index

VMF215 TRAINING STATION

TRAINING OFFICER

VMF215_ZAP

Flying the Corsair - Internet video

Fighter Attack Doctrine

MURPHY'S LAWS OF COMBAT OPERATIONS 
1. Friendly fire - isn't.
2. Recoilless rifles - aren't.
3. Suppressive fires - won't.
4. You are not Superman; Marines and fighter pilots take note.
5. A sucking chest wound is Nature's way of telling you to slow down.
6. If it's stupid but it works, it isn't
stupid.
7. Try to look unimportant; the enemy may be low on ammo and not want to
waste a bullet on you.
8. If at first you don't succeed, call in an airstrike.
9. If you are forward of your position, your artillery will fall short.
10. Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than yourself.
11. Never go to bed with anyone crazier than yourself.
12. Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder.
13. If your attack is going really well, it's an ambush.
14. The enemy diversion you're ignoring is their main attack.
15. The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions:
-- when they're ready.
-- when you're not.
16. No OPLAN ever survives initial contact.
17. There is no such thing as a perfect plan.
18. Five second fuses always burn three seconds.
19. There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.
20. A retreating enemy is probably just falling back and regrouping.
21. The important things are always simple; the simple are always hard.
22. The easy way is always mined.
23. Teamwork is essential; it gives the enemy other people to shoot at.
24. Don't look conspicuous; it draws fire.
For this reason, it is not at all uncommon for aircraft carriers to be known as bomb magnets.
25. Never draw fire; it irritates everyone around you.
26. If you are short of everything but the enemy, you are in the combat zone.
27. When you have secured the area, make sure the enemy knows it too.
28. Incoming fire has the right of way.
29. No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection.
30. No inspection ready unit has ever passed combat.
31. If the enemy is within range, so are you.
32. The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming
friendly fire.
33. Things which must be shipped together as a set, aren't.
34. Things that must work together, can't be carried to the field that way. 
35. Radios will fail as soon as you need fire support.
(Corollary: Radar tends to fail at night and in bad weather, and especially
during both.)
36. Anything you do can get you killed, including nothing.
37. Make it too tough for the enemy to get in, and you won't be able to get out.
38. Tracers work both ways.
39. If you take more than your fair 
share of objectives, you will get more
than your fair share of objectives to take.
40. When both sides are convinced they're about to lose, they're both right.
41. Professional soldiers are predictable; the world is full of dangerous amateurs.
43. Military Intelligence is a
contradiction.
44. Fortify your front; you'll get your rear shot up.
46. Weather ain't neutral.
47. If you can't remember, the Claymore is pointed towards you.
48. Air defense motto: shoot 'em down; sort 'em out on the ground.
49. 'Flies high, it dies; low and slow, it'll go.
50. The Cavalry doesn't always come to the rescue.
51. Napalm is an area support weapon.
52. Mines are equal opportunity weapons.
53. B-52s are the ultimate close support weapon.
54. Sniper's motto: reach out and touch someone.
55. Killing for peace is like screwing for virginity.
56. The one item you need is always in short supply.
57. Interchangeable parts aren't.
58. It's not the one with your name on it; it's the one addressed "to whom it
may concern" you've got to think about.
59. When in doubt, empty your magazine.
60. The side with the simplest uniforms wins.
61. Combat will occur on the ground between two adjoining maps.
62. If the Platoon Sergeant can see you, so can the enemy.
63. Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can sleep.
64. The most dangerous thing in the world is a Second Lieutenant with a map and a compass.
65. Exceptions prove the rule, and destroy the battle plan.
