ANNAPOLIS– The U.S. Naval Academy and the United States Marine Corps formally dedicated a decommissioned AV-8B Harrier static display at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Nov. 8th. The static display honors more than a century of United States Naval Academy graduates who led as Marine Corps aviators in peacetime and conflict across the globe.
Senior U.S. Marine Corps leaders, including Gen. Bradford Gering, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Lt. Gen. James Wellons, Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources, Lieutenant General William Swan, Deputy Commandant for Aviation, Lt. Gen. Eric Austin, Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration, and Lt. Gen James Adams III, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, joined U.S. Naval Academy leadership, and distinguished aviation veterans gathered at the stadium to mark the permanent installation of the iconic attack aircraft.
“As the senior Harrier Pilot on active duty, I have had the profound privilege of flying, fighting, and serving within the [Harrier] community for over 3 and a half decades. I’ve watched the community evolve, fight, and win my entire adult life,” said Gen. Gering. “Today’s dedication is a tribute to the enterprise that developed it, the pilots who tamed it, the maintainers who kept it flying, the ordnance crews who armed it, and the leaders who sent it into the fight. Today’s dedication is also symbolic of the reason we have Marine Aviation, our culture, and our people.”…