Aviation Logistics Officer MOS, Marine Corps Association

Logistics officer usmc.

Naval aviation is expensive…very expensive. On the upper end, the cost per flight hour can be as high as $13,000 per hour, and on the lower end, it hovers at approximately $4,000 per hour.1 The Marine Corps is a force-in-readiness, and Marine Corps aviation must have a high state of aircraft readiness at all times. With our current fiscally constrained environment, which is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, maintaining a high state of aircraft readiness is and will continue to be extremely challenging. Optimizing our logistics, ensuring the “biggest bang for our buck” is paramount if we will continue to be ready to answer our Nation’s call. This optimization, essentially, is why the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) exists. The NAE’s main mission is to “Advance and sustain Naval Aviation warfighting capabilities at an affordable cost…today and in the future,” which drives the need to constantly evaluate new methods to improve our current processes and leadership approaches.2 This article will highlight the merits of a new leadership approach, combining the 6002 aircraft maintenance officer (AMO) MOS and the 6602 aviation supply officer (ASO) MOS. The NAE is based on a partnership of key naval aviation stakeholders from the Navy and the Marine Corps. The Enterprise framework brings together the many parts that make up naval aviation in order to foster better decision making that benefits naval aviation as a whole. By partnering in a collaborative manner, naval aviation is better able to produce warfighting readiness in the most cost-effective manner. Of the multiple components of the NAE strategic model, this article will focus on the cost-wise current readiness component, which according to the NAE website, “drives actions to achieve required levels of future readiness at optimized cost.” For each type/model/series (TMS) of aircraft, a TMS team has been created consisting of fleet requirements, providers, and resource sponsors. In the Marine Corps, there are 13 active and Reserve MAGs. Commanding officers (CO) from eight of them serve as TMS team leads which ultimately represent the fleet requirements.3 The COs of the Marine aviation logistics squadrons (MALS) supporting those MAGs serve as the logistics lead for the TMS teams. Providers include Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Fleet Repair Centers, and Naval Supply Systems Command, while the resource sponsors are Headquarters Marine Corps Aviation and Air Division, Policy, Plans and Operations Branch (OPNAV N98), and Fleet Readiness Division (OPNAV N43). Each year a cost-wise current readiness NAE briefing cycle is executed that consists of six briefs culminating with the NAE Air Board brief cochaired by Commander, Naval Air Forces, Deputy Commandant for Aviation, and NAVAIR. To be successful, the logistics lead must work very closely with the TMS lead, his or her analyst/advisor, and other participants from the TMS team to review available supply and maintenance data and determine linkages of performance gaps to root causes. After achieving this analysis, the TMS team presents courses of action during the Air Board that is aimed at eliminating barriers to close readiness gaps or rising costs. The logistics lead plays a pivotal role in closing readiness gaps and/or rising costs by providing recommendations to the TMS lead who influences the providers as well as the resource sponsors to prioritize actions accordingly to achieve the desired aircraft readiness at an affordable cost. To facilitate the best possibility of success for the TMS team, the logistics lead must be well versed in all aspects of supply chain management and aircraft maintenance. These two commodity areas are inextricably linked and must be well understood by the logistics lead. MALS COs, however, generally have expertise in supply chain management or aircraft maintenance but not in both of these critical areas. MALS COs are selected from two MOSs: 6002 AMO MOS and 6602 ASO MOS. Marine officers from each particular MOS hold billets within their occupational field until the rank of major. At the rank of major is when the MOSs essentially merge allowing a 6002/6602 officer to serve as the operations officer (OpsO) or executive officer (XO) of a MALS. 6602 majors also have the opportunity to serve as the department head for the aviation supply department (ASD) whereas the maintenance department head billet is filled by a limited duty officer 6004 major. Generally as a lieutenant, an AMO will serve time as the material maintenance control officer or assistant aircraft maintenance officer at a flying squadron and then the remainder of their fleet time will be spent within the maintenance department of the mals until the rank of major. The ASOs, on the other hand, will spend their entire career in the MALS unless they are fortunate enough to deploy with a MEU as part of the ACE or perhaps a special purpose MAGTF. In either case, the Marine officers from each MOS have little exposure to the “other” side of aviation logistics (AVLOG). These unrestricted officers are being groomed to become MALS COs which, if slated, equates to a greater than 60 percent chance they will be assigned as a logistics lead for a TMS team and relied upon to understand both supply chain management and aircraft maintenance. To eliminate this shortcoming, the AMO and ASO MOSs should merge to create a true AVLOG MOS, allowing officers to serve in billets in both critical commodity areas. Creating the AVLOG officer also increases flexibility throughout the AVLOG community. This MOS merge would also be in line with how HQMC currently fills major billets at the MALS. Outside of specifically filling the department head billet for the ASD, HQMC looks at AVLOG majors, whether they are ASOs or AMOs, as the same. While this practice may seem to have a relatively low impact, it could have negative effects on an officer’s career path and grooming for command. For example, suppose a MALS has three majors with the senior major being an ASO and the more junior majors being AMOs. In this scenario, due to the different MOSs, the MALS CO is forced to assign the more junior majors into the OpsO and XO billets leaving the senior ASO major to fill the department head billet.

