A survey on training and education requirements of Marina Corps Aviation Logistics Officers in preparation for sea basing

Abstract

Sea Basing is a component of Naval transformation that changes the way Marine Corps forces deploy, fight, and are supplied. We consider the implications of Sea Basing for Marine aviation logistics officers, who have depended on a network of land-based systems to support Marine units engaged in military operations. Marine aviation logisticians are faced with the challenge of supporting Marine forces from the sea, and at distances much greater than before. We describe the results of a statistical survey that we conducted of the four military occupational specialties that comprise the Marine aviation logistics community: supply, maintenance, avionics, and ordnance. Our survey, which reached nearly 44 percent of aviation logistics officers, asked respondents to rate the importance of different types of training to help prepare them for Sea Basing. We find that Marine aviation logistics officers highly rate training in acquisition, advanced specialty training, and joint training. Officers rate the importance of training in these areas differently depending on the specialty of the officer. In addition, many officers regard training in supply-chain management as important to making a successful transition to a Sea Base.