Specifically rifle/sidearm. Is there any choice in the matter? I've heard cobra guys fly with the M4 but have never heard it straight from the horses mouth.
On a sidenote - I had a community briefing with our IPs up at VT-3 yesterday. I will summarize.
1) C-130 guy was psyched about the J model. Got the opportunity to land it once and said he fell in love. Said if you really want to travel and see the world, C-130s is where its at.
2) Cobra guys confirmed they eat their young, but for good reason - its all for the LCpl on the ground and ensuring he can close with and destroy. For deployments they were doing 7 on 5 off.
- One Cobra pilot actually admitted he was jealous of the Huey guys now that the Yankee model is coming out, but was also very psyched about the Z.
3) The 53 pilot couldn't say enough about this platform - powerful, pretty fast for a helo, and loved having Marines in the back. Claimed he had below average grades in flight school but has physical attributes well above average. I assume that is standard?
4) Harrier/18 - cool guys. talked more about the T-45 than individual platforms - said they would rather fly the C than A. Meridian/Kingsville both suck, but Kingsville seems to be the lesser of two evils. Selecting harriers will be the quickest route getting in a JSF cockpit. If you want to go jets right now you need a 52 nss.
5) Phrogs - they have a mafia. Quickest route to the osprey, other than selecting osprey.
- The consensus among all these salty IPs was that the generation now in flight school and to come will be flying all the cool sh** that they dreamed of as kids. Marine aviation is going through a huge upgrade right now.
On a sidenote - I had a community briefing with our IPs up at VT-3 yesterday. I will summarize.
1) C-130 guy was psyched about the J model. Got the opportunity to land it once and said he fell in love. Said if you really want to travel and see the world, C-130s is where its at.
2) Cobra guys confirmed they eat their young, but for good reason - its all for the LCpl on the ground and ensuring he can close with and destroy. For deployments they were doing 7 on 5 off.
- One Cobra pilot actually admitted he was jealous of the Huey guys now that the Yankee model is coming out, but was also very psyched about the Z.
3) The 53 pilot couldn't say enough about this platform - powerful, pretty fast for a helo, and loved having Marines in the back. Claimed he had below average grades in flight school but has physical attributes well above average. I assume that is standard?
4) Harrier/18 - cool guys. talked more about the T-45 than individual platforms - said they would rather fly the C than A. Meridian/Kingsville both suck, but Kingsville seems to be the lesser of two evils. Selecting harriers will be the quickest route getting in a JSF cockpit. If you want to go jets right now you need a 52 nss.
5) Phrogs - they have a mafia. Quickest route to the osprey, other than selecting osprey.
- The consensus among all these salty IPs was that the generation now in flight school and to come will be flying all the cool sh** that they dreamed of as kids. Marine aviation is going through a huge upgrade right now.
