Marine news
As you probably remember reading, my eldest son, Stephen, is a US Marine, having graduated from boot camp at Parris Island in October. Tomorrow he finishes Marine Combat Training at Camp Lejeune, NC, , an infantry short course of three weeks for Marines holding non-infantry specialties.

He enlisted for a "combat support" specialty intending to become an Abrams tank crewman. However, he has been assigned to the Amphibious Assault Vehicle school at Camp Pendleton, Calif., to which he flies tomorrow. He was one of only 11 recruits in his platoon of 70 in boot camp to attain Combat Swim Qualification level 2, the level that is required for AAV crewmen. He said on the phone today that his master gunnery sergeant said that holding CWS-2 pretty much settled it; in fact the master gun tried to get Stephen's orders changed to tanks but was told no.

Bummer. Marine tankers train at Fort Knox, Ky., just about three hours from our home. Pendleton is a bit farther.

Here are some shots of the AAV:





In the top photo, the AAV is plunging into the sea from the well deck of USS Juneau; in the second an AAV makes its (slow) way through the sea toward shore.

The AAV is a tracked combat vehicle designed to be driven from ship to shore - and then keep going. It is the Marines' armored personnel carrier. It carries 18 combat-equipped Marines (although not too comfortably, I am told) and has a crew of three, a driver, a machine gunner and a vehicle commander.



A better shot of the AAV making way through the water.

The AAV is lightly armored compared to a tank. My very longtime readers may recall that I was happy with Stephen's desire to be a tanker because of the Abrams' armor protection; our present enemies are not equipped with effective antitank weapons.



The AAV discharges Marines from the rear. The AAV is not a fighting vehicle like the Army's Bradley is because to fight the Marines must exit. The AAV will be replaced with the Advanced AAV, about which more later.

by Donald Sensing, 12/6/2004 05:13:08 PM. Permalink |