Aavs Overhauled Arine Pilot Story by Cpl
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MCAS Kaneohe Bay Camp N.M. Smith Marine Smacks Volume. 20, No. 48 November 21, 1991 WAI I , rine Briefs AAVs overhauled arine pilot Story by Cpl. Paul Schneider The unit stood down for two months before reac- illed in crash rreeen Marino else Writer tivation and orders to Saudi. Once there, they did A U.S. Marine Corps pilot The battle for a new generation of Assault Am- all the changes to the AAVs in Maritime Preposi. as killed Nov. 11 when his phibian Vehicles is still being fought in the Penta- timing Squadron-2 and 72 AAVs in MPS-3. In 51 Vt3B Harrier crashed about gon and on Capitol Hill, but the Marines aren't days they completed the upgrade on 216 vehicles - rd0 miles north of Sevilla, waiting for the day a new vehicle rolls off the something which would have taken over a year to !lipain near the Spanish city production line to have the top AAV. do at the depots. lot Villagarcia. The AA Detachment, Company A, 3d Amphib- With those vehicles done, the vast majority of , Capt. Thomas P. Driscoll, ian Assault Bn., is the first AAV snit in the Marine vehicles in the Marine Corps were still awaiting 1.26, of Rochester, N.Y., was on to undergo comprehensive their turn. The solution to getting the most ve- i!tt routine training flight from Corps modifications to Navel Station, Rota, the current family of AAV-7s, according to Capt. hicles done in the shortest amount of time was to !.Spain, when the accident Joseph Goulet, commanding officer of the AA do the modifications at each unit. ,:occurred. The aircraft was Det. "We are the first unit in the Marine Corps to go 'part of a detachment of About 58 modifications to the vehicle are being through this program," Goulet said. "We were l:flarriers currently forward done. Some changes are as simple as adding picked because we had free time during this time deployed aboard the USS washers, while others are as complex as adding a period and'if there are any problems, we are a small 'Wasp (LHD-1), operating out bow plane, an automatic fire sensing suppression enough unit not to cause any disruption." of Rota. The detachment is system and the position location reporting system. About 50"trackers"and ten BSSG-1. Marines stationed at Cherry Point, "Basically, Col. T.R. Saddler, director of started working 14-hour days Nov. 12 in an effort North Carolina. the the Advanced Assault Amphibian program, tasked us to complete the changes to the '26 AAVs here by with making the current AAV the best possible, by Nov. 25. MSG team to applying all the modifications to the AAV so the See AAV /A-6 vehicles will be at their full combat capability," visit explained MSgt. T.J. Pitman, the representative A Marine Security Guard here from the Advanced Amphibious Assault team will visit the Station Mobility Section at Headqutirters Marine Corps. December 2 to brief interested Over the years there have been many modifica- Marines on MSG duty. The tions made to the AAV, but several of those were team will include two repre- fifth echelon modifications ones which had to be sentatives - from MSG school done at either Marine Corps Logistics Base Al- and a representative from Barstow. Headquarters Marine Corps. bany, or MC1,B Interested Marines should "If we wait for the vehicles to go to the depot, it attend a briefing at 11 a.m. would take about six years to apply all the modifi- Married Marines, sergeants cations on the 1,323 AAVs in the Marine Corps," and below, are not eligible for Pitman said. MSG duty. Interested staff So instead of bringing the AAVs to the special- NCOs are encouraged to bring ists, the specialists are coming to the AAVs. their spouses. No applica- Steve Rice, a fifth-echelon specialist from Barstow tions will be accepted at the is working with the AA Del., enabling them to do brief and Marines do not need the major modifications here and Pitman is the to bring SRB or health rec- ords. liaison between the unit and HQMC. He also helped the unit set up an assembly line. Although more specialists will probably be as- Naval Dropping in signed, this pattern will be followed throughout the Brigade Marines last-rope from a CH-46 helicopter into a Schofield Marine Corps. Academy Barracks training area during Squad Leaders Course training. See "By this time next year, all the AAVs in the related story page A-2. Marine Corps should have all the major and minor seeks modifications done," Pitman said. The modification press won aN et-it before applicants -,,,,,- cort:halarperatfOns against Iraq, Pitman explaltrad, ',JApplieation:,. being but as he and the rest of a team of specialists were solicited from enlisted M.,rines sitting in Michigan on Jan. 16 waiting for the on active duty and reserve SWAG vets remaining legs of their flight to Saudi Arabia, the status for nomination to the war