I have it on good authority that for 'USMC' you could read 'RAF'. Allegedly, it is no more than pure luck that we haven't lost a Herc in Afghanistan. Despite the skill and bravery of the crews there have been many close calls. The guys are resigned to the fact that they are as unglamorous as it gets and no-one seems to care that they have stuck their @rses on the line for 9 months with kok-all support from their Snr Staff Officers. They believe that it would take the loss of an ac for the MOD to consider paying for the eqpt for which they have been asking for years.
I hope it never comes to that!
Furthermore, the USMC Sqn Cdr has got 'grands ballons'.