I've already picked out my college and know I'll be doing nrotc there next year (scholarship or college program). I've always wanted to fly for the Navy, but after a visit with the rotc unit at the college and talking with some Marines I'm thinking of doing the Marine option. The Marine guarantee aviation program has caught my eye. I've always toyed with the Marine idea and now this program has made my choice tougher. Well anyways my question is for anyone who has gone through either the Marine option for rotc or the Navy and their thoughts on it. Also, if there are any Marine fleet pilots on the board that can pm me that'd be great, got some deployment questions aswell.
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nrotc
- Thread starter vanity
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The first thing that you need to realize when considering the Marine aviation guarantee option, is that first and foremost you will be a Marine. Not a jab at anyone in any way, but the lifestyle/expectations are different for Marine option mids compared to their Navy counterparts. If being a Marine officer (vs a Navy one) is something that sounds appealing to you, then I would recommend going MO. Back when I was first getting into the program, the aviation guarantee sounded appealing for sure. I definitely considered it for a while, but eventually decided that it wasn't for me. I have a lot of respect for Marines, but I realized that at the end of the day, that wasn't the lifestyle that I wanted. If you do well, you can get a pilot/NFO slot in either service, so I would not recommend basing your decision solely on the aviation guarantee. Either option is a good one, so you will have to decide which one fits you better. Good luck with your decision!
purduenavy
BDCP SNA
If you want to be a Marine Pilot, you might as well go PLC and you can be garenteed flight from the get go. It's a very good deal, I have a lot of friends that are doing it.
Not a Marine, but I think that garuentee only means that if you get a pilot slot then you get to go to flight school, just like the navy, or else pick up a MOS after TBS like the rest of the nonflyers.
you do still have to qualify for the aviation guarantee program.....not sure what the requirements are aside from passing the flight physical (someone who knows chime in), but the nice thing for some people is knowing that they will be going to flight school, even before they are committed to their commissioning program.
From what I have gathered, you take the ATSB and some other tests and if you pass you get an aviation slot. Talked with a Marine hornet pilot the other day down in Daytona and he said very few people recieve pilot training slots out of basic since the guarantee program fills them all. So I think its the same as the Navy except you just find out sooner than your senior year. This is what I have concluded from talking to people, if any of this is wrong please correct me.
The ASTB is the only test you have to take. Get (and pass) a flight physical and you can apply for an aviation (SNA or SNFO) contract. This time last year I was hearing rumblings that even freshmen and sophomore Marine options were being allowed to submit requests for air contracts. With PLC you find out if you got approved for air when you find out if you got into the program period.
If you're still 'toying' with the idea and you get an NROTC scholarship, your best bet would probably be to take the scholarship and do Navy option for a semester or two. As soon as you start school, though, talk to some of the Marine option mids and find out what it's like for them. Talk to the MECEPs and people who have finished OCS to find out what the training is like. Then if you're still interested, sit down with the AMOI and MOI and talk to them about changing your option. I think most schools with put you on what amounts to a probationary period where you PT and do all training evolutions with the Marines, but are still not 'one of them'. If after that period (semester or so) ends you still think the Marine Corps is for you, you can submit a change of option request. It's not a gimme, you have to do more than fog the proverbial mirror to get it done, but it happens is a possibility.
From there on out, it's OCS, TBS, MOS (or flight) school, and the fleet.
Edit: Don't get too wrapped up around deployments for now, you aren't even in college yet.
Yanni
Midshipman
I'm currently a scholarship Marine Option MIDN 4/C, so I just started this, and I'll agree with previous posts much much more is demanded of an MO then a Navy option. You PT more, you have higher uniform standards, and you are up more humping a pack or whatever. You are being trained for a totally different mission then the Navy. I would never think of switching and in my opinion getting up every morning is worth it, cause you'll be a Marine because of it. Just don't look at it as a way to get a pilot slot cause, thats more determined by your performance at TBS. Either way go green you won't regret it, just be ready to work. Hoorah, Good Luck with the decision.
Or you could get a flight contract BEFORE TBS like most people do.
nrotcbruin
Registered User
Well, foremost you will be a Marine. The training is tough in ROTC, but if you can hack it then I think you should do it. I've been hearing that the Marines are hurting for pilots right now so I guess now would be the time. At my unit, the few MOs we have want to go pilot. One got guaranteed for pilot albeit he passes the physical and completes OCS next summer.
I do everything the MOs do even though I'm a Navy option. The reason I do it is because I want to go Spec Ops and Marine PT helps my running a lot. You need to understand that you have to do OCS between your junior and senior year of college, and OCS is no walk in the park. Two MOs got dropped from OCS due to several reasons. It's hardcore and you need to definitely prepare yourself.
I rather prefer the Navy, not only because of the lifestyle, but because you can't to EOD in the Marines as an officer so that is my main reason for not going Marines.
I do everything the MOs do even though I'm a Navy option. The reason I do it is because I want to go Spec Ops and Marine PT helps my running a lot. You need to understand that you have to do OCS between your junior and senior year of college, and OCS is no walk in the park. Two MOs got dropped from OCS due to several reasons. It's hardcore and you need to definitely prepare yourself.
I rather prefer the Navy, not only because of the lifestyle, but because you can't to EOD in the Marines as an officer so that is my main reason for not going Marines.