Forward Air Controller

[Carno]

Well, I have an air contract right now, but I am really torn about what I want to do in the Marines. I really want to fly, but at the same time I also really want to be an infantry officer. I realize that I would have to compete in TBS in order to get an infantry MOS, and I also realize that I might be giving up a sure thing for a not so sure thing. That whole "a bird in the hand" thing.. I seriously am like 50/50 between infantry and aviation.

So anyway, this brings me to the main point of this thread. What is it like being a forward air controller? Anyone here done that as their B billet? How hard is it to get FAC as a B billet? I'm still not really sure what a B billet really entails. I basically only know that it's 3 years in the A billet, 1 year in the B billet.

Is it worth it to give up my air contract in order to try for the infantry, or would being a forward air controller satisfy my infantry leanings (assuming I could get FAC as my B billet)?

Thanks for any input.

EDIT: for some who do not understand, this thread is not about me dropping my air contract and going ground. I am asking for information on being a FORWARD AIR CONTROLLER.

 

[Rainman]

If you are working ahead of your career timetable, you will have no problem getting a FAC tour. Some FAC tours are more infantry than others; you'll have many years to figure all that out, especially if you're a fixed wing guy. Some FAC tours like with ANGLICO allow a mid our senior captain to lead a bunch of Marines and a more junior Captain to lead sticks--kinda a unique situation for aviator types. Those tours are like 18 months vice the traditional 11 month FAC tour because you go to more schools.

Bottom line--only you can know if being a FAC will satiate your desire to lead Marines in combat (on the ground).

 

[skidkid]

I did a FAC tour and honestly it was pretty close to my best tour to date.
I was in your shoes, I almost gave up my air contract for tanks because I bought into the TBS/OCS leading Marines line. Thank God I didnt. I have led Marines in both the Wing and Division and yes it is the most rewarding thing going but I have also flown which is pretty fucking cool.
A few guy that I went to TBS with got tanks and infantry and then augmented to logistics or adjutant.

The bottom line is that as an aviator I have held a combat MOS both in the air and on the ground and loved both, as a grunt that is all you will do its not like you can go fly as a B billet.

Think long and hard about this one and feel free to PM me with questions, there are guys that washed out of flight school in the Grunts but noone washed out of Infantry to flight school.

 

[E6286]

I am with Carno, especially because I ended up becoming part of Mission and switching to NFO for some strange reason even though I was fully qualified for SNA. Now I am second guessing the decision as I hear more and more about NFO being a thankless job and I, too, have the leading Marines in combat bug.

However, I have also heard that dropping that Air contract won't necessarily be easy so I guess I am SOL for now and will just be happy being a Marine should I earn those bars in a few months.

 

[HeyJoe]

I am with Carno, especially because I ended up becoming part of Mission and switching to NFO for some strange reason even though I was fully qualified for SNA. Now I am second guessing the decision as I hear more and more about NFO being a thankless job and I, too, have the leading Marines in combat bug.

However, I have also heard that dropping that Air contract won't necessarily be easy so I guess I am SOL for now and will just be happy being a Marine should I earn those bars in a few months.

"That's Crazy Talk!" NFOs are a fully accepted part of Naval Aviation* whether is be in Marine or Navy squadrons. Those squadrons are also commanded by NFOs alternately with pilots. NFOs have risen to 4 star rank in both services. Enough with the "negative waves"!!!

*I might agree that USAF is partial to pilots in command opportunities but not in the Dept of the Navy (both services). Don't take good natured kidding from single anchor types turn you off. I went to Pensacola as an SNA and got the whammy from NAMI, but did not hestitate to be a SNFO and never for a moment thought I was in a thankless job. The services squeeze the most out of everyone.

 

[mmx1]

Man, those DI's really get to you, don't they? You're the third guy I know who wants to drop an air contract and go infantry. I've been tossing the idea around for a while and wanted to see if I could go ground and later go through a Field Accession board to go air. What it came down to would be that I'd be tossing away a guarantee to flight school to try my chances with the hardest way to get into flight school.

 

[Brett327]

I totally agree w/ HJ, but I'll take the contrarian view. If you don't have a passion for flying and are ambivalent about your career choice, go grunt and leave the flight slots for those who really want them. If you think NFOs are ancillary members of the flight crew, or otherwise less important then their single anchor brethren, by all means, go grunt. There are plenty of folks who know better that would kill for the air slot you have right now.

Brett

 

[Carno]

Hah, I didn't mean to give the impression that I am ambivalent about my air contract; quite the contrary.. I am extremely grateful to have gotten it and I love flying, but I can't help but want to be in the infantry as well. And I see being a FAC as a means to satisfy my ground leanings.

