Originally Posted by
Sputnik
Don't worry brother, no one is trying to take MC aviation away. As you say, a PR machine second to none.
I do find it kind of funny that airpower zealots can make never ending arguments about why the Army should have zero aviation assets while skipping over the fact that these arguments could be equally aimed at the Navy.
Actually we are going further and further down that road - many believing that the current (or soon to be past) buzz-word of TacAir Integration (TAI) is just another step down that road of the USMC losing its' fixed wing assests. Only the future will tell and I won't be around to see it. Remember that a lot of Naval Aviation is about protecting the battle group and power projection when there is no airfield around. As far as the USMC - like I said to SaltyDog - MAGTF. If you don't understand the Marine Air/Ground Task Force concept then you probably won't understand why the Marine Corps needs/or has it's own organic aviation assests.
USMCFLYR