How capable is the average Air Force Officer in ground combat?
Alright, I always hear stuff about the "Chair Force" and how they have air conditioned tents, etc. Now personally, that just sounds smart. If you have the option then heck, why not take it? I understand their superiority in the air but let’s say an Air Force pilot was grounded. How would they fare on the ground compared to say a marine?
The air force is not trained to fight on the ground, they are trained to achieve and maintain air superiority. It would be comparable to asking an infantryman to pilot a fighter plane, it just doesn’t work. Some airmen are trained in combat (combat controllers or para rescue) but the army and marines are riflemen from day one. If a pilot gets shot down, they are trained to escape and evade and let the combat forces fight their way to them. You can definitely tell when when the bullets start flying who is trained and who is not, and for this type of job, the air force is not.
I MOBed with some AF officers before going overseas in the Army National Guard and they MOBed ie trained us all in a group so in the process as a small unit with no officers we did mock convoys with AF officers in command and let me tell you the one night convoy we did when we were ambushed (fake of course) we all died!(well my gun truck lived im not going out without a fight
) it was a straight out massacre and the whole mock battle the AF officers were clueless begging me as a private at the time for help.
that’s your answer
nothing compared to a Marine, but their pilots know enough to get by
the rest of the AF Officers, not at all
AF Officers are not normally trained in Ground Combat. It just is not their job. Unless they are a CRO.
Pilots and all aircrew have been to Survival school, and if needed to put those skills into practice, they are capable. Search "Capt Scott Grady".
As previously stated you are comparing apples to oranges. Im sure Marines are very capable at the job they are trained to do. But they would be equally inept at trying to take to position of an AF Officer in a job they have never been trained for.