Jeff Groom, Disillusioned Helicopter Pilot

Pentagon Labyrinth

Jeff Groom, a former Marine Corps helicopter pilot, recently published a highly satirical, and occasionally irreverent, account of his experiences in uniform, American Cobra Pilot: A Marine Remembers a Dog and Pony Show. He talks with POGO’s Jack Shanahan Military Fellow Dan Grazier about his transition from being a highly motivated and idealistic young officer to one who critically appraised the state of the current force. He also discusses life as a pilot who flies far fewer hours than he should to truly develop his skills and perform the combat function of his military occupational specialty. By his calculations, he figures the American people paid him $50,000 each time he actually performed his real job. The problem is, he did this only twice a year.