OCC-200 Air Contracts pushed back?!

[TTUalumn07]

Wait, you guys signed a ground contract hoping the air contract fairy will come and "poof" you into air once you are medically cleared? I thought when signing contracts the most recent that you sign is the one you are under. I'm confused... What happens when the air doesn't go through in time? DOR? Did you guys check all your bases and make sure it's legit?

I am going as an Air Contract. If something were to come up with my flight physical results that would disqualify me, then I believe that I would be changed to a Ground contract.

That's why they go ahead and get you approved for both Air and Ground.

 

[Slammer2]

THen you still keep your ground contract. OCS is identical for everyone going through regardless of what contract you have. I'm sure most of TBS is too except towards the end (I dont know, I just started). If you really want to be an officer then get on a contract and go train your ass off. If you dont give a crap about all that and just want to be air OR if you care so much about getting air that its worth a "gamble" to you then sign a ground contract and try to get it switched. IF you never get it changed over, you either accept your comission and go to TBS with a ground contract (where you still have a smaller chance of switching over to air) or you quit and dont commission.

 

[Swanee]

Ohhhhhhh, okay. I understand that OCS et all is the same regardless of contract. It sounds like you can accept either contract when you commission? I only signed an SNA contract so I wasn't quite following.

Good luck! I'll see you in Jan.

 

[stevethepilot]

My OSO gave me the scoop.

After your flight physical at Pensacola, your application bounces from one place to another until the medical portion lands at the final stage, NOMI. Apparently there is only one individual who clears all of the air contract medical applications. He is very meticulous, very thorough and as a result the process is not quick. So all these applications are caught at this one bottle neck. Obviously if the medical is not cleared at every stage, the air contract is not valid.

I am unsure exactly how it works, but the way it was explained to me is; the people who have already signed the contract for OCC-200 can roll the dice, switch to a ground contract and go through OCC and hope that in the 10 week period they become cleared for Air and switch before they take their commission. If it doesn't happen, they can take the commission as Ground, then switch to Air in TBS (if and when they're cleared medical), but it is more difficult to do. The down side to this is if you sign both an air and ground contract and your medical is rejected, a ground MOS you will get.

If you've already signed an Air Contract for OCC-200 but been pushed back, the OSO can hold your contract and you can ship in May for 201. If you're planning on going in 201 anyway, get everything done sooner than later to insure that your medical application can go through before you ship.

Keep in mind, I'm not an expert at this particular subject, so if it's not 100% accurate, I apologize. This was all explained to me by my OSO. So, before you make any big decision double check with your OSO. But I didn't need to tell you that.

 

[Slammer2]

Whatever you sign is what you have the option to accept or walk away from. If somehow you end up with one contract and change over to another, then you get that contract. I've known people to do all three choices.

 

[m3urthy]

My OSO gave me the scoop.

After your flight physical at Pensacola, your application bounces from one place to another until the medical portion lands at the final stage, NAMI. Apparently there is only one individual who clears all of the air contract medical applications. He is very meticulous, very thorough and as a result the process is not quick. So all these applications are caught at this one bottle neck. Obviously if the medical is not cleared at every stage, the air contract is not valid.

I am unsure exactly how it works, but the way it was explained to me is; the people who have already signed the contract for OCC-200 can roll the dice, switch to a ground contract and go through OCC and hope that in the 10 week period they become cleared for Air and switch before they take their commission. If it doesn't happen, they can take the commission as Ground, then switch to Air in TBS (if and when they're cleared medical), but it is more difficult to do. The down side to this is if you sign both an air and ground contract and your medical is rejected, a ground MOS you will get.

If you've already signed an Air Contract for OCC-200 but been pushed back, the OSO can hold your contract and you can ship in May for 201. If you're planning on going in 201 anyway, get everything done sooner than later to insure that your medical application can go through before you ship.

Keep in mind, I'm not an expert at this particular subject, so if it's not 100% accurate, I apologize. This was all explained to me by my OSO. So, before you make any big decision double check with your OSO. But I didn't need to tell you that.

Sounds like we. Have the same OSO.

 

[TTUalumn07]

Negativity seems to be spread all through this thread. It was apparent to me in P-cola, that if I had failed any of the tests I would have been told so. All that was being looked at for now was the blood samples...which would be hard to fail IMO.

