FPP211 - The Last Harrier: Inside the Final AV-8B Squadron
Fighter Pilot Podcast
Tucker "Cinco" Hamilton, Retired U.S. Air Force Fighter Test Pilot
4.9 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 6 April 2026
⏱️ 74 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The AV-8B Harrier is one of the most demanding, iconic, and battle-proven aircraft in military aviation history. Now, as the Harrier era draws to a close, one squadron remains to carry the torch: VMA-223, the Great American Bulldogs.
In this episode, Cinco sits down with the commanding officer (Traper) and executive officer (Porky) of the last AV-8B Harrier squadron to talk about the jet, the mission, the culture, and what it means to write the final chapter of an extraordinary community. This is a conversation about legacy, leadership, and the kind of airplane that shaped the aviators who flew it.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The views expressed in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the official |
| 0:03.7 | policy or position of the United States government. |
| 0:14.7 | Today, we're talking Harriers, and not just any Harriers. |
| 0:18.1 | We're talking about the last remaining U.S. Marine Corps Harrier Squadron, VMA 223, the Bulldogs out of Cherry Point, and not any Bulldogs, the great American Bulldogs. |
| 0:28.1 | After VMA 231 flew its final AV-8B sortie in May 2025, VMA 223 became the Corps' remaining Harrier Squadron, |
| 0:37.2 | still carrying the torch for one of the most |
| 0:38.8 | distinctive attack jets ever to wear American markings. As recently as February 2026, the Marines |
| 0:44.7 | were still describing VMA 223 as Second Ma's remaining Harrier Squadron, even as the community |
| 0:50.6 | heads towards its 2026 sundown. Get ready. Fights on. Please welcome John Cumbi, |
| 1:01.7 | call sign Trapper, and Eric Shiby, call sign Porky, the commanding officer and executive officer, |
| 1:07.4 | respectively, of the great American bulldogs of VMA 223. Gentlemen, welcome to the Fighter Pilot Podcast. Hey, Sinko, Trapper here. Thanks a lot for having us. It's an honor and a privilege to be able to use your platform to spread the good word about Team Harrier, the Marine Corps, where we're going with TAC Air Aviation, all things, Harrier. So thanks for having us. |
| 1:32.8 | Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, Cinco, thanks for having us. Happy to be here and talk about our beloved Harrier and everything that is done and all the people that have supported it over the |
| 1:37.7 | years. Thanks. Yeah, no, absolutely. I look forward to sharing your stories and hopefully, |
| 1:42.6 | well, I know your legacy will live on in many ways. |
| 1:46.0 | I'd love to start off by just each of you individually, and Trapper will start with you. |
| 1:51.7 | Tell the listeners a little bit about yourself. |
| 1:54.2 | So originally from Houston, Texas, went to the Naval Academy for undergraduate degree there, |
| 1:59.9 | and just the interactions and the, |
| 2:03.7 | every Marine officer I ever met just personified all things, professionalism, just good |
| 2:09.8 | all-round people, really cared about us as Mitch Jim and so from a very early time there at |
| 2:14.7 | Annapolis, you know, my mind was pretty much made up that I wanted to go |
| 2:17.7 | into the Marine Corps. Once we got a little closer to service selection, I'd, you know, went through all |
... |
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