are inherent challenges to readiness, such
as the regularity with which an aircraft
breaks. Our safety standard is exactly
the same as the day the aircraft came off
the production line. We have to fly safe
airplanes — that’s non-negotiable. The
challenge comes when you have parts
and manpower shortages; it’s all about
having sufficient safe aircraft.
‘A lot of organizations have come
together to support the readiness
effort; we look at processes and how
we can energize the system to be
more responsive. A lot of these smaller
initiatives are starting to bear fruit. It
means that when our squadrons come
back from deployment their readiness
is noticeably higher right now. Pilot
flight hours are higher now than they
have been for years, with more airplanes
on the flight line. The metric I look for
isn’t a spike in flight hours, but a slow,
deliberate and steady improvement —
that’s what encourages me as it shows
we are on a steady glide slope.’
The Marine Corps took the step of
reducing some Hornet squadrons from
their 12-aircraft allocation to 10. Wise says
this was a temporary measure. ‘Having
more jets in a squadron is better to a
certain extent,’ he says, in relation to plans
for squadrons to receive a slug of ex-Navy3RD MARINE AIR WING^55US NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIR POWER YEARBOOK 2018
50-56 3rd MAW C.indd 55 01/06/2018 10:14