ATC Officer

[EA-6B1]

Knowing that my chances of getting PRK waivered and getting selected for SNA are getting slimmer and slimmer by the minute, I've decided to look into other MOS's. Don't get me wrong, I haven't ruled out SNA, but this situation is one that I need to asses.

Beside SNA, there's obviously SNFO. That's cool and that would be a great job in the Marines. I would be able to get to be on and around aircraft just as if I was flying them. I would get to go to flight school, and learn all the things that Naval Aviators learn.

I was at TBS website today, and I started rummaging through the officer careers page. That's when I came across ATC Officer (https://www.tbs.usmc.mil/Pages/MyMOS/All_MOS_Detail.asp?id=7220). I thought that would be a cool MOS. I would get to be around aircraft, and direct them into and out of the airfield. I also read where ATC Officers take FAA exams and qualitfy for FAA reg. ATC which would give one a shot at getting a civilian ATC job. That was appealing also.

My Questions are pretty broad and basic. I don't aynything about this field other what I've read, so I could be totally misled. I would like to know if anyone out there knows anything about this MOS.

1.What's the job environment like?

2.Are you deployed?

3.In times of war, what do ATC guys do?

4.What's the service requirement (in years) for ATC Officers?

5.I guess I would have to apply with an air contract. Would that mean that this job would be "guaranteed" like SNA & SNFO are?

Wink, Frumby, or anyone that knows more about this than myself, please chime in. Thanks for the help.

 

[EA-6B1]

Bump...

 

[Beaver]

I know very little about the field but I do know that it is a ground job so you are not garunteed anything. You will have to compete for it with all of the other ground guys, assuming that there's even a slot open during your cycle at TBS. Nothing but SNA, SNFO, and law are garunteed.
I also know from talking to a Colonel that some MOS's combine once you get high enough. In his case he was an ATC officer but once you reach a certain grade you have to be an expert in multiple, similar fields such as ATC and LAAD (low-altitude air defense).

 

[wildflyin69]

I wouldn't give up on SNA. The whole reason for doing the study is to bring it back at a later date as a regular part of the application process. The first guys in this study should be already in the fleet and from what i've been hearing it's been going quite well. You're still in college so I'd just wait on this. You'd probably wind up being miserable if you're taking and MOS you really don't want, especially if the one you do want opens up for you after you signed those papers.

 

[BigWorm]

Just being a Marine is cool. Even if you get ground supply…yeah, I’ll make fun of you, but you actually have time to go to the gym + get some of the fun schools under your belt. All the GS guys seem to be the ones with jump wings/bubbles..aka a big-ass liberty rack. Whatever MOS you get, you’ll learn a lot of skills that would add up to a very high paying job in the civilian counterpart should you choose that route.
Ask you OSO for a list of the number of MOSs available to the past few companies, which should help you dissect the info. In my company, there was one ATC slot open in Yuma, and a guy in my platoon got it as choice #11. If you have infantry/comm./logo/supply as your first choices, chances are very high that you’ll get one of them. If you have ATC/Intel/Tanks, that may account for about 5-10 slots out of 200. Most of what I read about the selection process is accurate, but the end result is that it’s a crapshoot. You don’t know what 3rd of the company your going to be in, and then the staff gets to trade cards. If you go in set cold on ATC, you’ll end up disappointed. There did seem to be an extra few slots open for DASC.
One more note, one of the teachers that worked for my mom enlisted at age 30 with ATC guaranteed..on the enlisted side you can get your job guaranteed before bootcamp…just food for thought.

 

[phrogdriver]

ATC is a very small field. While you may work a tower or approach at an air station for a while at a MCAS, usually the tower chief is a SNCO. The bread and butter is in MMT, setting up control for airfields in an expeditionary environment. You will deploy in this capacity. Frankly, the utility of these guys is somewhat questionable, but they are one more card up our sleeve. I'm not sure how good the career outlook is for those guys. DASC is probably a little more high-speed tactically and more upwardly mobile. You won't be rated ATC, but coordinationg requests for air support is a lot more cool than, "come left to 315...slight below glideslope..."

 

[46Driver]

Had one of my friends get NPQ'd while doing very well in jets. He got his choice of MOS's and went Intel. Great career decision - top secret clearance, important job - also good potential on the outside. I would think the mental challenge would make this a very rewarding MOS.