U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 5 (of 5): Operations in West KoreaUnited States. Marine Corps
History
U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 5 (of 5): Operations in West Korea
United States. Marine Corps
Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Campaigns; United States. Marine Corps -- History -- Korean War, 1950-1953
The presence of not fully trained personnel in a combat zone was not
limited to the division. In the summer and fall of 1952, a large
number of volunteer reservists, both pilots and enlisted replacements
with little experience since the end of World War II, joined the 1st
MAW. It had not been possible for the Stateside training and tactical
squadrons, themselves short of personnel and aircraft, to qualify all
pilots as combat ready. It fell upon the wing in Korea, therefore,
to take the needed corrective action. The more experienced 1st MAW
pilots, after completing their combat missions, flew instructional
flights to help prepare the rusty fliers. Some reserve pilots, away
from regular daily flying since 1945, found the adjustment too
difficult and turned in their wings. MACG-2 operated “Pohang U,” a
training course for forward air controllers. In practically every
squadron, there were shortages of electronics personnel. Jet squadrons
found mechanics hard to come by. There were never enough motor
transport replacements. For unqualified enlisted Marines, squadrons
operated on-the-job training programs.
To maintain a reasonable degree of unit proficiency, the wing limited
the monthly turnover of pilots to 25 percent. Like the division,
the wing employed split tours between an officer’s primary duty and
staff work to broaden his experience. In some cases the amount of
time required by administrative work as compared to a pilot’s actual
flying time reduced his proficiency in the air. In June, Task Force 95
reported that the proportionately large number of take-off and landing
accidents on the carrier _Bataan_ was caused by the rapid turnover of
pilots and their need for frequent carrier qualification.[152]
[152] _PacFlt EvalRpt_ No. 4, p. 10-198.
A Marine pilot joining the wing could expect his assignment to last for
6 to 9 months. Personnel in a nonflight status had longer tours of 10
months to a year. Wing replacements were made on an individual basis,
although there were plans that by mid-1953 a new policy of at least
partial squadron replacement would be in effect. That 1st MAW squadrons
were able to operate effectively on an individual replacement system
was attributable to the peculiarity of combat conditions in Korea.
Absence of real enemy aerial opposition permitted the use of basic,
parade-type flight formations and non-tactical approaches and attacks.
An unusually high-level of experienced pilots in each of the two wing
groups helped in the establishment of training programs and operational
doctrine. The FAF limitation of four aircraft per flight eliminated
the problem of large-scale, precombat squadron training as well as the
difficulty of controlling and coordinating a large number of planes in
a strike.
_Logistical Operations, Summer 1952_[153]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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