The Marine Corps is drilling down on its plan to reclassify Marines tasked with keeping the AV-8B Harrier alive, a sign that the service is finally getting closer to retiring the decades-old jet as new F-35 Lightning IIs hit the fleet.
Last Thursday, the service released a force-wide message that identified five Harrier-aligned jobs that will be up for reclassification starting next month. The move is expected to affect up to 202 Marines who once worked on the jet, and the message warned that, if those troops had not already started the transition into new roles, their future jobs would be up to the needs of the Corps.
While a seemingly small part of the overall force, the transfer of the Harrier Marines is part of the service’s overarching aviation plan. Released in January, it expects refitted V-22 Ospreys, finalized purchases of KC-130Js and a restructuring of its squadrons to accept the F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation aircraft, within the next several years.
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Meanwhile, jets such as the Harrier are heading into the sunset sometime next year and, while they are still flying in exercises and even recent operations, they are increasingly being sent to museums or participating in farewell flights as the service finds new jobs for its crews.
Last year, Military.com reported that the final group of Harrier maintainers had entered the fleet as an increasing number of its pilots were being selected to fill F-35 cockpits.
The Marine Corps said at the time that it was providing opportunities for all Harrier-aligned Marines to transition to the new jet, but that it would be opening the door to communications, intelligence and logistics jobs, too.
“As the Marine Corps continues to modernize, qualified Marines remain the key to meeting our operational requirements,” Capt. Jacob Sugg, a spokesperson for the Marine Corps, told Military.com in an emailed statement Tuesday. “All Marines within the AV-8B community have skills and experience that will prepare them for success in their reclassified roles.”
The force-wide message released last week identified five mechanic jobs for the service’s “involuntary force-shaping measures.” They include generalized Harrier mechanics, as well as Marines who work on its power plants, airframe, safety equipment and electrical systems.
By Aug. 1, Marines in those jobs who are not on deployment, pending orders, already in a lateral move or expected to be voluntarily separated and have not already started the transition process to a new job will be assigned to a new one “based solely on the needs of the Marine Corps, regardless of remaining contract time,” the message said.
It added that, by fiscal 2027, retention and promotion opportunities “will no longer exist for the AV-8B population” and that Harrier-aligned Marines affected by the message will know what their new job is by Sept. 30 of this year.
The idea for an aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities was conceived after the Korean War, and the Harrier soon filled that role, giving the Marine Corps the maneuverability of helicopters, but with the ability to fly long distances and carry heavier weapons packages.
“Career opportunities and transition paths continue to be identified for the remaining population of AV-8B aircrews and maintainers,” Sugg said. “The AV-8B continues to provide operational flexibility to source combatant commander requirements and offers experienced aircrew and maintenance manpower to support the Marine Corps’ tactical aircraft transition plan.”
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