 

[stevethepilot]

Sounds like we. Have the same OSO.

My OSO is in Berkeley. Capt. Wheatcroft. But I imagine that every OSO is hearing the same thing from their Commanding Officers.

 

[Slammer2]

...If you're planning on going in 201 anyway, get everything done sooner than later to insure that your medical application can go through before you ship...

Right on. The key is to get all your stuff in as early as possible even if you're shooting for a class one or two after the upcoming one. The sooner you get your stuff in the more options you have. Also, theres so many factors involved that sometimes things get screwed up, you or your oso make a mistake, someone somewhere else down the line makes a mistake, bad info was passed and all of a sudden you need form x instead of form y that you turned in, problems with security clearance or orders, etc...

If you get all your stuff in, its less heartache if and when those little hiccups start showing up. Also, its a weight off your shoulders once you get that application finalized and sent in.

But just be mindful of the fact that if you're pretty much locked on, and theres a bunch of candidates about to ship, your OSO might spend a little more attention on the guys who are about to leave and get back to you once he gets them out the door. This is especially true about a month or so right before the ship date.

Keep plugging away gentlemen and best of luck to all

 

[Grnweenie23]

Hmm...I just got selected to 200 TODAY with an Air contract.

 

[CumminsPilot]

I am still waiting on my flight physical to get the stamp from the people down in P'cola. I signed both a ground and Air contract. My OSO says that i will go OCS as a ground Contract and then switched to Air once my contract is approved... Does that sound right to anyone else? i would hate to go through OCS and hear that my packet was not approved for air?!

we have the same OSO, and I signed the ground contract on Saturday at the preship too. It's a little unnerving, but at the same time:

1. Marine Officer first.
2. No reason my flight physical shouldn't come through...it's been at NASP for two months already.
3. I want to go to OCC-200, so I'll do what it takes to get there.
4. If for some unknown reason I get NPQ'd, I don't have to take the commission. It's in my hands after those 10 weeks, not the Marine Corps.

Good luck to everyone else. See you guys in a couple weeks.

 

[fuzzywuzzy]

Good luck to everyone going to OCC-200.

I'm still waiting for some of my waivers to go through, and with the current bottleneck that seems to be taking place, I'll probably be heading to OCC-201.

I think of it like this...What is 5-6 months of extra waiting when you put this into perspective? We are choosing a career, not a job. So in my eyes, getting pushed back to a later class is not a big issue.

 

[Slammer2]

...If for some unknown reason I get NPQ'd, I don't have to take the commission. It's in my hands after those 10 weeks, not the Marine Corps...

I think I know what you meant, but to clear it up:

If you get NPQd at OCS you will not graduate OCS and therefore not have the decision to make whether or not to deny your commission. Its not going to happen at all. If you did good and got NPQd they usually reccommend you to come back to the soonest available class that you are medically/physically ready for. Upon graduating OCS, you then have the power to choose to commission or return to civilian life.

So I assume you were talking about getting NPQd from flight status, but still passing OCS. You really cant lose your air contract at OCS. All the OCS inprocessing and medical stuff is just to ensure that you are qualified to get through OCS. The OCS docs really dont care about waivers for flight down the road. They just care about the stuff that means either you are able to train for OCS, there may be concerns, or if you're unqualified to train at all resulting in an NPQ. Also injuries along the way that are too severe to let you train will result in an NPQ. These are the most common as not too many ship to ocs and get sent home the next 2 days. Most medical is from other reasons.

So if you go to OCS on an air or ground contract it really doesnt matter. TBS is your next chance to attempt to change over to an air contract. I recall on 2 of the forms that I signed last week during inprocessing that they ask if you are intending on competeting for an air slot.

 

[CumminsPilot]

So I assume you were talking about getting NPQd from flight status, but still passing OCS.

Yes, this is what I was talking about.

btw, about an hour after my post I got a call from the OSO saying I was selected and will be attending OCC-200...on the ground contract. Flight physical may go through between now and then, but not worried about it if it doesn't. Should definitely be done by March 20.

 

[m3urthy]

Yes, this is what I was talking about.

btw, about an hour after my post I got a call from the OSO saying I was selected and will be attending OCC-200...on the ground contract. Flight physical may go through between now and then, but not worried about it if it doesn't. Should definitely be done by March 20.

You and I both. 17 days gents.