That's why I really want to find out more info about being a forward air controller... I only explained my reasonings so people wouldn't be all, "well you have to want to be a Marine first, then an officer, then an aviator, then whatever B billet, blah blah blah" like you all have the tendency to do. Or the old, "why are you thinking so far down the road, you're not even commissioned yet, you should be worrying about finishing college first, etc, etc, ad nausuem."

Anyways, thanks for all of the opinions and knowledge, I really appreciate it. I'm still not exactly sure how B billets are chosen or assigned though. How exactly does one find out what B billet they will be doing?

 

[Killer2]

You know getting that grunt slot isn't as easy as it you dreaming it is. I knew two guys to grow through Delta Co. and neither one got 0302. You have 75-100 guys going for the "Tip of the Spear" and only 30-40 are getting it. I have talked to several super studs, incl my Platoon Commanders at OCS and they both told me learn one phrase "Needs of the Marine Corps."

About being NFO, you know its what you make of it, like a lot of other things in life. I am not and NFO yet but I read enough stuff on here and have had the op to talk to many more and I like the idea of controling a large part of the mission, even if I am not the stick monkey.

What ever you do good luck.

S/F
Killer

 

[Carno]

You know getting that grunt slot isn't as easy as it you dreaming it is. I knew two guys to grow through Delta Co. and neither one got 0302. You have 75-100 guys going for the "Tip of the Spear" and only 30-40 are getting it. I have talked to several super studs, incl my Platoon Commanders at OCS and they both told me learn one phrase "Needs of the Marine Corps."

I have no fantasies or illusions about what it takes to get an infantry slot. I know that everyone with a ground contract competes for their MOS. That's why I said it would be giving away a sure thing for something I might never get at all.

 

[DocT]

Carno, I had similar feelings about my aircontract, especially after I found out that I had an SNA contract two and a half years after I signed it. However, somebody gave me great advice: things happen for a reason. Now I'm really excited for my opportunity to do something so many people only dream of.

 

[KBayDog]

I only explained my reasonings so people wouldn't be all, "well you have to want to be a Marine first, then an officer, then an aviator, then whatever B billet, blah blah blah" like you all have the tendency to do.

Easy with the attitude, killer. You were doing good with an honest question and reasonable concerns, until you starting posting this trash.

Maybe we "all have the tendency" to talk like that because it is the truth. And, if we are "all" saying it, perhaps it is something you might want to pay attention to, because there is a good chance many of us are speaking from experience.

If you don't care to hear that advice, well...

Or the old, "why are you thinking so far down the road, you're not even commissioned yet, you should be worrying about finishing college first, etc, etc, ad nausuem."

You are not talking about a FAC tour. You are talking about dropping your air contract prior to TBS. That's not so far down the road. The guys prepping for NPS after getting their NROTC acceptance letters - THOSE are the guys who are thinking so far down the road.

If you think you are 50/50 now, you will be 90/10 grunt at TBS. I don't know what the current climate is as far as dropping your contract in Quantico, but you will probably get bitten by the infantry bug there. If you are that torn now, you will most likely want to pursue the 0302 route once you play G.I. Joe with Kung-Fu Grip, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Do yourself (and the Corps) a favor and continue to do your homework, ask questions, heed advice, and make your decision. However, like Brett said, if your heart isn't into aviation, drop your contract early and compete for a ground slot. It will only become harder to drop your contract later on, and there are at least dozens of well-deserving folks who would give anything to be where you are now.

Good luck.

 

[mmx1]

You are not talking about a FAC tour. You are talking about dropping your air contract prior to TBS. That's not so far down the road. The guys prepping for NPS after getting their NROTC acceptance letters - THOSE are the guys who are thinking so far down the road.

Just in his defense, because I know how he feels, he's weighing the FAC experience against going grunt from the get-go, and he's asking if the FAC billet'll get him the mud and grunt leadership that he craves.

I don't know if this is how he feels, but I know my attitude is I want BOTH, which is why I looked into the field accession boards. Push comes to shove, I'm going aviation. I don't think it's about him being less enthusiastic about aviation but just not knowing which one he'd like to do more.

Carno, if you're gung-ho about getting both, you can get into flight school after having served a few years as Infantry through the Field Accession Board; the catch is that it's real tough and selective; less than 10 slots open up a year through that pipeline; sometimes none.

 

[Carno]

Sorry, that wasn't meant to be attitude.. More like a joke; maybe I should have added a smilie or something. Guess I'm only funny in person But that does happen a lot in this forum and it is mildly annoying.

And no, I think I know what I was asking when I posted this thread. I was explaining my background so yall would know what I was feeling, and maybe could help me out. And some of you did, which I appreciate.

But please, read my previous posts I already addressed some of the issues you had with my attitude in an earlier post.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[KBayDog]

I did my homework before I posted, thank you.