Aviation Pre-CoC Requirements

What Pre-CoC Means for Aviation

Aviation pre-CoC is denser than ground pre-CoC. A ground commander attends Cornerstone, reads the SOCL, meets with the next higher commander, attends the Status of Command Brief, and assumes. An aviation commander does all of those steps plus three aviation-specific blocks.

1. Aviation Commander's Course at MAWTS-1.
2. 6-month arrival at gaining command.
3. Flight refresher training in type-model-series.

None of these are routine. Each requires deliberate scheduling 12 to 18 months out from the projected CoC date.

Aviation Commander's Course at MAWTS-1

Per MCO 5100.29C Encl 1 Ch 3 Para 2.b, the incoming aviation commander completes the Aviation Commander's Course at the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) before assumption.

What the course covers

• Aviation-specific command philosophy
• Aviation safety culture and program execution
• T&R Manual application at the squadron level
• NATOPS and aircrew currency oversight
• ACE integration in the MAGTF
• Aviation maintenance program oversight
• Operational risk management (ORM) at the command level
• Aviation-specific personnel issues (aircrew qualification, designator changes, flight pay)

The course schedule is set by MAWTS-1. Aviation Wing scheduling staff coordinate slating.

Why MAWTS-1 attendance matters beyond the course

The Aviation Commander's Mentorship Handbook flags MAWTS-1 as command-level resource throughout a tour, not only as a pre-CoC event.

The handbook's framing:

"Use MAWTS. It is not only for the WTI class. It is your weapons school and your source for academics, additional instructors, and ACE integration expertise."

A CO who attends the course and never returns to MAWTS-1 for unit-level support misses the resource.

The 6-Month Arrival Window (MARADMIN 270/05)

MARADMIN 270/05 establishes the 6-month arrival rule: the incoming aviation commander arrives at the gaining command no later than 6 months before the scheduled change of command.

Why the window exists

• Time for flight refresher training in the unit's type-model-series
• Time to observe the squadron in steady operations before assumption
• Time to attend MAWTS-1 if not previously completed
• Time to integrate into the Wing or Group structure
• Time for the outgoing CO to brief context not fitting in the SOCL

What 6 months buys in practice

The window is the floor, not the operational ideal. Six months is approximately:

• 2 months of administrative arrival, sponsor pickup, family settling
• 2 months of flight refresher and NATOPS evaluations
• 1 month of MAWTS-1 attendance (if not previously completed)
• 1 month of ramp-up to assumption (observation, mentorship from outgoing CO, integration meetings)

A CO arriving inside 6 months compresses every block. Quality of preparation suffers.

Waiver path

Deviations require an M&RA (Marine Manpower and Reserve Affairs) waiver. The waiver request goes through the chain of command to M&RA. Reasons must be documented.

Routine reasons failing to qualify as waiver-worthy:

• Personal scheduling preference
• Operational tempo at the losing command
• Family timing

Reasons typically supporting a waiver:

• Approved late training assignment (e.g., delayed Cornerstone)
• Medical or family hardship documented
• Operational requirement at losing command rated as priority by HHQ
• Mid-tour rotation requirement creating slot constraint

The waiver does not eliminate the 6-month standard. It documents the deviation and the reason.

Flight Refresher Training

Per NAVMC 3500.109A Ch 2 Para 1, the incoming aviation CO completes flight refresher training in the unit's type-model-series before assumption.

What refresher covers

• NATOPS evaluation in type-model-series
• Instrument check ride if applicable
• Aircraft systems familiarization for any platform variant the CO has not flown recently
• Currency in critical events per the T&R Manual
• Unit-specific procedures and SOPs

Who conducts the training

• Unit's NATOPS Officer and check pilots
• FRS (Fleet Replacement Squadron) if return-to-type-model-series is required
• MAWTS-1 if the CO has been outside aviation for an extended period

When refresher gets compressed

Late arrival compresses refresher. A CO arriving at 4 months pre-CoC has 4 months to:

• Complete flight refresher
• Attend MAWTS-1 (if not previously)
• Complete Cornerstone (if not previously)
• Settle administratively
• Meet next higher commander
• Review SOCL, attend SOCL Brief, integrate

Each block competes. Refresher quality suffers most because the requirement allows partial execution but no skipping.

Cornerstone (Commandant's Combined Commandership Course)

Aviation commanders attend Cornerstone like ground commanders. The annual MARADMIN sets the schedule. FY26 is MARADMIN 388/25.

Cornerstone is general command preparation. The Aviation Commander's Course at MAWTS-1 is aviation-specific preparation. Both are required.

What Outgoing CO Owes Incoming CO Beyond the SOCL

In aviation, the outgoing CO's briefing extends beyond the SOCL content because the operating environment requires platform and personnel context the SOCL cannot fully cover.

The outgoing CO briefs these during the 6-month window. Not all in one sitting. Repeated over the window.

Outgoing CO Specific Aviation Items

These items appear in the outgoing CO's Certificate of Relief and SOCL when the outgoing CO is aviation:

• Open mishap investigations
• Aviation Safety Awareness Council (ASAC) status
• Aircraft material readiness rate trends
• ORM tool deployment status
• Aircrew currency posture and gaps
• Pending HAZREPs and corrective actions
• ASO succession brief

Common Failures on Aviation Pre-CoC

1. MAWTS-1 attendance treated as administrative. The course is graded. Treat as significant training event.
2. 6-month window slipped without M&RA waiver. Late arrival without waiver is a documented gap on assumption.
3. Flight refresher attempted in the first 30 days of command. Compresses Day 0-7 administrative actions and creates first-month safety risk.
4. Outgoing CO briefs only the SOCL content. Aviation-specific context not transmitted. Incoming CO inherits gaps without knowing them.
5. NATOPS evaluation expired at assumption. Procedural defect for the CO. ASO flags. Inspection finding.
6. Cornerstone deferred to first quarter of command. Compresses post-CoC obligations.
7. MAWTS-1 connection lapses immediately after course. Handbook explicitly warns against this pattern.

Decision Framework Before Assumption

Before the ceremony, the incoming aviation CO confirms:

• Aviation Commander's Course completed at MAWTS-1
• Cornerstone completed
• Arrived 6 months prior or waiver documented
• Flight refresher complete with current NATOPS evaluation
• Type-model-series currency in T&R Manual
• Outgoing CO aviation-specific briefings received
• Aviation Safety Awareness Council schedule reviewed
• Open mishap investigations briefed by name and case
• HAZREP corrective action tracker reviewed
• ASO succession plan reviewed and accepted

If any of these is incomplete, assumption proceeds with documented gaps and a 30-day plan to close.

Related Pages

• Aviation Commander Overlay (this topic, order 1) - the topic index
• Aviation Safety Program (this topic, order 3) - ASO, climate survey, mishap reporting in depth
• Aviation Readiness and Training (this topic, order 4) - T&R, NATOPS, FRS in depth
• Incoming CO Pre-CoC Preparation (Turnover) - the general pre-CoC framework