service transfer question...

[scotty008]

I recently met someone who decided to cross over to the Marine Corps from the Navy after completing flight school. He says that he completed flight training with "Navy" jet scores, but was told by the Marines that he qualified for nothing. Already having signed his contract (apparently for the sole purpose of being a Marine pilot rather than an officer of Marines), he tells us he did not get his wings and is obligated to serve in the Corps as a ground officer. This sounds strange to me... Bull****, or merely a serious case of VERY bad luck?

 

[squeeze]

I recently met someone who decided to cross over to the Marine Corps from the Navy after completing flight school. He says that he completed flight training with "Navy" jet scores, but was told by the Marines that he qualified for nothing. Already having signed his contract (apparently for the sole purpose of being a Marine pilot rather than an officer of Marines), he tells us he did not get his wings and is obligated to serve in the Corps as a ground officer. This sounds strange to me... Bull****, or merely a serious case of VERY bad luck?

Sounds like someone throwing out the BS. If you finish primary with a passing NSS, there are slots - whether it's your preferred pipeline or not. Probably just attrited or never tried and is talking himself up or whatnot. Or maybe one of those "I didn't get jets, so I'm DOR-ing" fags.

But yes, if you don't hack it through flight school, the Corps has the option of making you serve out your tour as a ground officer.

 

[TheBubba]

It boils down to this: being qualified to do something in one service doesn't alway transfer to being qualed in another, as each service has its own set of quals for same job.

As for being a Marine (or an officer in any service), you are an officer of that service first and formost, and then a pilot or infantryman or submariner (or whatever) second. If he wasn't qualed to go air for the Marines and he signed a contract with them, then he's going to have to serve his commitment.

That's my take on how it works unless I'm missing something. I think this is a case of the guy not reading the small print and ending up sompleace he didn't want to be. I think it could have been avoided.

ALWAYS read completely before John Hancock'ing a contract.

 

[bunk22]

I recently met someone who decided to cross over to the Marine Corps from the Navy after completing flight school. He says that he completed flight training with "Navy" jet scores, but was told by the Marines that he qualified for nothing. Already having signed his contract (apparently for the sole purpose of being a Marine pilot rather than an officer of Marines), he tells us he did not get his wings and is obligated to serve in the Corps as a ground officer. This sounds strange to me... Bull****, or merely a serious case of VERY bad luck?

Read: an excuse for flunking out of flight school. Total BS on his part.

 

[dk009]

is it even possible for a navy guy to transfer to the marine corps during or after flight school? i would be very interested if it were true.

 

[Penguin]

Transferring to the Marines from the Navy has been an option in the past. Earlier in the year, the Navy had too many SNAs in the pipeline, and the Marines needed more, so some had the option of the transfer. They had to meet all the normal USMC standards, i.e. PFT, etc., and they will still go to TBS, just after they get winged.

Had a Navy Ensign in my API class who went to Corpus while I was at Whiting. He checked into the HT's about a month after me. The first time I saw him was at an all officers' meeting when he came in and sat down beside me wearing USMC Charlies. I thought I was losing my mind until I talked to him and figured out what had happened.\

All that aside, I haven't heard anything about that program recently, so I don't know if it's still active.

 

[jamnww]

Transferring to the Marines from the Navy has been an option in the past. Earlier in the year, the Navy had too many SNAs in the pipeline, and the Marines needed more, so some had the option of the transfer. They had to meet all the normal USMC standards, i.e. PFT, etc., and they will still go to TBS, just after they get winged.

Had a Navy Ensign in my API class who went to Corpus while I was at Whiting. He checked into the HT's about a month after me. The first time I saw him was at an all officers' meeting when he came in and sat down beside me wearing USMC Charlies. I thought I was losing my mind until I talked to him and figured out what had happened.\

All that aside, I haven't heard anything about that program recently, so I don't know if it's still active.

As of about a month ago it was still active...

 

[Steve Wilkins]

Even without there being a "program" so to speak, transferring to another service is entirely possible. I'm not talking about exchange tours. I mean the real deal, where you take off the uniform you're wearing now and put a different one on tomorrow. There are requirements for this, but that isn't the point. There are always requirements for any type of request. Now, the tricky part is finding out what the particular requirements are for 1) the service you are requesting to leave and 2) the service you are requesting to become a part of.

 

[dk009]

who would i direct my questions to regarding interservice transfer- flight management?

 

[saltpeter]

Weirder things have happened. Ask to see that cheesy index card they give you in the plastic little binder you recieve when you get winged.

 

[zab1001]

If you're BDCP and want to go the USMC route, why don't you just start working on it now? It would be MUCH easier to talk with a Marine OSO and see what he can do to get you out of BDCP and into a Marine program than to try to find a way once you're already commissioned. The way numbers ebb and flow withing officer communites, counting on the Navy being willing to let you go is a foolish move.

Like Steve said, interservice transfers are possible, but not common or easy.

(final note: the current Navy to Marine program is a stop gap measure that will not be around forever.)

 

[wink]

The problem with a BDCP guy wanting to go USMC is the money involved. A BDCP guy is on active duty, under contract and being paid. You can go ahead and ask. True enough some strange things happen in the military. But, once the Navy invests money in someone they won't likely let them go. The Marines may want a BDCP candidate alright, but the Navy will not let him go.

 

[dk009]

yeah, im just about to graduate ocs too and head to api, so i doubt that its in the cards for me. it would have been cool though. cant hurt to ask

 

[phrogpilot73]

Good example of being able to interservice transfer - I was in TBS, feeling "salty", and saw a 2ndLt that made me do a double take. How many 2ndLt's do you see with Naval Aviator's wings on their chest? That's what made me do the double take. After talking to her, it turned out that as she was going through HTs, she realized that the Marine Corps had better helo missions. So, she did what she had to do - and if I had to guess, she's a Captain now or out of the Marine Corps. Damn, I'm getting old...

 

[Steve Wilkins]

Good example of being able to interservice transfer - I was in TBS, feeling "salty", and saw a 2ndLt that made me do a double take. How many 2ndLt's do you see with Naval Aviator's wings on their chest? That's what made me do the double take. After talking to her, it turned out that as she was going through HTs, she realized that the Marine Corps had better helo missions. So, she did what she had to do - and if I had to guess, she's a Captain now or out of the Marine Corps. Damn, I'm getting old...

That's what I was considering doing after I got winged....except, I didn't get winged. Ahh, if only there were Marine SWO's. Hey, sign me up.