted out of the colonel's line of sight mouthing the word "beer" and making hand gestures like he was snapping a twig while I conversed with the officious colonel with his officious radio. After about the fifth reference to the sacred red line from the SOF, he moved back into close visual range of the colonel looming over him as he boomed "we didn't see any red line". The colonel puffed up and turned to point out it just like Les on WKRP and saw that in the fading light that it was invisible and sort of wilted as he squinted trying to figure out what happened to it. His pointing arm kinda lost lock and wavered trying to find it. Since this was arrival time for a major exercise and competition, there was a big tent set up on a grassy area within sight with local lovelies handing out Lone Stars. Our linebacker gleefully announced "Beer!" (comm brevity in effect) and walked off with RIO in trail (also a pretty big guy). The colonel didn't even notice or protest. He was still staring at where he thought the Red Line with a quizzical look as if his world had entered the Twilight Zone. I gave him an out by explaining we hadn't gotten the scheduled Event Rules of the Road brief and being Navy guys, the Red Line concept was unknown to us, but we'd honor it once we knew what it was all about. He seemed to be content to have the situation be over and walked off looking for his Red Line. Note: By morning, it was freshly painted and guards posted to educate anyone on the spot who wasn't paying attention. We never saw him again.

 

[MIDNJAC]

So what is the red line? Some sort of flight line security no-mans land?

I remember when a couple Raptors had to make an emergency stop in Corpus a couple years back, and how surprised I was at how worked up they got the NASCC police. Considering the fact that about the coolest thing with wings that you EVER see in Corpus is a Krock T-45 on a missed approach, all of us primary studs were of course all streaming onto the transient ramp shortly after their arrival to sneak a peak. We couldn't even get inside 200 ft of them, without a base police officer shooing us off. Finally the pilots did return and then were nice enough to bring some of us up the ladder into the cockpit, but still, it was impressive how quickly they locked those things down, even on a military installation.

 

[magnetfreezer]

So what is the red line? Some sort of flight line security no-mans land?

Yep. Basically you will get jacked up/faceplanted by a 19 year old AF skycop for stepping over/photographing/sneezing across the red line even if plainly apparent you are engaged in maintenance/flying activities.

 

[phrogpilot73]

The red line is a gay, invisible fence on the flight line. Imagine this, you've shown your ID card (along with your DOD sticker) at the gate. You've gotten to base ops, filed a flight plan, gotten a weather brief, and transited inside the fenceline surrounding the flightline. Then, you cross the red line at the wrong place... And the Air Force SPs lose their mind. It's fucking retarded. I don't see the logic behind it, at all.

I have a lot of respect for the AF guys (the A-10 and F-15E guys came through for us for a TACP shoot), but all this does is justify some guy's job. It's fucking stupid.

 

[MIDNJAC]

The red line is a gay, invisible fence on the flight line. Imagine this, you've shown your ID card (along with your DOD sticker) at the gate. You've gotten to base ops, filed a flight plan, gotten a weather brief, and transited inside the fenceline surrounding the flightline. Then, you cross the red line at the wrong place... And the Air Force SPs lose their mind. It's fucking retarded. I don't see the logic behind it, at all.

I have a lot of respect for the AF guys (the A-10 and F-15E guys came through for us for a TACP shoot), but all this does is justify some guy's job. It's fucking stupid.

I agree. If big Navy is willing to park a 33k lb 6 oz baby Growler on the semi-unprotected hippy infested ramp of KPDX, then wtf is the AF getting their panties in a bunch about parking their jets on a secure mil installation? No make sense to me

 

[magnetfreezer]

I agree. If big Navy is willing to park a 33k lb 6 oz baby Growler on the semi-unprotected hippy infested ramp of KPDX, then wtf is the AF getting their panties in a bunch about parking their jets on a secure mil installation? No make sense to me

Carryover from SAC mostly.

 

[MIDNJAC]

gheyness. Not dissing the secret coolness of the Raptor, but last I checked, everyone with ENS bars or greater and bags has a sekeret clearance and an obligation to uphold the constitution so what gives?

 

[Clux4]

gheyness. Not dissing the secret coolness of the Raptor, but last I checked, everyone with ENS bars or greater and bags has a sekeret clearance and an obligation to uphold the constitution so what gives?

Hey, with likes of MAJ. Nadal Hassan these days, we cannot be too sure.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Hey, with likes of MAJ. Nadal Hassan these days, we cannot be too sure.

As disgusting as that was to see, you do have a point

 

[magnetfreezer]

Hey, with likes of MAJ. Nadal Hassan these days, we cannot be too sure.

Plus a secret clearance isn't everything - there is the old need-to-know. And the need to have someone verify your clearance.

 

[Lawman]

Plus a secret clearance isn't everything - there is the old need-to-know. And the need to have someone verify your clearance.

At the same time the Redline also demands the application of Common Sense, something we seem to breed out of our lower E's doing the actions that demand it.

My father got faceplanted after crossing a redline by an SP his first day at McChord AFB. Thing was, he crossed it in an Air Force Ambulance with lights and siren going trying to get to a man that was lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

In not saying that we dont need to protect our assets, Im saying we need to stop thinking with our asses.

 

[Swanee]

At the same time the Redline also demands the application of Common Sense, something we seem to breed out of our lower E's doing the actions that demand it.

My father got faceplanted after crossing a redline by an SP his first day at McChord AFB. Thing was, he crossed it in an Air Force Ambulance with lights and siren going trying to get to a man that was lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

In not saying that we dont need to protect our assets, Im saying we need to stop thinking with our asses.

Unfortunately it will probably take someone getting killed or dying as a result of said stupidity...

 

[magnetfreezer]

At the same time the Redline also demands the application of Common Sense, something we seem to breed out of our lower E's doing the actions that demand it.

My father got faceplanted after crossing a redline by an SP his first day at McChord AFB. Thing was, he crossed it in an Air Force Ambulance with lights and siren going trying to get to a man that was lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

In not saying that we dont need to protect our assets, Im saying we need to stop thinking with our asses.

Agree - that was more specifically directed towards the F-22. I think it goes along with the AF mentality discussed in other threads of each career field being its own mini-kingdom; while all career fields are essential to the mission, we don't fly jets so we can guard them/file travel vouchers/fix computers, we fly them so we can support the guys on the ground, and supporting the jets is the other specialties way of supporting the guys on the ground.

 

[HackerF15E]

gheyness. Not dissing the secret coolness of the Raptor, but last I checked, everyone with ENS bars or greater and bags has a sekeret clearance and an obligation to uphold the constitution so what gives?

What gives is that a secret clearance and no need to know doesn't give anyone a damn thing. Many airplanes have things we don't talk about, and require the exact level of security they demand.

 

[slug]

A little food-for-thought. Mmm, a little humble pie. I'm not saying the Army is the best at attack/lift aviation, just saying that sometimes the best thing an organization can do is forget about pride and look at how other organizations do some things better.

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts...lots_beat_ours