started. U.S. Naval Academy and Naval Academy Preparation School programs for fiscal year 1992. All applications banned from are due to the Joint Career Planning Office via Marines' Negligent discharges chain-of-command by Jan. 16. For more information, call GySgt. Hartzell at 257.1250/ blood donation 1251/1252. Joint Public Adair. Orrice servicemembers. They are also must be stopped developing a screening process The Pentagon announced Nov. Scholarship that can be administered of or other serious situations leading to injury or 12 that all donations of blood Editor's note: Following are the contents servicewide to identify infection ALMAR 300/91, a message addressing negligent death. As Marines, we have been standing tall pamphlet by Desert Shield and Desert by the parasite. discharges and written personally by since our magnificent actions in Desert Storm Storm veterans have been The illness is not fatal and Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Carl E. brought quick victory -a victory built on constant available temporarily halted due to the does not progress to more serious Mundy Jr. awareness of surroundings, alertness to danger The Department of the recent discovery of a rare blood illness, the release said. and care for our fellow Marines. We can do no Skin less in peacetime. On or on Navy 's Bureau of Naval parasite transmitted by sand lesions, high fever In the last two weeks, one Marine has died and liberty fluty, we must and diarrhea all be considerate of the personal needs of our Personnel is offering a schol- flies in the Persian Gulf, are the only known difficulties. three have been seriously injured by negligent aiship pamphlet to Navy and according to a release by the discharges of firearms. Besides the individual buddies and help them avoid trouble. Officials added that anyone incidents tarnish our reputation Marine Corps families as a Navy News Service. experiencing tragedies, these financial reference for fami- these symptoms as disciplined professionals. The announcement came as a should report to a medical clinic lies seeking assistance with result of 22 reported "Since I became your college education, The cases of for evaluation to determine if The corporals and sergeants who are in direct, pamphlet includes program Storm veterans who were specialized treatment is required. close contact with our Marines are the key to Commandant. 10 Marines have descriptions,eligibility require- diagnosed as carrying the 1st Marine Expeditionary stopping the misconduct and carelessness ments, application procedures parasite, known as Leishmania. Brigade Surgeon Capt. Robert involved in these incidents - they must been injured and two have been and deadline dates for numer- The move to ban blood D. Knudson, U.S. Navy Medical immediately reestablish control over the trigger killed by negligent discharges. ous sources of scholarships. donations by all Gulf vets was Corps (FS), said there have been fingers of their Marines. They must be aggressive designed to made as a - repeat aggressive - in supervising their This is unacceptable." The pamphlet is precautionary no cases reported here, but that subordinates, taking on-the-spot corrective action, simplify the process of locat- measure, according to DoD anyone experiencing "prolonged and reporting all weapons safety incidents and Gen. Carl Mundy Jr. ing and selecting programs officials, although at this point protracted flu-like symptoms" or attitude problems. Horseplay with weapons according to interest, eligibil- the number of afflictions is facial lesions should contact the often ends in negligent discharge. In addition, ity and qualifications of the believed to be very small. clinic to be diagnosed for recognize that our long You may receive Marines of all ranks must Every Marine who carries a loaded firearm applicant. "While this organism usually of taking care of each other often a free pamphlet by writing to: possible infection. tradition must be trained to the point of automatically causes an easily treated skin "From all indications, only entails hard choices, and correcting and reporting following safe procedures. Each and every time Department of the Navy, weapons violations is one of those Bureau of Naval Personnel, disease, doctors at Walter Reed very isolated cases of this safety a Marine carries a weapon and ammunition, Personnel Excellence and Army Medical Center and the parasite will be experienced," situations. A single incident, if not dealt with emphasize safety with practical tips, review of Walter Reed Army Institute of Knudson explained. firmly and quickly, sends the message that there the regulations and a firm reminder of the Partnerships Division (PERS- "With flu is margin for error on firearms safety when, in 602), Washington, D.C. 20370- Research have identified the season coming up, people consequences of casual attitudes.