66. Everything always works in your HQ, everything always fails in the
Colonel's HQ.
67. The enemy never watches until you make a mistake.
68. One enemy soldier is never enough, but two is entirely too many.
69. A clean (and dry) set of BDU's is a magnet for mud and rain.
70. The worse the weather, the more you are required to be out in it.
71. Whenever you have plenty of ammo, you never miss. Whenever you are low on ammo, you can't hit the broad side of a barn.
71. The more a weapon costs, the farther you will have to send it away to be repaired.
72. The complexity of a weapon is inversely proportional to the IQ of the
weapon's operator.
73. Field experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
74. No matter which way you have to march, its always uphill.
75. If enough data is collected, a board of inquiry can prove anything.
76. For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism. (in bootcamp)
77. Airstrikes always overshoot the target, artillery always falls short.
78. When reviewing the radio frequencies that you just wrote down, the most important ones are always illegible.
79. Those who hesitate under fire usually do not end up KIA or WIA.
80. The tough part about being an officer is that the troops don't know what they want, but they know for certain what they don't want.
81. To steal information from a person is called plagiarism. To steal
information from the enemy is called gathering intelligence.
82. The weapon that usually jams when you need it the most is the M60.
83. The perfect officer for the job will transfer in the day after that
billet is filled by someone else.
84. When you have sufficient supplies ammo, the enemy takes 2 weeks to
attack.
When you are low on supplies ammo the enemy decides to attack that night.
85. The newest and least experienced soldier will usually win the Medal of
Honor.
86. A Purple Heart just proves that were you smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive.
87. Murphy was a grunt.
88. Beer Math --> 2 beers times 37 men equals 49 cases.
89. Body count Math --> 3 guerrillas plus 1 probable plus 2 pigs equals 37
enemies killed in action.
90. The bursting radius of a hand grenade is always one foot greater than your jumping range.
91. All-weather close air support doesn't work in bad weather.
92. The combat worth of a unit is inversely proportional to the smartness of its outfit and appearance.
93. The crucial round is a dud.
94. Every command which can be misunderstood, will be.
95. There is no such place as a convenient foxhole.
96. Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last and don't ever volunteer
to do anything.
97. If your positions are firmly set and you are prepared to take the enemy
assault on, he will bypass you. 
98. If your ambush is properly set, the enemy won't walk into it.
99. If your flank march is going well, the enemy expects you to outflank him.
100. Density of fire increases proportionally to the curiousness of the target.
101. Odd objects attract fire - never lurk behind one.
102. The more stupid the leader is, the more important missions he is ordered
to carry out.
103. The self-importance of a superior is inversely proportional to his
position in the hierarchy (as is his deviousness and mischievousness).
104. There is always a way, and it usually doesn't work.
105. Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when the General is watching.
106. The enemy never monitors your radio frequency until you broadcast on an unsecured channel.
107. Whenever you drop your equipment in a fire-fight, your ammo and grenades always fall the farthest away, and your canteen always lands at your feet.
108. As soon as you are served hot chow in the field, it rains.
109. Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.
110. The seriousness of a wound (in a fire-fight) is inversely proportional
to the distance to any form of cover.
111. Walking point = sniper bait.
112. Your bivouac for the night is the spot where you got tired of marching
that day.
113. If only one solution can be found for a field problem, then it is
usually a stupid solution.
114. All or any of the above combined.

