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How many pilots are prior enlisted?

Ventus

Weather Guesser
pilot
Is there some sort of statistic that shows percentage of pilots who were prior enlisted compared to pilots who went through OCS straight after college?
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
If there were, it would be constantly changing. I've been in squadrons with 1-2, and I've been in squadrons with 5-6. Why do you ask?
 

IKE

Nerd Whirler
pilot
I doubt such a summary statistic exists. I commissioned through STA-21, but my "commissioning source" is listed as ROTC (STA-21 isn't a coded option.) This is the field usually pulled to show distribution and attrition rates by commissioning method.
 

Ventus

Weather Guesser
pilot
I really want to be a Marine pilot. However I was not selected for PLC two years in a row and I only have one year of college left. I was also told that for this year and next year there are no active duty pilot slots for OCC. I have not considered anything else after college other than military and was contemplating enlisting in the Marines first and then try for officer, or try to go officer in the Air Force or Navy instead.
 

jtmedli

Well-Known Member
pilot
I really want to be a Marine pilot. However I was not selected for PLC two years in a row and I only have one year of college left. I was also told that for this year and next year there are no active duty pilot slots for OCC. I have not considered anything else after college other than military and was contemplating enlisting in the Marines first and then try for officer, or try to go officer in the Air Force or Navy instead.

Read the other post on this forum. You will see that's a terrible idea. Enlisting DOES NOT = becoming an officer in any way, shape, or form. If you want to be an officer and aviator, then that's what you should do. Enlisting will not get you closer to that goal.
 

Ventus

Weather Guesser
pilot
I guess it's just bad timing. I found out they have basically stopped all air contracts out of OCC for the next two years.
 

jtmedli

Well-Known Member
pilot
I guess it's just bad timing. I found out they have basically stopped all air contracts out of OCC for the next two years.

Then go fly for someone else if that's what you want to do. Air Force, Navy, and Army are all good options.
 

eas7888

Looking forward to some P-8 action
pilot
Contributor
I guess it's just bad timing. I found out they have basically stopped all air contracts out of OCC for the next two years.

If you really want to fly, don't take being an Army Warrant Officer off the table. To some, it may not seem as sexy as flying that jet and dropping bombs, but I assure you, those guys do some amazing things.

Also, as jtmedi pointed out, if you want to be an officer, do not enlist unless you're comfortable with the idea that you may never be able to become an officer. Being accepted off the street or fresh out of college is difficult enough. Getting the necessary evals/quals/recommendations as an enlisted member just to consider applying is even more difficult. I won't say it's impossible, because there are those who have done it on this board, but think very carefully before you sign any papers and understand the consequences. Read up on the forum, and you'll see there are a number of other threads and posts that discuss this very same topic.
 

Ventus

Weather Guesser
pilot
Then go fly for someone else if that's what you want to do. Air Force, Navy, and Army are all good options.
I have considered that. I'm setting up to take the AFOQT in a few weeks and I've heard that Navy is getting full on pilots as well.
If you really want to fly, don't take being an Army Warrant Officer off the table. To some, it may not seem as sexy as flying that jet and dropping bombs, but I assure you, those guys do some amazing things.

Also, as jtmedi pointed out, if you want to be an officer, do not enlist unless you're comfortable with the idea that you may never be able to become an officer. Being accepted off the street or fresh out of college is difficult enough. Getting the necessary evals/quals/recommendations as an enlisted member just to consider applying is even more difficult. I won't say it's impossible, because there are those who have done it on this board, but think very carefully before you sign any papers and understand the consequences. Read up on the forum, and you'll see there are a number of other threads and posts that discuss this very same topic.

I don't know why, but I told myself that I wouldn't join the after having considered the Marines because I would feel like I wasn't good enough, no disrespect for the Army. That's just not the uniform I want to wear and tell other people that I'm apart of. I wouldn't want to be a Warrant Officer as I considered dropping out of College at one point to do that. I'm finishing college this year and going back to Warrant Officer would be like going backwards to me. If I don't go Officer or at least Marine enlisted I'll feel like I've failed myself.

To be honest, I am not comfortable with the idea that I may never become an officer. I always thought that enlisting first would get me more experience and how to be a marine along with physical fitness to go with my college degree to help me eventually get accepted to be an officer.

At this point, if being a pilot simply isn't in the cards for me, I could convince myself to go Ground Contract for OCC.
 

eas7888

Looking forward to some P-8 action
pilot
Contributor
I don't know why, but I told myself that I wouldn't join the after having considered the Marines because I would feel like I wasn't good enough, no disrespect for the Army. That's just not the uniform I want to wear and tell other people that I'm apart of. I wouldn't want to be a Warrant Officer as I considered dropping out of College at one point to do that. I'm finishing college this year and going back to Warrant Officer would be like going backwards to me. If I don't go Officer or at least Marine enlisted I'll feel like I've failed myself.

This is just me speaking, since I was a prior Army guy, but you should never judge the Army by what you 'think' you know. Having a college degree and becoming a warrant officer doesn't mean that you're "going backwards" at all. If you were good enough to be selected for WOCS and the flight training program, you would find many of your peers have college degrees. A flying warrant is probably one of the best gigs you'll find in the Army. Furthermore, if you feel that being enlisted in the Marine Corps is a better option than being a W.O. in the Army, then I think your logic isn't something I can begin to understand.

Best of luck to you, and I hope you get what you want. If you're dead set on being a Marine, and don't care about flying, Semper Fi. Otherwise, Semper Gumby.
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
Army Warrant Officer is going backwards but enlisted Marine is not..... Give me a fucking break.

The brainwashing is deep in this wanna-be with no clue about real world military service.

I think there is a good reason you keep getting rejected for Marine PLC.
 

KBayDog

Well-Known Member
Ventus, everyone has their own motives for joining (or not joining) the military, and it's no harm, no foul if you decide that the Army is not for you. That said, Army WO helicopter pilots are some of the best, most experienced helicopter pilots in the military. I serve with quite a few of them, and not a day goes by where I don't learn a thing or two from them and their experiences.

While I have no regrets with my career, "If I had known then know now," I could quite possibly be an Army WO right now.
 

HueyCobra8151

Well-Known Member
pilot
Yeah, I wouldn't want to be an Army WO Pilot either man, too much flight time, not enough ground job stuff, and it seems like they just do way too much troops in zone and warheads on foreheads...

Seriously, I think the Army is probably at the very least worth looking into. I think that just about everything they fly either has a sexy aircraft, a sexy mission, or both (looking at you MH-6's!)

Of course...there is a downside...
AS.jpg
 

pourts

former Marine F/A-18 pilot & FAC, current MBA stud
pilot
I dunno, my Army buddy often tells me that he wishes he had joined the Marine Corps. He's an officer with multiple deployments and just finished SF selection.

I sure as hell am happy I am not in the Army. Color me brainwashed.
 
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