IOC before API

[Taxman2A]

Is it a safe bet that as an NFO, if I want to be a FAC after my first tour, I can have it? Let's say I am a FAC and I love it even more than flying- Is it possible to extend this tour or will they want to circulate me back into the aviation community?

Also, not that this should be my reasoning for making any decisions, but just out of curiosity-what looks best to the promotion board?

Just wondering, because I would think the current situation involving flooding OCS and TBS with air contracts will create some very ugly situations for all flight guys wanting to go career 10 years from now.

 

[kimphil]

Originally posted by jarhead
hmmmm, basking in the sun with buddies & beer, trying to hook up with the women on the white sandy beach in Pensacola, & studying & getting ready for my MOS .... or humping 75-100 pounds around Quantico for an extra 10 weeks all cammied up, eating MRE's and sleeping with another dude in a fighting hole, while being chewed on by Mosquitoes & Ticks, and running the risk of breaking something & getting DQ'd from flight school ...

Hey, you make IOC sound so glamorous.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mongol General: ...Conan, what is best in life?
Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!
Mongol General: That is good.

 

[jarhead]

Originally posted by kimphil
Hey, you make IOC sound so glamorous.

just calling it like i see it ... don't get me wrong, IOC does some pretty cool sh!t, but i had enough ground-pounding the four (4) years i spent in the Infantry when i was enlisted, and TBS reminded me how much i hated it ... i let the "motivated" ones go haze themselves with IOC ... and trust me, i took full advantage of those 5 months after TBS, from June till Oct, doing nothing but a 4-6 hour a day mon-wed- (sometimes) fri stash job i had with MATSG while i waited to start API, because the Corps will "get me back" in a couple months when i get to the fleet (10-12 hour workdays + deployments)

as for "what looks best to the promotion board?" ... if you get your wings and don't do something dumbsh!t like get a DUI, you're gonna pickup Captain -- it's like picking up LCPL, you're practically guaranteed it -- as for picking up Major, i figure you gotta stay out of trouble & get the right "check in the box", such as AWS .. as for promotions after that, dunno but i hear it possibly entails some ass-kissing (don't qoute me on that though)

to be honest, i haven't seen a two seater F-35 yet so WSO's might wanna be worried about a job in 10 years ...

semper fi

 

[DBLang]

Well they're still going to need ECMO's right?

 

[Taxman2A]

Well... the E/A-6B is supposedly (aka according to websites I have read) going to be phased out in about the same time frame as the F-18. The E/A-6B is supposed to be replaced by the E/A-18 "Growler", which I believe is supposed to be a 2 seater, One pilot and one NFO... Since the growler is supposed to basically be an F-18 that is modified to complete the mission of the E/A-6B, I'm not sure if the extra person in the growler will be a WSO or an ECMO.

 

[Pat1USMC]

The word at NFO school is that the Marine Corps will come up with a F-35 two seater with a seat for a WSO. You haven't seen any two seater F-35s? How do you think you will be trained in one? They will be two seat trainers, and then hopefully they will be converted for a WSO. Of course we are all biased about the situation, but it seems right to me. The F-18 D's aren't going anywhere soon either.

 

[jarhead]

i have no clue other than what Taxman2A said about ECMO's ... to go along with that though, i've read that the Corps might be getting out of the ES/EP business by 2010 ... but i don't know, and don't really care, as long as i have a Prowler attached to my Strike package ...

as for the "How do you think you will be trained in one?" remark, how do you think A-10 pilots train? they don't have any two seat A-10 trainers ... and as for two seat F-35's, like i said, i haven't seen any yet, didn't say there wouldn't be any

Hornets are gonna be around for 10+ more years ... Harriers are gonna be the first to go away

semper fi

Originally posted by Pat1USMC
The word at NFO school is that the Marine Corps will come up with a F-35 two seater with a seat for a WSO. You haven't seen any two seater F-35s? How do you think you will be trained in one? They will be two seat trainers, and then hopefully they will be converted for a WSO. Of course we are all biased about the situation, but it seems right to me. The F-18 D's aren't going anywhere soon either.

 

[Lt_SNA_USMC]

I am in "A" Co TBS and I will say that after TBS, there are very few Marines who want to go to IOC period. Even the guys who got infantry are not REALLY excited about it. Good training yes, but a pain in the butt. Many aviators wanted the opportunity when we started but almost no one does now. TBS does things to you, man. Just wait till you get to TBS and if you still want IOC, then you are better Marine than I am.

 

[airwinger]

I thought long and hard about IOC and had the grades to do it. But I was nursing a knee injury(and back and foot injury but let's not go into it)and the risk of DQ'ing was too much, especially after the MATSG folks came down and discouraged us. Looking back the masochist in me wants to HAVE done it they did get to play alot more, but believe me, I really didn't want to spend any more time in quantico than I had to. As General Jones(ex CMC, now SACEUR) said "My best view of quantico was in the rear view mirror as I drove away"

 

[vsvo]

When I visited a buddy in TBS a couple of years ago he said a bunch of SNA 2LT's wore goggles during the night evolutions because they didn't want to get poked in the eyes running around in the woods at night and DQ. Do folks still do that?

 

[Banjo33]

Oh yeah, for sure! You get on that night land nav course and I swear EVERY tree out there is gunning for your eyes! You'll lose all sorts of trash. Them trees will strip you of everything you own. Nearly EVERYONE (including non SNA's and NFO's) wore the goggles -- until they fogged.

 

[BigWorm]

I am in A company, in another week I will be on the road to Pensacola. There are a few future Marine aviators that don’t have a box between their legs and enjoy the ground side – that is why we are Marines is it not. I was pushing hard to get a slot at IOC, but it did not happen. The reasoning being is that as of right now, there is no pool in FL, and they are trying to bump our orders up to get us there as quick as possible. My friend graduated IOC in December (02), and said that there were 4 pilots with his class. Traditionally if there are any pilot slots open, they will go by lineal ranking on a volunteer basis. It all comes down to timing – if you are there at the right time, and deemed to be a lieutenant that does not suck, then you will be invited.
Just don’t be one of those dip s*#ts that gives up his flight contract for the ground, you will get supply. There is not rule, it is just Mr. Murphy at his finest – I saw this happen to a few people out here.

 

[Banjo33]

Box, huh? Some of us have been there done that and have the T-shirt. When I was 18, yeah, that's why I became a Marine. When I graduated from college, no that's not why I stayed a Marine.

 

[farkle84]

a lot of you are or were in Alpha Co. for TBS. i will be in A Co next time starting Nov. 25. guess i better get lots of cold weather gear.

 

[jarhead]

Originally posted by BigWorm
There are a few future Marine aviators that don’t have a box between their legs and enjoy the ground side – that is why we are Marines is it not.

i'll take the sandy beaches of P'cola any day over IOC, it was my choice ... does that make me have a "box between my legs"? well, considering i was in the Marine Corps when most of you were still in Middle School or less, i think i rate to say things like that ... and not only did i join the Marine Corps in Oct 1991, i was in the Infantry, 0311, i went to MCT, SOI, then spent the next 3 1/2 years in 1st BN 6th Mar, i have more time on deployment than some of you have in the Marine Corps (two 6 months Med floats as well as a 3 month deployment), i was a SAW gunner once, i was a squad leader once, i was a Sgt of Marines once ... and after i pulled my 4 years and got out to goto College, i spent those 4 years of College participating in the Marine Corps Reserves, in an Infantry company ... and i ONLY came back into the Marine Corps to fly, not to play Infantry for another 10 weeks ...

in the end though, it was my choice, it has nothing to do with a "box between my legs"

semper fidelis