U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Joshua Corbett, a native of New Jersey and a student naval aviator with the AV-8B Fleet Replacement Detachment (FRD), poses for a photo prior to a flight at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Corbett is one of the two final Marines to receive the 7509 military occupational specialty, AV-8B Harrier II jet pilot, as the Marine Corps transitions from the AV-8B II Harrier jet legacy tactical aircraft to the F-35 Lightning II jet. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)

The final two AV-8B Harrier II pilots with the U.S. Marine Corps have finished their training, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing announced Monday.

Capts. Joshua Corbett and Sven Jorgensen on Friday received the 7509 military occupational specialty — reserved for Harrier qualified pilots — from the AV-8B Harrier II Fleet Replacement Detachment, Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. The qualifying flight involved a “low-altitude close air support training sortie,” the 2nd MAW news release said.

The pilots will report to Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 223, the last Harrier squadron in the Corps. The squadron is slated to continue operating the Harrier out of Cherry Point until September 2026.

“The Harrier, more than many aircraft than I have come across, elicits an emotional response,” Corbett said in the release. “For members of the public, members of the aviation community, members of the Marine community and especially members of the Harrier pilot community, it’s bittersweet. All good things have to come to an end, and it’s our turn soon, but not yet.”

The Harrier, a vertical/short takeoff and landing (VSTOL) tactical attack aircraft, is transitioning out of the Fleet Marine Force and will be replaced by the F-35B Lightning II. The aircraft first flew in 1968 and reached operational capability in July 1971, according to a Navy fact sheet.

The first Harrier arrived at Cherry Point in 1984. Since then, the aircraft has flown around the globe, supporting Operation Desert Storm, Operation Allied Force in 1999 in the former Yugoslavia, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the release said.

“I am incredibly proud of the legacy of the AV-8B, both within Marine Aviation and here in eastern North Carolina.” Lt. Col. Nathaniel Smith, commanding officer of VMA-223, said in the release. “Our platform is part of the fabric of eastern North Carolina, as countless Marines, sailors, and civilians have contributed to our success for decades. It is exciting to see our last two students graduate from the FRD and hit the fleet.”

In January, the final class of maintainers for the Harrier graduated from the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit at Cherry Point. 

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Joshua Corbett, a native of New Jersey and a student naval aviator with the AV-8B Fleet Replacement Detachment (FRD), conducts preflight checks prior to a flight at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Wednesday, March 27, 2024. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)