Marines live-fire helicopter drill shows New Jersey's real-life "Top Gun"

Just miles away from the most populous city in the United States, machine-gun fire and rockets pummel the woodlands of central New Jersey. It's a normal day for the "Red Dogs" of the U.S. Marine Corps Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 (HMLA-773).

The Air Force may take the lead the U.S. military power in the skies, and the Navy's own aerial wing plays a critical role of its own, one made popular by the 1986 film "Top Gun" and its new sequel. But the Marines have their own formidable aviation force that is expected to deploy at a moment's notice in the event of a crisis either at home or abroad.

As the Marines of HMLA-773 went about their routine live-fire readiness exercises last week, Newsweek editor-at-large Naveed Jamali rode along as part of a visit to Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst (JB MDL), a massive military complex that constitutes the only U.S. military installation in the tri-state area to house all branches of the armed forces.