This scenario is not uncommon as there are oftentimes shortages in the 6602 MOS at the field grade officer level. Are You Enjoying this Article? Join MCA&F today to receive monthly editions of Leatherneck Magazine and the Marine Corps Gazette. Some may argue that this assignment to a department head billet will not hurt an officer’s promotion opportunity to lieutenant colonel, but it certainly can have a negative effect during the command screening boards as headquarters billets are often looked at as critical billets necessary to slate for command. Furthermore, these headquarters billets provide a “peek behind the curtain” at what it takes to sustain a squadron, which is extremely valuable insight for the up and coming officer. The flexibility it would offer the commander at the field grade officer level is invaluable. The commander can place the right field grade officers in the right billets at the right time. This ensures the individual officer’s professional development is achieved as well as taking into account what is good for the institution. An up and coming field grade officer could potentially serve as a department head, OpsO, and XO all during one tour. This represents an incredible amount of exposure to multiple facets of the MALS. The benefit does not solely reside in the field grade officer ranks. Many of the officers in charge of the divisions within the MALS are company grade officers. Merging the MOSs would allow the flexibility for the MALS CO to assign any of his AVLOG officers into any billet in the command. With this flexibility, these officers would have the opportunity to learn and experience both maintenance and supply billets, which would lead to better support provided by the MALS, as well as strengthen the relationships with the flying squadrons. Oftentimes within a MALS, there are areas of friction between the two departments. Most of the friction can be attributed to misconceptions or misunderstanding of what/why/how the other department is supposed to function. These misconceptions can lead to a less than optimized squadron, which can ultimately result in a degradation of aircraft readiness and increased expenditures. Much of these degradations in readiness and increases in expenditures can be addressed or mitigated by good leadership. However, having two MOSs enables the friction between maintenance and supply, which causes a leadership challenge for MALS COs and inhibits their ability to achieve the desired goal of improving aircraft readiness. The benefits of having a maintenance officer thinking like a supply officer and vice versa cannot be understated. The change in mindset would facilitate a breakdown of barriers, both with maintenance and supply professionals, leading to a true team fixated on the same goal, which is aircraft readiness. Lastly, post command opportunities for the AVLOG colonel are primarily centered on aviation logistics department assistant chief of staff (ALD A/CS) billets on the MAWs or Marine forces staff. These billets require regularly briefing the commanding general on the material condition and readiness of aircraft as well as long lead planning for future aviation efforts. Not unlike the MALS CO in the capacity as a logistics lead, the AVLOG colonel must be well versed in all aspects of supply chain management and aircraft maintenance to provide the commanding general accurate and complete information along with the best recommendations for courses of action concerning AVLOG. The AVLOG MOS would also produce a well-rounded colonel who would be better equipped/experienced to inform senior leadership and appropriately shape decisions within Marine Corps aviation. Ultimately, the intent of this article is to highlight the merits of combining the MOSs. Detailed staff work facilitated by Aviation Logistics (ASL), HQMC, and comprised of subject matter experts across the MAWs must be conducted to ensure the success of combining the MOSs. From the “art of the possible,” however, initial training during the Marine’s first tour of duty would include “on the job training” in both the maintenance and aviation supply departments and resident training at what is now the current AMO school in Pensacola, FL, and the ASO School in Newport, RI. Historically, most MALS COs have served in two to three MALSs before screening and slating for command, offering ample opportunity for an officer to progresses through different billets within the maintenance department, ASD, and a flying squadron. By the time the officer is ready to be screened for command, they will have served in billets in all facets of AVLOG producing a well-rounded and equipped officer to command and shape the future sustainment of a TMS as the logistics lead. We need officers who are well versed in both aviation supply and aircraft maintenance to serve as TMS logistics leads and eventually in ALD A/CS billets to offer insight and recommendations for sustaining Marine Corps aviation at an affordable cost. Creating the AVLOG officer MOS addresses technical deficiencies that exist because of our current construct, offers the MALS the flexibility with its officers that will better facilitate officer grooming, and will enhance its ability to support the flying squadrons on the flight line. Notes: 1. Department of the Navy, “Execution Index Charts,” (Washington, DC: Naval Aviation Enterprise, August 2015). 2. Department of the Navy, “ Enterprise Framework,” (Washington, DC: Naval Aviation Enterprise, 2015). 3. Department of Aviation, Marine Aviation Plan 2015 , (Washington, DC: HQMC, 2015).