Confusion about joining Marine Corps

[EA-6B1]

Good to go.

- Quote on being selected for an OCS spot -
"If you are chosen, you will have been chosen by Men 'who have been there and done that' and have decided that they wished to have you in Their company, there is no such medal worth as much."

 

[usmckid]

Just out of curiosity, does the fact that you are an academy grad as opposed to your typical engineering school make any difference promotion wise?

 

[phrogdriver]

The Marine Corps doesn't care if your degree is in Phys Ed from Pudunk State.

Phrogs phorever

 

[SGorski]

I have no problem with a ground billet, but, do you get to fly at all? Even if only to maintain current? I'd hate to lose some of the monkey skills with a year or so out of the cockpit.

 

[AllenAzali]

what about sea billets? what are those like? I definatly want to take a tour out at sea.

Signed, Matt

 

[46Driver]

You are either DIFOP (Duty involving flying operations - i.e. a flying billet) or DIFDEN (Duty involving flying denied - i.e. FAC tour, MEU staff, etc) If I remember correctly, it is only the DIFOP time that counts towards htting your gates for increases in flight pay (somebody help me out here...).

If you go East Coast or West Coast, you will get PLENTY of sea time - 53D's in Hawaii seldom deploy aboard ship, and the 2 Phrog squadrons on Oki (they are the basis for the 31st MEU) deploy less then their other counterparts. I'll let the West Coast bubbas tell you about their pumps, but over on the East Coast we hit such ports as Palma Majorca and Rota (Spain), Toulon (France), Naples, Genoa, Trieste, Sigonella (Italy), Crete, Rhodes, Corfu (Greece), Izmir (Turkey), Haifa (Israel), Constanza (Romania), Varna (Bulgaria), and Odessa (Ukraine) - plenty of chances for good times!

 

[splendid_splinter]

i've heard liberty in ports in the south pacific is pretty limited due to the security risks of late. can anyone shed some light on westpac's (pre-war) of late... is there still fun to be had in the PI or are terrorists ruining it for everyone..?

 

[FrogFly]

I rarely ever hear of anyone going to PI anymore. It used to be a big time port back in the day, when we had assets there. The best part about a westpac is Australia. That's the only real reason anyone ever wants to go on one. I've never been on a Med cruise, but the ports, on average, look way better than the ones I've been to on a westpac. My last pac was in '01. The one in '99 was the same. Post-war pacs spend much more time on the water rather than in port, allowing you to see even less of the world. That's the word I'm getting anyway.

 

[AllenAzali]

that med tour you were talking about sounds like something I'd want to get!!!

Signed, Matt

 

[FrogFly]

You'd have to get stationed on the East Coast or with a unit that travels with East Coast ships to do a Med - which is unfortunate because it seems like such a better cruise. However, I don't know if I'd trade the West Coast over a deployment experience.

 

[46Driver]

Well, that's the ports we hit on 3 Med Floats. Mixed in there was a 3 month stint in Somalia, flights in country in Bosnia, and gator squares off of Haiti - some of the good and the bad. Don't forget that MWR sets up tours when you hit a port so we were able to take trips on the bullet train to Paris, to the casino in "Goldeneye" in Monte Carlo, to Salzburg, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Jerusalem, Bucharest, Transylvania, etc. Probably the most unique thing we saw was a 50 foot high statue of Elvis halfway between Haifa and Jerusalem.... Also remember if you want to go into the Black Sea (Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine) you have to be on an LPD or smaller to get under the bridge at Istanbul.
2 other benefits of being stationed on the East Coast are doing a UNITAS deployment (hitting a bunch of South American ports) and the BattleGriffin exercise (a month long deployment to Norway.)

 

[E5B]

I was also wondering about the amount of liberty, if any, due to the current situation. I was with the 15th MEU in 95 and we stopped in PI. The liberty ports got a little better the second time around in 97 (Australia, Bali, etc..). I wouldn't mind getting a few Med floats under my belt. Not really looking forward to a UDP.

LAND MINES are equal opportunity weapons!!!

 

[jarhead]

Originally posted by 46Driver
Probably the most unique thing we saw was a 50 foot high statue of Elvis halfway between Haifa and Jerusalem....

i remember that place, if i recall correctly, there is a little Cafe that sits next to that statue that is full of Elvis memorabilia ... out in the middle of nowhere!

i did two winter Med Floats in 92-93 & 94-95, both on LPD's ... good times, wouldn't mind going back ...

semper fi

 

[Frumby]

I tell you what, I thought the cut to LtCol was around 70% but both active duty and reservists were at 55% for promotion this year. I guess they are only taking the best and the brightest for O-5. Just thought I would throw that out as a tidbit of information.

Frumby LtCol (select) USMCR

Attack Pilot
Major USMCR

 

[vegita1220]

ouch...good luck...Maj. Frumby