We received this in an e-mail from a former Marine officer who we hold in very high esteem. It concerns Lt Col Chris “Otis” Raible, Commanding Officer of Marine Attack Squadron VMA 211 (the Avengers) at Camp Bastion. LtCol Raible was one of two Marines killed when insurgents attacked the base in Helmand province recently (the same attack that destroyed a number of AV8B Harriers). Sgt. Bradley Atwell was also killed in the attack.
This article first ran on October 31, 2012.
This is a copy of LtCol Raible’s Commander’s Guidance, and it’s well written. We thought you might like to read it. Professional Hunger, Professional Focus, Attitude, Moral Courage.
Transcript of Lt Col Chris Raible’s Commander’s Guidance for Squadron Attack Pilots
08 Dec 11
From: Commanding Officer, Marine Attack Squadron 211
To: Squadron Attack Pilots
Subj: COMMANDERS GUIDANCE FOR SOUADRON ATTACK PILOTS
- Professional hunger. My goal is to identify those officers who want to be professional attack pilots and dedicate the resources required to build them into the flight leaders and instructors that are required for the Iong term health of our community. This is not a socialist organization. We will not all be equal in terms of quals and flight hours. Some will advance faster than others, and because this is not a union, your rate of advancement will have nothing to do with seniority. Your rate of advancement will instead be determined by your hunger, professionalism, work ethic, and performance. If flying jets and supporting Marines is your passion and your profession, you are in the right squadron. If these things are viewed simply as your job, please understand that I must invest for the future in others. Your time in a gun squadron might be limited, so it is up to you to make the most of the opportunities that are presented.
- Professional focus. Our approach to aviation is based upon the absolute requirement to be “brilliant in the basics.” Over the last few years Marine TACAIK has not punted the tactical execution nearly so often as the admin. Sound understanding of KATOPS, aircraft systems, and sore is therefore every bit as important as your understanding of the ATTP and TOPGUN. With this in mind, ensure the admin portions of your plan are solid before you move onto objective area planning. Once you begin tactical planning, remember that keeping things “simple and easy to execute” will usually be your surest path to success. If the plan is not safe, it is not tactically sound.
- Attitude. I firmly believe in the phrase “hire for attitude, train for skill.” Work ethic, willingness to accept constructive criticism, and a professional approach to planning, briefing, and debriefing will get you 90% of the way towards any qualification or certification you are pursuing. The other 10% is comprised of in flight judgment and performance, and that will often come as a result of the first 90%. Seek to learn from your own mistakes and the mistakes of others. Just as a championship Football team debriefs their game film, we are going to analyze our tapes and conduct thorough flight debriefs. It has often been said that the success of a sortie is directly proportional to the caliber of the plan and brief. The other side of this coin is that the amount of warning that takes place as a result of a sortie is directly proportional to the caliber of the debrief.
- Moral courage. Speak up if something seems wrong or unsafe. We all know what the standards are supposed to be in Naval Aviation and the Corps. Enforce them! When we fail to enforce the existing standards, we are actually setting and enforcing a new standard that is lower.
The Yuma, AZ-based squadron was the only Marine Harrier unit remaining in Afghanistan, having relocated to the British airfield Camp Bastion from the Kandahar Airfield earlier in the Summer as part of the drawdown and consolidation of USMC forces in CENTCOM. It is believed that a number of insurgents dressed in US Army uniforms penetrated the base perimeter in 3 prepared and rehearsed teams, attacking the airfield with small arms, RPGs and suicide vests.
LtCol Raible is survived by his wife and three children. His relatives described him as a Marine who was devoted to his profession, who “lived it, breathed it and unfortunately died for it.”
0 Comments