Future of NFOs in the Marine Corps?

[AJTranny]

BTW, picking a platform because of its rag is not a good idea even if its a tie breaker. The rag is still more like flight school than the fleet. At least my experience in Lemoore.

 

[MasterBates]

Or for those NFOs on the E-2 or P-3 track, the RAG IS Flight School.

 

[Kickflip89]

S/F syllabus is not a lot of fun, except for 2vX. Then again, strike syllabus is not a lot of fun except for comps. So, based on FS, I think either way you're in for a lot of pain

 

[Casual]

1. Do you have the aptitude/grades to succeed in the Strike-Fighter syllabus?

The difficulty of the strike/fighter syllabus is greatly exaggerated. Don't let that be a factor in your decision.

Also, for tranny, we luckily don't have unknowns or pulse only intercepts anymore.

 

[AJTranny]

Ahh, good to hear.

 

[ea6bflyr]

The difficulty of the strike/fighter syllabus is greatly exaggerated. Don't let that be a factor in your decision.

Also, for tranny, we luckily don't have unknowns or pulse only intercepts anymore.

That said from an Above Average kinda guy.

-ea6bflyr

 

[Casual]

That said from an Above Average kinda guy.

-ea6bflyr

Hah.....that's true.

 

[Biles]

My flight package is currently at the selection board, and even though the doctors at NAMI said that I am good to go for NA, the doc at MCRC is saying that he may only recommend NFO because my pre-PRK vision was poor. I would just like to know what I should expect if the NAMI doc doesn't convince the MCRC doc that I'm good to go and if all of my attempts to switch to NA fail. I'm a FY12 applicant, so I probably won't even get to TBS until late 2012, and it would be somewhere around 2014 when I finish flight school. I just want to make sure I keep my options open and don't get stuck in a crappy spot.

 

[Fog]

If I were a Marine NFO, I would hope the F-35B is a dog & that DOD forces the Corps to buy the Super Hornet "F" model & Growler in sufficient numbers to replace all the D models & Prowlers that are very near the end of their service lives. If that doesn't happen, what will you strap on? Good luck.

 

[Reconjoe]

If that doesn't happen, what will you strap on?.

According to the Fiscal Plan, looks like and I quote "NFO to Pilot transitions will be on the rise". On the other hand it also detailed NFO's as a source to lat move to the new UAV squadrons we're adopting.

As for what actually happens, consult your Ouija board

 

[Fog]

Serious Q, as I'm ancient: Do UAV drivers get flight pay in the various services using them? I think a strong case could be built for either "yes" or "no".

 

[pourts]

Serious Q, as I'm ancient: Do UAV drivers get flight pay in the various services using them? I think a strong case could be built for either "yes" or "no".

No idea, but flight pay is nothing to write home about these days. It is not inflation adjusted.

 

[eas7888]

No idea, but flight pay is nothing to write home about these days. It is not inflation adjusted.

It still adds up to a few thousand a year, doesn't it? That's a fairly significant portion. It's a family vacation...or, more toys in the garage.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Last I checked, F/A-18D's are planned to be in the Marine inventory until 2018. Not sure about the Prowler, but if you winged in the 2014-15 timeframe, you'd probably at least have a tour before you had to go somewhere else.

 

[Flash]

As of FY10 the Marines plan to fly their F/A-18D's until 2017 and their EA-6B Prowlers until 2019 with training stopping for F/A-18D WSO's in FY15 and EA-6B ECMO's in FY17. The dates might slide to the right a little bit with JSF delays (IIRC the original plan was EA-6B retirement in 2018, so it may have already happened a little bit) but I would not count on it too much or that it would be too long of an extension.

Great source for a lot of info about Maine aviation, the Marine Aviation Plan with information from numbers of aircraft in the USMC inventory to how many PEP tour billets there are......wish the Navy put out something like this.