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    From ship to shore, from sea to shining sea, AAVs define the Marine Corps

    AT SEA - The amphibious assault vehicle is made specifically for the Marine Corps. It, and the Marines that crew it, that keep it running, that operate it from ship to shore and beyond, are what defines the Marine Corps – its amphibious assault capability. The ability to put Marines on a beach anywhere in the world, and the firepower to keep them there is a staple of the Corps.

    “With the AAV platoon, these Marines can be the first ones on the beach – the tip of the spear, like we’ve been doing for 238 years,” said Gunnery Sgt. Michael Connors, AAV platoon sergeant from Fitchburg, Mass. The AAV platoon is part of Battalion Landing Team 3/2, currently reinforcing the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. It’s paired with Kilo Company, a line infantry company, for operations as the MEU’s mechanized raid force.

    “It’s the only weapons system that can allow infantry Marines to be truly amphibious in any terrain – in any clime and place,” said Connors.

    Many of the Corps’ aircraft and weapons systems were originally appropriated from other branches of the military, but the AAV was designed for and is used exclusively by the U.S. Marine Corps.

    “Now, the Marine Corps is going back to the basics, and the basics are amphibious warfare,” said Sgt. Tyler Jensen, assistant section leader with the AAV platoon from Scottsboro, Ala. “There isn’t anywhere a trac can’t go,” said Jensen, referring to the AAVs by one of their common nicknames, short for amphibious tractor.

    The idea of using amphibious assault vehicles is not a new one; as Jensen stated, the Corps is going back to basics. The concept was first introduced in World War II in the Pacific theater, where Marine forces used early amphibious tractors to get infantrymen ashore on tiny islands, which were often surrounded with coral reefs and Japanese defenses. The vehicles have evolved since then, though the basic model currently in use originated several decades ago.

    “They’re all different, and they all have their own little quirks,” said Sgt. Chantry Thornhill, section leader with the AAV platoon from Kerrville, Texas. AAVs can be particularly maintenance-intensive modes of transportation, requiring between eight and fifteen hours of maintenance and service for every hour of operation.

    Their amphibious nature exposes them to saltwater and the intense corrosion on exposed metal that ensues, according to Sgt. Jeff Whitehead, maintenance chief with AAV platoon from Easton, Pa.

    For all that, they’re an incredible asset for a unit, especially for a sea-based expeditionary force like the 26th MEU. Able to launch rapidly from the ships the MEU is based on, swim to shore, breach the surf, and move onto land with no difficulty to continue supporting operations there. The AAV gives the MEU a powerful reach, especially with the firepower built into each vehicle. Each of the platoon’s base model P7 variants of the AAV are equipped with a turret that houses a .50 caliber heavy machine gun and an MK-19 grenade launcher.

    “Each AAV has an infantry platoon’s worth of heavy weapons and a company’s worth of radios. That’s a lot of firepower,” said Sgt. Tommy McClanahan, assistant section leader from South Bend, Ill. Combined with the M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks the platoon will sometimes operate in conjunction with, the AAV platoon and Kilo Company are a decidedly effective raid force. And with their amphibious capability, the MEU can deploy it nearly anywhere.

    “It represents the amphibious doctrine, transiting from ship to shore with the ground combat capability,” said 1st Lt. Jonathan Riebe, AAV platoon commander from Colorado Springs, Colo. With the population of the world continuously transitioning toward the shorelines, the importance of amphibious warfare is only going to grow.

    The AAV separates the Corps from the other military services, according to Thornhill, referring to the amphibious capability it confers. The Marine Corps holds itself as unique for its capability of beach landings and assaults, among other things. “If they can do it, we can do it,” said Jensen. “But we can do this, and they can’t.”

    The 26th MEU is conducting its Composite Training Unit Exercise, the final phase of a six-month pre-deployment training program. The 26th MEU operates continuously across the globe, providing the president and unified combatant commanders with a forward-deployed, sea-based quick reaction force. The MEU is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force capable of conducting amphibious operations, crisis response and limited contingency operations.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 02.11.2013
    Date Posted: 02.11.2013 09:06
    Story ID: 101777
    Location: USS KEARSARGE, AT SEA
    Hometown: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US
    Hometown: EASTON, PA, US
    Hometown: FITCHBURG, MA, US
    Hometown: KERRVILLE, TX, US
    Hometown: SCOTTSBORO, AL, US

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