Contracts: Air vs. Ground

[FlyHalf]

My OSO keeps pushing me to change my contract to air before it goes to the board. He is saying that I have a better chance to get selected as an air contract. Any truth to that?

Two thoughts . . .
1)Is it easier to get selected as an air contract?
2)I want to be an infantry officer. If it is easier to get selected as an air contract is it worth the "gamble" to apply ground and see if I get selected, or should I apply for air and be a Marine pilot? (Better to be a Marine pilot then not a Marine at all??)

 

[gaijin6423]

If it is easier to get selected as an air contract is it worth the "gamble" to apply ground and see if I get selected, or should I apply for air and be a Marine pilot? (Better to be a Marine pilot then not a Marine at all??)

This is just my take on it, but if you really don't want to apply for an air contract, then why take that spot away from someone who does? I can't speak to the statistics, but I'm pretty sure that there are qualified people every year who don't get their air contract. To be honest, there were one or two people in my TBS company who did swap their air contracts for ground spots, but if you do that, then you have to realize that you're in the MOS selection pool like everyone else. The numbers change for every company, but we had 175 people total in my company. Five were international guys, around 50 were air contracts, and two were lawyers. If I remember correctly, that left 119 people for around two dozen infantry spots. A few of those people were women, who can't go infantry, but there were a few disappointed people. And lots and lots of logistics officers. Also, the command element at TBS (yes, you probably would have to go see the XO and/or CO) wasn't to friendly to those who did switch out their air contracts.

As to the above quote... You say 'Marine Pilot' like it's some kind of swear, kemosabe. Them's fightin' words...

 

[makoslim]

easy solution, submit both. I did and so did many other members on here.

 

[Shadow9660]

Makoslim is right, I submitted both too, and got my air slot- it increases your odds of selection in a sense, BUT, keep in mind air contracts are 8 years after winging and training, which can take several years- if its just something your being "pushed" to doing, you could be stuck for a long time doing it. Plus those gung ho infantry officers are a rare breed, and I think if your passion is ground, you should really consider just sticking with ground. P.S... if you fail out of flight school or worse, Drop from it, you may not be guaranteed the ground MOS you want, it will be needs of the USMC.
Think about it, dont let anyone make your choice for you.

 

[makoslim]

Someone was saying in another thread regarding DOR from flight school, they will say "hey this guy WANTED to be a pilot, nad now he WANTS to be _____" since you dropped something you wanted, they wont trust what you want anymoe, and just throw you in an available MOS spot regardless.

 

[peanut3479]

The Marine Corps is short on pilots right now, so they're accepting a lot of aviation contracts compared to ground slots. My TBS company (aka Bravo squadron) was about 50% aviators.

Understand that if you apply as an air contract and get accepted, the Marine Corps is expecting you to go to flight school and become an aviator. Apparently a lot of OSOs were telling people who wanted ground slots to apply as air contracts then switch to ground at TBS. That screws up the numbers that the personnel/manpower branch come up with, and being that sh!t rolls downhill, those that switched usually ended up talking to "the man."

Getting out of an air contract once you're in flight school is different. If you try hard and just can't hack it, they'll see the effort and be more likely to reward you with an MOS you want than if you simply decide you'd rather go play in the dirt than fly (after IFS that is).

 

[Broadsword2004]

Well a shortage of pilots is good for would-be aviators

Just wondering, but does one get to decide if they go to jets or helicopters of props and then which jet or helo or prop you fly is decided by grades and Marine Corps needs, or is everything decided by grades and Marine needs, and just if you do well in everything, and say choose jets, you'll be a lot more likely to get jets??

 

[el_bastardo]

Well a shortage of pilots is good for would-be aviators

Just wondering, but does one get to decide if they go to jets or helicopters of props and then which jet or helo or prop you fly is decided by grades and Marine Corps needs, or is everything decided by grades and Marine needs, and just if you do well in everything, and say choose jets, you'll be a lot more likely to get jets??

Short answer: Yes.

 

[FlyHalf]

gaijin6423 -
I meant nothing by saying 'Marine Pilot.' I want to be a Marine. Bottom Line. I will take any MOS (intel, logo, infantry, SNA, NFO, etc), as long as I'm a Marine. I would just rather not go through 10 weeks of PLC and 6 mo. of TBS and sit behind a desk for 4 years, but thats just me. If I go through all of that, I want to be able to actually shoot at the enemy!

Once again I have nothing against be an aviator. They are still Marines, aren't they. And in the end, all I want is a chance to be a Marine Officer.

 

[Crowbar]

I will take any MOS (intel, logo, infantry, SNA, NFO, etc), as long as I'm a Marine. I would just rather not go through 10 weeks of PLC and 6 mo. of TBS and sit behind a desk for 4 years, but thats just me.

Ummmm, what do you think intelligence and logistics officers do lots of? Sitting behind desks. In fact, if you can't spell "officer" without "office". It's just a fact of life. As an officer you will spend time behind a desk, some MOS's more than others. Whether or not you are chained to your desk is somewhat up to you. I did a year in Maintenance Department, Quality Assurance to be exact, (a "desk" job) but spent the majority of my time out of the office. Even infantry, in garrison you will have reports and admin duties to deal with that will put you in an office. I don't like it any more than the next guy, but that's just how it is.
Don't let that deter you, there are plenty of good MOS's out there for our officers, you just have to make the best of your time and get out as much as you can.

 

[Broadsword2004]

Sometimes I wonder what makes the OSO's become OSO's; I know I sure wouldn't want that, especially after all that training. My own OSO told me he asked for that job personally, to be closer to his wife since he was otherwise stuck in California (don't know what his original MOS was).

 

[Clux4]

Ummmm, what do you think intelligence and logistics officers do lots of? Sitting behind desks. In fact, if you can't spell "officer" without "office". It's just a fact of life. As an officer you will spend time behind a desk, some MOS's more than others. Whether or not you are chained to your desk is somewhat up to you. I did a year in Maintenance Department, Quality Assurance to be exact, (a "desk" job) but spent the majority of my time out of the office. Even infantry, in garrison you will have reports and admin duties to deal with that will put you in an office. I don't like it any more than the next guy, but that's just how it is.
Don't let that deter you, there are plenty of good MOS's out there for our officers, you just have to make the best of your time and get out as much as you can.

What did you work on QA (I mean you primary MOS)?

 

[sublime259]

Sometimes I wonder what makes the OSO's become OSO's; I know I sure wouldn't want that, especially after all that training. My own OSO told me he asked for that job personally, to be closer to his wife since he was otherwise stuck in California (don't know what his original MOS was).

you don't join the Marines to be an OSO, it is a b-billet, or a job you do after your first tour in the fleet is over

 

[skidkid]

A couple of things. Yes OSO is a b-billet which means a little home evrynight witht eh family time after a few years in the fleet that looks appealing to some.
It is not necessarily easier to get an air slot but it is very hard to get people that can pass the test and the physical so if you can do both you will get some pressure to put in an air package. That does not mean that you cant drop it later and be a grunt or something but it is noce to have if youre not sure then you can go to TBS and if you like ground stuff drop it if you get tired of getting rained on keep it.

 

[Broadsword2004]

What exactly do the "test and the physical" consist of??