Saturday, October 01, 2005
Glossary
API - Aviation Preflight Indoctrination: A six week course every Student Naval Aviator has to complete before moving onto Primary. This is taught only at NAS Pensacola and involves no flying, only written tests, swimming tests, and some basic classes.
Advanced - The next step after Primary. This is where you learn to fly jets, helicopters, multi-engine propeller aircraft.
Corpus - NAS Corpus Christi, Texas
ECMO - Electronic Countermeasures Officer - The electronic warfare specialists that work in the EA-6B Prowler. They specialize in intercepting and jamming enemy air defense and communication systems. There are two ECMOs in the back two seats, a mission commander/navigator in the front right seat and a pilot in the Prowler.
FRS - Fleet Replacement Squadron - The more politically correct new term for the RAG.
IOC - Infantry Officers' School - The school in Quantico, VA where brand new second lieutenants out of The Basic School are trained to be infantry officers. Used commonly as a threat to flight students who aren't studying enough. If you fail flight school, this is most likely where you are headed.
IP - Instructor Pilot
Meridian - NAS Meridian, Mississippi. Jet Advanced is taught here.
MATSG - Marine Aviation Training Support Group - Here in Pensacola, MATSG-21 encompasses every single marine training and on staff here. Commanded by Col. Holzworth, this is the command I report to while here.
MCMAP - Marine Corps Martial Arts Program - A relatively new program started in 2000 or 2001 by then Commandant General Jones which incorporates many different disciplines of martial arts and adapts the moves for a Marine who will be loaded down with gear, wearing boots, and not interested in style as much as saving his own ass. The program is much more in depth and much more useful than the older programs. The program is divided into belts which are worn with the camoflauge utility uniform and designate that marine's skill level in the program. The order is Tan - Gray - Green - Brown - Black.
NAS - Naval Air Station
Primary - Primary flight training. Six months of flying the T-34. Everyone starts here no matter whether they will fly jets, helos, or C-130s. Can be taken at Whiting Field in Pensacola, NAS Corpus Christi, TX, or Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma.
PT - Physical Training - Running, pushups, pullups, whatever you can think of to generally punish and shape your body.
RAG - Replacement Air Group - The first squadron in which an SNA will fly his combat aircraft, it follows your advanced school. Here you familiarize yourself with the most advanced warplanes in the inventory and learn what you will need to know before reaching your first combat squadron.
SNA - Student Naval Aviator - That's me! A designation given to anyone training to be a pilot for the Navy or Marine Corps because we are both sea services. The MOS designation is 7599.
SNFO - Student Naval Flight Officers - The back seaters, like Goose in Top Gun. Often called FOs for short. They are responsible for navigation, finding targets, radio traffic, electronic warfare, pretty much anything the pilot needs except actually flying the plane and dropping the bombs. Their MOS designation is 7580. Once they finish training they will become WSOs or ECMOs
Squadron Designations - The H designates rotary wing (helicopters), the V designates fixed wing. The M designates it is a Marine squadron, the Navy squadrons omit this charachter. For example, a Navy Hornet squadron would be VFA-101.
HMH - Heavy Helicopter Squadron (CH-53E Super Stallion)
HMLA - Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (UH-1W Huey and AH-1W Cobra)
HMM - Medium Helicopter Squadron (CH-46 Sea Knight)
VMA - Fixed Wing Attack Squadron (AV-8B Harrier)
VMFA - Fixed Wing Fighter/Attack Squadron (F/A-18 Hornet)
VMGR - Fixed Wing Aerial Refueling and Cargo Lift Squadron (C-130 Hercules)
T-2C Buckeye - A two seat dual engine jet aircraft flown at NAS Pensacola and used for SNFO training.
T-6 Texan II - A two seat single turboprop engine aircraft flown at NAS Pensacola and used for SNFO training. Named for a WWII era trainer used to train pilots of that war.
T-34 Turbo Mentor - A two seat turboprop aircraft that the Navy uses in Primary.
T-39N Sabreliner- A twin, pod mounted engine jet aircraft flown at NAS Pensacola and used for SNFO training.
T-45C Goshawk - A two seat single engine jet aircraft flown at NAS Meridian, MS for Jet Advanced. The T-45A is flown at NAS Kingsville, TX and is the earlier version with a less advanced cockpit.
TBS - The Basic School. Six month basic officer course in Quantico, VA required of all newly commissioned Marine officers. Lieutenants learn the basics of being an infantry officer here.
Whiting - NAS Whiting Field. Actually in Milton, Florida which is 20 miles north east of Pensacola. In addition to Primary; Helicopter Advanced is taught here.
WSO - Weapons Systems Officer - In the Marine Corps, this is an NFO that works in the back seat of the F/A-18D. The WSO's job is to reduce the workload on the pilot. The WSO can navigate, find targets, work the radios, work radar, everything short of flying the plane or dropping bombs.
