Future Marine with lots of questions.....

[irondevildawg]

Hello,

Background:
I am an engineering student at NJIT. I have taken the spring semester off and will be attending Boot Camp and then Infantry School for the USMC. After that, I will be in the reserves while I finish the last year and a half of my degree. My questions center around PLC, and for qualifying, I here good SATS (1290), good grades (3.9gpa), and extra curricular activities help (Highly qualified member of Volunteer First Aid and Heavy Rescue Squad).

The Questions:
How much do good SATS (1290), good grades (3.9gpa), and extra curricular activities help (Highly qualified member of Volunteer First Aid and Heavy Rescue Squad) help in qualifying for PLC-Aviation, and what might set one person apart from the next?
What determines the aircraft you fly if you pursue a flight contract (for me, via PLC-Aviation)?
While an aviator, what are the rotations (i.e. minimum 1 yr on an aircraft carrier, minimum 1 yr overseas, etc...)? Are there typical land/sea rotations an aviator will have? Also, as you gain rank and experience, do you have any say at all in where you might be stationed?
Is it possible to have a good marriage and be a pilot at the same time?
Is it possible to lateral into the Air National Guard after your 20 years? For a more stable slot (in a fighter unit)? Or can you lateral after 10 years and finish your 20 years for retirement with the ANG?

Thanks for all your help,


Semper Fi

-Eric

 

[slasher]

Do a search on this site for in-depth answers as these questions have been asked several times.

That said, I'll get you started. Your stats look fine for PLC, but the most important factor is agruably your PFT score. Keep striving for that 300, and you'll do fine.

The aircraft platform you end up with depends wholly on your performance in flight school and the needs of the Marines, your preference also comes into play, but has nothing to do with what commissioning program you choose.

 

[EA-6B1]

Is it possible to lateral into the Air National Guard after your 20 years? For a more stable slot (in a fighter unit)? Or can you lateral after 10 years and finish your 20 years for retirement with the ANG?

Never thought about this... is this possible?

 

[phrogdriver]

It's definitely poss to go Guard after leaving the Corps. However, you will be a reservist, with a reserve retirement--you don't start getting checks until you're in your 60s. You can get civil service jobs in the ANG, which can get you a federal civilian retirement, which isn't quite the same as military.

 

[riley]

There is a harrier pilot on this forum somewhere (I forgot his tagline) that flys C-5's for the Air Guard now.

Also, one of the F-16 pilots in Afghanistan from the Air Gurd unit (Idaho - I think, can't remember) that was put on trial for accidentaly bombing the canadian unit was a former Navy F-18 pilot. I know for sure he didn't have his 20 in before switching to guard

 

[Skid27]

If you spend 10 years on active duty and then moved to a Title 10 AGR position in ANG you could retire at 20 with the same benefits as if you had been on active duty.

 

[phrogdriver]

You cannot go reserve/guard AFTER your 20. Think about it. You retire from the Corps, start getting your 50% checks, then go back into the military and start getting another military paycheck? It's called double-dipping, and is illegal.