Leadership Principles and Traits

Marine Corps Leadership Principles

1.   Know yourself and seek self-improvement. 
2    Be technically and tactically proficient. 
3.   Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates. 
4.   Make sound and timely decisions. 
5.   Set the example. 
6.   Know your Marines and look out for their welfare. 
7.   Keep your Marines informed. 
8.   Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions. 
9.   Ensure assigned tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished. 
10. Train your Marines as a team. 
11. Employ your command in accordance with its capabilities.

Marine Corps Leadership Traits

Dependability
     The certainty of proper performance of duty.

Bearing
     Creating a favorable impression in carriage, appearence and personal conduct at all times.

Courage
     The mental quality that recognizes fear of danger or criticism, but enables a man to proceed in the face of it with calmness and firmness.

Decisiveness
     Ability to make decisions promptly and to announce them in clear, forceful manner.

Endurance
     The mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress and hardship.

Enthusiasm
     The display of sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of duty.

Initiative
     Taking action in the absence of orders.

Integrity
     Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principles; includes the qualities of truthfulness and honesty.

Judgement
     The ability to weigh facts and possible solutions on which to base sound decisions.

Justice
     Giving reward and punishment according to merits of the case in question. The ability to
     administer a system of rewards and punishments impartially and consistently.

Knowledge
     Understanding of a science or an art. The range of one's information, including
     professional knowledge and an understanding of your Marines.

Tact
     The ability to deal with others without creating offense.

Unselfishness
     Avoidance of providing for one's own comfort and personal advancement at the expense
     of others.

Loyalty
     The quality of faithfulness to country, the Corps, the unit, to one's seniors, subordinates
     and peers.

Words Of Wisdom

1. Once you are in the fight, it is way too late to wonder if this is a good idea.

2. It is a fact that helicopter tail rotors are instinctively drawn toward trees, stumps, rocks, etc. While it may be possible to ward off this natural event some of the
time, it cannot, despite the best efforts of the crew, always be prevented. It's just what they do.

3. NEVER get into a fight without more ammunition than the other guy.

4. The engine RPM and the rotor RPM must BOTH be kept in the GREEN. Failure to heed this commandment can affect the morale of the crew.

5. Cover your Buddy, so he can be around to cover for you.

6. Decisions made by someone above you in the chain-of-command will seldom be in your best interest.

7. Sometimes, being good and lucky still is not enough.

8. Loud, sudden noises in a helicopter WILL always get your undivided attention.

9. If the rear echelon troops are really happy, the front line troops probably do not have what they need.

10. Happiness is a belt-fed weapon.

11. Having all your body parts intact and functioning at the end of the day beats the alternative.

12. If you are allergic to lead, it is best to avoid a war zone.

13. It is a bad thing to run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas all at the same time.

14. Hot garrison chow is better than hot C-rations which, in turn, are better than cold C-rations, which are better than no food at all. All of these, however, are
preferable to cold rice balls, even if they do have the little pieces of fish in them.

15. The further you fly into the mountains, the louder the strange engine noises become.

16. Medals are OK, but having your body and all your friends in one piece at the end of the day is better.

17. Being shot hurts.

18. Thousands of Vietnam Veterans earned medals for bravery every day. A few were even awarded.

19. There is only one rule in war: When you win, you get to make up the rules.

20. C-4 can make a dull day fun.

21. There is no such thing as a fair fight-only ones where you win or lose.

22. If you win the battle you are entitled to the spoils. If you lose you don't care.

23. Nobody cares what you did yesterday or what you are going to do tomorrow. What is important is what you are doing-NOW-to solve our problem.

24. Always make sure someone has a P-38. Uh, that's a can opener for those of you who aren't military.

25. Flying is better than walking. Walking is better than running. Running is better than crawling. All of these, however, are better than extraction by a Med-Evac,
even if it is, technically, a form of flying.

26. If everyone does not come home, none of the rest of us can ever fully come home either.

27. Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. It is far better that you fear the media, for they will steal your HONOR.

28. A grunt is the true reason for the existence of the helicopter. Every helicopter flying in Vietnam had one real purpose: To help the grunt. It is unfortunate that
many helicopters never had the opportunity to fulfill their one true mission in life, simply because someone forgot this fact.

Submitted by:

OOOHHHHRAAAAAHHHHH! Paul Sutton, Chapter 602 (NJ)

Aviation Quotes

There are only two types of aircraft - - fighters and targets.
    - Doyal Nicholson, USMC

Nothing is true in tactics.
    - Commander Randy Cunningham, USN

Success flourishes only in perseverance - - ceaseless, relentless, perseverance.
    - Baron Manfred von Richthofen

He who has the height controls the battle.
He who has the sun achieves supprise.
He who gets in close shoots them down.
    - anon

The agressive spirit, the offensive, is the chief thing everywhere in war. The air is no exception.
    - Baron Manfred von Richtohofen

If you're in a fair fight,    you didn't plan it properly.
    - Nick Lappos, Chief R&D Pilot, Sikorsky Aircraft