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Marine Pilot VS Navy Pilot

picklesuit

Dirty Hinge
pilot
Contributor
Are you worried about something specific? Might want to have an idea what the answer is ahead of time...
 

jtmedli

Well-Known Member
pilot
Thanks for your responses. My Navy recruiter says that once I start OCS, I can no longer walk away even before I receive my commission. Is this correct information? I find it strange that I would owe the military service that early on when I received no financial support for my college education. My Navy recruiter is also not giving me a clear answer as to whether my flight physical is before or after I receive my commission. She's really hard to get info from, whereas my OSO for the Marines has been really helpful.

Flight Physical is the first week of OCS and is VERY particular. Lots of guys get the NAMI Whammy that week. Have your shit in a sock before you get there. Also, the rigors of OCS (shitty diet, lack of sleep) cause people's bodies to do weird stuff. One guy in my class got popped for Anemia. Newsflash: He's not anemic but that took 10 weeks to sort out. If you get through that physical then you're probably fine. My API physical in Pcola was quick and easy, FWIW.
 

mshaff12

Pro Rec - SNA
Flight Physical is the first week of OCS and is VERY particular. Lots of guys get the NAMI Whammy that week.

Thanks for your response. Do you know if the guys who got disqualified that first week of OCS were able to walk away, or were they required to stay in the Navy?
 

zippy

Freedom!
pilot
Contributor
My flight physical at NAMI is scheduled for February 5th. Do I have to take a second flight physical after TBS? My OSO made it sound like I'm guaranteed to fly with Marines since I'm qualified at NAMI before going to OCS. Honest question, I just want to make sure I have all of the correct info before making my decision.

I believe that both services you get NAMI'd a second time when you get down to Pcola to start flight school, and have flight physicals yearly after that. If you've already passed NAMI once chances are you'll pass it again unless you fuck yourself up pretty badly between physicals.
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
I believe that both services you get NAMI'd a second time when you get down to Pcola to start flight school, and have flight physicals yearly after that. If you've already passed NAMI once chances are you'll pass it again unless you fuck yourself up pretty badly between physicals.
Like a car accident. Trust me...a minor car accident can ruin your military flying aspirations.
 

Max the Mad Russian

Hands off Ukraine! Feet too
3. If you want to fly go Navy. If you want to be a Marine Officer go Marines. If you want to go airlines in the future go Navy. If you want to be a Marine Officer go Marines. If you want quality of life go Navy. If you want to be a Marine Officer go Marines. If you want to spend time with your family go Navy. If you want to be a Marine Officer go Marines.

My two cents. From pure Machiavellian standpoint, it means people will rather choose Marines. Human nature is irrational.
This refrain is a challenge. Youth likes challenges...
By the way, is it possible in nowaday USN for NA to get a sea tour with deployed Marine squadron of the same type (say legacy Hornet) and vice versa?
According to S.Coonts' book "The Intruders" it have been possible in the past.
 

afsf1

Active Member
Thanks for all of your advice, this helps a lot. Your messages are making me lean more Navy. My only fear is going through OCS and failing my flight physical. Marines is more of a guarantee since the flight physical is before any commitment.


For Navy:

Flight physical at OCS, if you fail it you can walk away, or redesignate to whatever you choose assuming you qualify (They will hold you until spots open up, a buddy of mine was held there for 5 months to get what he wanted after NPQ from SNA).

At the end of OCS you commission, likely get a little OHARP, then go down to pcola to begin IFS/API. Once you get down to pcola one of the first things you do will be another flight physical; if you fail and are NPQ for NFO as well you will go to a redes board and will have to select 5 communities (including SWO). You have to be okay with spending the remainder of your 3.x year commitment doing something non flying with the USN, as the option to separate will likely not be there.
 
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mshaff12

Pro Rec - SNA
For Navy:

Flight physical at OCS, if you fail it you can walk away, or redesignate to whatever you choose assuming you qualify (They will hold you until spots open up, a buddy of mine was held there for 5 months to get what he wanted after NPQ from SNA).

At the end of OCS you commission, likely get a little OHARP, then go down to pcola to begin IFS/API. Once you get down to pcola one of the first things you do will be another flight physical; if you fail and are NPQ for NFO as well you will go to a redes board and will have to select 5 communities (including SWO). You have to be okay with spending the remainder of your 3.x year commitment doing something non flying with the USN, as the option to separate will likely not be there.
Wow this helps a lot, thank you.
 

Caesium

Blue is my favorite color
(They will hold you until spots open up
Wait really?

You mean if I am DQ'd from aviation and I want to redes to Intel but there are only SWO slots available, I can wait until an Intel slot opens up? It's not that I don't trust you, but that seems counter to everything else I've ever read on here.
 

afsf1

Active Member
Wait really?

You mean if I am DQ'd from aviation and I want to redes to Intel but there are only SWO slots available, I can wait until an Intel slot opens up? It's not that I don't trust you, but that seems counter to everything else I've ever read on here.

This info changes all the time, but yes, that is correct.
 

DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
Wait really?

You mean if I am DQ'd from aviation and I want to redes to Intel but there are only SWO slots available, I can wait until an Intel slot opens up? It's not that I don't trust you, but that seems counter to everything else I've ever read on here.

This is fishy at best. Curious to know the poster's source / experience.
 

afsf1

Active Member
This seems fishy... at best. What's your source?
Source is being an early summer OCS grad and having a friend wait until the FY rolls over to get a designator he was happy with.

He was stashed with all the med holds etc. in the mean time.

edit: My initial quote was taken out of context; I was only referring to being NPQ while in Newport.

If you are NPQ'd down in pcola and are redesignating out of aviation (not to SNFO) I am unsure of the exact process; I do know you select 5 designators (SWO is required to be one of them; separation is not a valid choice) and then submit your application to a board where the communities pick and choose who they want.

edit2: Keep in mind things change all the time; it wasn't too long ago people were being separated if they DORd/NPQd/etc. from flight training for example....
 
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PMPT

Well-Known Member
USMC redoes the NAMI physical? Hrm ... one eye was perilously close to 20/40 when I was there and I'm not sure the (bad or incorrect) prescription for corrective lenses I was given has helped...
 
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