Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) Crewmember

“Crew the AAV-7A1 Assault Amphibious Vehicle, the Marine Corps' primary means of ship-to-shore amphibious assault. You'll be trained in water operations, vehicle gunnery, and the unique tactical requirements of amphibious warfare that makes the Marine Corps the only force capable of forced entry from the sea.”

The AAV-7 is a vehicle designed in the late 1960s and continuously fielded since 1972, which means you are operating a machine that was rolling off the assembly line when your parents were possibly not yet born. It is an aluminum-hulled, diesel-powered amphibious personnel carrier that carries Marines from ship to shore through surf that was not designed by anyone who cared about your comfort. It does not go fast in water. It does not go fast on land. It is, in the words of every AAV Marine who has ever loved one, "reliable." The maintenance requirements are substantial and the availability of legacy parts is an ongoing administrative challenge. The AAV has been slated for replacement by the ACV (Amphibious Combat Vehicle) program, which means you may spend your contract transitioning between platforms. The amphibious mission itself — that moment when the ramp drops and Marines hit the beach — is the most historically loaded event in the Marine Corps' identity. You are part of that lineage.