Interested in USMC Aviation.

[Jafar]

Akoni78- Congrats if you opt to do this thing. I'm in the process as well and it's been a life long dream.

Originally posted by akoni78

-Would I have to attend regular boot camp before OCS?
Thanks again.

I'll take this one.

No. Boot camp and OCS are two different places. Boot camp is the path to becoming an enlisted Marine. OCS is the path to becoming an Officer of Marines. Now granted, some of us have been to both, but that is generally the exception. I went to boot camp at 18, and then PLC Juniors at 19 while in the Marine reserve as a Lcpl. There are similarities between Boot Camp and OCS, yes, but there are also big differences. About 80% of Marine Officers have never been to boot camp. I believe it's about the same in the other services, if not a slightly higher percentage. Some enlisted people complain about this causing a certain lack of understanding between officers and enlisted. However I personally see it as being exactly how it should be. The Marine Corps produces the finest officers in the world regardless of whether they were prior enlisted or not. Don't let anyone fool you about that.

That's where my response to that question will end because that about sums up my experience in this endevour. However there is one thing you mentioned that needs to be looked into. You said you have an engineering degree? First off, PLC is strictly for undergrads. (Unless something has radically changed recently) OCC is for grads. My OSO recently announced that OCC was closed for now. No slots at all. Maybe that's just my district, I don't know. But if you can get an OCC slot I'd jump on it. I think that's a great way to go. Less waiting to go to TBS from what I understand.

 

[Goliath112]

Originally posted by akoni78

However, I get hint that some of you don't think I am cut out for the Marines. I must again point out that I feel I was born to fly (not to say that CNATRA will feel the same way), so naturally my motivation would be in the air, yes, I would be a proud Marine Officer in the air, but it would still involve flying. Each "happy" Marine has some motivation or another (or why would they be there?). I'm sure the guy unwillingly shoveling Camel sh*t out of the desert trenches everyday has quite a different outlook than the F/A-18 pilot. No one is a puppet, so while we must, first and foremost, share the common pride and honor of belonging to the best branch the the United States Military, we must not completely discredit our individual goals and passions (for that is a large part of our drive as well).

Hey man, nobody is trying to say you're not cut out to be a marine. The point you're missing is that "being a Marine" is not just some lofty notion and that you saying "I'll be a Marine in the air" is sorta missing the point as well. You'll be a Marine Officer first and foremost. And every Marine is a rifleman first and foremost. Also, ideally every Marine joined to be a Marine first. This is the most important of all.... Every Marine, Sailor, Airmen, Soldier is subject to the "Needs of the {insert service here} first" got it? So sign up, be a Marine first, join the crap shoot and if you don't get Hornets you won't be upset too much cause your primary and ultimate objective is to be Marine Officer, no matter what job you do.... even if that job is "gasp" helo's......

man the wait is killing me

 

[marti]

Well said Goliath

 

[splendid_splinter]

there is a bit of wait time between schools. but mountain exaggerated quite a bit. i was in occ, so i only got ten days leave after ocs. i waited three weeks after tbs(including travel time) before api, got a week to get down here to corpus before primary and waited in the matsg pool here for two weeks.. i know some people that waited a couple months to start api, but they got to knock out phase I of exped warfare school, or work on martial arts, or do that IFS deal. or, worst case scenario, they were hangin out on the beach all summer.. either way, as long as you stay motivated, you'll be able to keep yourself busy.

 

[Rainman]

quite a bit huh?

We really have no way of guessing what the wait would be for this potential candidate. I was speaking of the actual wait times for recent TW5 studs @ NASWF. I understand TW4 doesn't have such a wait or is less or whatever -- good on ya. The "after primary" wait is what recent selectees and those studs posting on this cite have shared. No exageration, just anecdotal evidence.

Also, whether you stay busy with other 'programs' or stash jobs, my point was 3.5 years, maybe more, maybe less. Gotta keep it all in perspective.

Happy Birthday Marines.

 

[davidsin]

Did you consider NAVY or AIR FORCE?? i know it's physically easier, and in some cases more focused on acedemics. I think their planes are a bit more hi-tech also.

They (Corps.) say they have a lot more pilot slots open, but you have to consider the vast majority of those slots are for Helos. USMC has a very limited number of jets compared to the other two branches. I'd really look into Air Force if I were you.

Personally, I wanted to be a grunt. I was a day away from going to Pendleton when I got pulled away for some medical. After that I neandard to the OSO office. That was when I decided to go officer-pilot. My eyes didn't make the pilot cut, so now I'm going for NFO. Now they're telling me that I may have to go ground. In every case I told the OSO that I'm good to go wherever there was a need. I am just illustrating that you have to be flexible and improvise in the Corps. or you'll be sounding like a sobbing lil girl, and the green people don't like that-it hurts morale and damages the Esprit de Corps.

Take the ball and run with it, but measure it first. If it don't work out to your preferences stick with the job you have--it's not a bad job!

Keep in mind that the most glorious job in the Corps. is to be a grunt or leader of grunts. All else, is in support of him.

In the Navy it's Top Gun, Air Force...i don't know (top brainiac or something) Army -Rangers lead the way.

I personally feel that Marines sacrifice the most that's why they have Honor.

bust out the pft (250 and up to be competetive)

that's like 15 pull ups 100 crunches in 2 mins and 22:10 run time.

good luck.

Semper Fi Do or Die GuNg Ho GunG Ho ooH-RaaahHH!!

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

i know joshmountain has said it before, but the chances for getting jets is about the same for all the branches..in looking at the USMC fact file u will see that they are 60% helos and 40% fixed wing, but of that 40% only 30 planes are props, so if you get fixed wing your most likely getting a jet.. i'd really like to know where you can find navy aircraft info, as far as how many jets helos props etc

 

[phrogdriver]

Actually, proportionately, the Marines have a lot more jet slots than the Navy, at least for the next couple of years. The proportion of Navy helo pilots is going to be going WAY up, to the point where there may be another helo training squadron. The Navy jet NSS is going up to 60+, almost 2 standard deviations above average.

BTW, I love the Marine Corps, but as one stays a little longer, one realizes that the other services all play important parts in the puzzle. Being a Marine entails challenges not every servicemember faces, but everyone who raises his/her right hand is making an important sacrifice. There are a lot of things more important than who runs the most.

Phrogs phorever

 

[Rainman]

Hey AR keep in mind that the number (and proportion) of aircraft isn't the same thing as the selection ratios out of primary. I was speaking of selection ratios out of primary (averages over time -- not streaks). Reasons for differences? Two pilots per helo. . # of crews per a/c, time in service for various pilot platforms. . who knows. Also, at the end of primary you aren't selecting fixed wing or helo; you're selecting jet, maritime (C130), or rotary.

Davidsin. . the vast majority of selections are not helo (as I've previously posted on this thread -- maybe just over 50%). Again, past three fiscal years, we select the same % of TacAir as Navy. Considering phrogdrivers comments, I'd say the future looks good for Marine jet aviation.

Knowing you have a running shot in any service, why worry about it right now? Countless students go to primary thinking jets and decide for whatever reason (want to be more crew-based; not ahead of the a/c; don't like aerobatics; want to be done with flight school; want to walk around their a/c and drink a cup of coffee; prefer a mission over another, ie, want to get Marines in the fight. . . etc). Maybe focus on. . .do I want to make a career out of being a military officer. Do I have what it takes to be a part of the ethos known as Marine. etc. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, it doesn't quite sink in until they get through OCS. Good Luck

 

[E5B]

well said Josh....

"You forgot your furtune cookie"

Dirty Harry