Sounds like most of the above have just hijacked this thread to do a bit of inter service mud-slinging. Fair enough if thats what you want. The Crabs are just threaders that they don't have Apache, and the Pongo's are desperately wondering how to employ it.
How many of you have actually served within 16 Air Asslt Bde?
I have and the REAL problem is that the men up top don't really have an appreciation of what aviation (in the broader sense) can do for them. It's not about one service being more professional than another, it's just a complete lack of understanding about the needs and capability of aviation within the broader field Army.
By the way, the Royal Marines are integral to the Royal Navy, carry Royal Navy ID and we are bloody proud of them so 'a few marines' to bolster an Army brigade aint going to happen.
Right i'm off my box now...