“The Marine Corps is THE expert service on the CAS mission”
How so?
I would argue the Marine Corps is the expert on the CAS mission for a lot of reasons starting with their heritage in developing many of the CAS concepts we still use today (the Banana Wars as an example). That heritage has carried all they way through today’s expeditionary maneuver warfare. Marine aviation isn’t a supporting component of a MAGTF. It is an integral part of a MAGTF. Combine that with the reality that “Every Marine is a rifleman” and you have a unique culture where Marine aviators performing CAS have actual experience performing the role of the men they are supporting on the ground. In my practical experience flying with Marines in a CAS environment, there is more of a bond between their pilots and the supported ground troops than there is between Navy or Air Force pilots supporting Army troops. In all cases, pilots of all services perform with a high level of dedication and commitment in performing the mission, but the bond between Manines supporting Marines increases the effectivness of their CAS missions.
I’m not sure that makes any sense at all as written, but it is pretty evident when witnessed. And is a key reason why the Marine Corps is pretty adamant about limiting their CAS support to their own aircraft.