USMC Aviation/Introduction.

[3RDMAW]

Amusement

Unfortunately the Corps has always, and probably will always place the emphasis on PT. It's the easiest yardstick to use. The Corps really needs to employ the whole person concept. There are minimum acceptable standards, but they tend to stree the minimal more than the acceptable portion of that phrase when talking to you. I was 13 years in the Corps, and during that time I can tell you that a high pft covered a mulitude of faults. I spent my last 7 years as an Avonics NCOIC. I don't know about you but if I were flying I'd want the guy who worked my radar to be highly technically qualified even if his PFT sucked.
By the way you don't lead my being better at the pft, you lead by showing your people that you won't ask them to do something you won't or can't do. Even better by showing your people that you care about them as well as the mission.
If you base your ability to lead on a 300 PFT then the first time some 17 year old rocks the PFT by running you into the ground, you have just lost all respect from your people.
I knew a lot of officers in the fleet who just met ACCEPTABLE minimum standards who I held in very high regard. I also knew those who were super jocks that wasted the airspace they took up!
It needs to be an intelligent evaluation of the job you will be doing, what is acceptable and most of all do you have the heart for it. One dedicated Marine is worth 10 jocks.

 

[vvmountainvv]

ATR-

helos. it was my first choice.

 

[SCUBA]

Did you do your training at Vance? My buddy in the Air Force just went through and had like 3 Marines in his class. His last name is Murphy.

 

[Clux4]

Wehad a SSgt. one time come to the range to try and requal with the M-16, but hewas really having trouble shooting so they paired a Cpl. that was an excellent rifle marksman with the SSgt. to help him out. But what I am trying to point out is that this SSgt. was working at Maintenance Admin. and a very squared away Marine. He was one person in the Squadron everyone would not mind working for. He will never ask you to do anything that he will not do and above all he looked out for his Marines. When he was leaving the Squadron the CO gave him an incentive flight. Even though every Marine is a rifleman, this Marine was not good with the M-16 but that did not take away from his Leadership, character.
All our fingers are not equal heights;they all bring something to the table.
This mentality will never be washed out of the Marine Corps beause the term "Squared Away Marine" has come to mean a Marine that has a High Rifle/Pistol score, High PFT and many of the other yardsticks out there.
Just do your best and let every other thing take shape.

 

[3RDMAW]

Observation

The yardsticks of PFT, riflemarksmanship etc. are things that you as leaders can change. If all the young officers start really looking at their people and nott just taking shortcuts by using the easy measurements, you can change the attitude. If you make it your objective to spend the time to really look at the qualities of your people and what they bring to the table then the Corps can really become what it truly has the potential for. It's easy to write an evaluation on someone by looking at the obvious, it's really difficult to spend the time and effort to examine each one and write it up correctly. By realizing your own shortcomings, your own failures you become a better leader. Humility is a key trait of leadership. Don't lose your confidence, but don't expect perfection either. Treat others as you would like to be treated, help others and be willing to accept and ask for help. You young officers and future officers are the hope of the Corps. All of us who have gone before you respect your efforts and wish you the very best. We have the benefit of years of life to reflect on what we did wrong and offer you that advice. If your heart is in it you will do fine. Best wishes and may God be with you all

 

[Crossbones]

Can anyone tell me what i need to shoot for on my PFT in X/y/z format please. Im 22yrs old

 

[Cordespc]

20 Chin-ups / 100 Sit-ups / 18:00 3mi run. This is a perfect score (300). Visit this link for an accurate calculation of your actual score. http://semperfi.uchicago.edu/PFT Calculator.html

Cheers,
-Paul

 

[Crossbones]

Thanks buddy

 

[SCUBA]

Mike Murph is the name. I pm'ed you.

 

[evade6317]

At what point in becoming a pilot do you request your East Coast/West Coast/Overseas station? Or do you even do it at all?

 

[squeeze]

At what point in becoming a pilot do you request your East Coast/West Coast/Overseas station? Or do you even do it at all?

when you select your specific a/c out of advanced, you select your duty station coast as well.

 

[Spin]

I agree with what 3rdmaw says. You can change these things later. Just remember .. right now you are at the bottom of the barrel. You'e not even IN the officer program yet.

Now it's cool to vent and all that but just look at it as ... if I want it bad enough ... I'll do what I need to do to get my run time down to what THEY want it to be. I'm not the biggest fan of running ... but I have a strong work ethic so when I was in the app process, I MADE SURE my run time came down. Did I have to work harder than someone else ... probably ... but I really didn't care ... I wanted it, and if that was the road I had to follow then that was the road. Just my 2 cents.

Peace,

-Spin

 

[Nebulae]

Hi all,

I had a question regarding how the female candidates do at OCS. I am submitting an air application for the Oct. 05 class and am just curious of how females hold up to the males. Also for the PFT I don't have to do pull-ups nor push ups, so I haven't really trained for those....is it a good idea to be prepared to do that at OCS? Thanks for the future replies.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Time for me to add my $.02

The PFT has always been, and will always be a method of measuring a Marine's physical conditioning. Does this mean that as an officer, I will be judged solely on the fact that I have maxed it out, gotten a first class, or merely passed? Yes and no. I am one of those officers that no matter how much I work out, I still manage to barely eek out a first class, and sometimes a second class is all I can get. Am I a bad officer/poor leader in that respect? On paper, compared to my peers, I am not putting forth the effort to attain a high score. However, it's only one block on the fitness report. When I go up for promotions, they will see that I was in the top 10% of my TBS class, on the Commodore's list in flight school, that I have been consistently ranked above my peers on fitreps, that I'm a Weapons and Tactics Instructor and an AFL, multiple combat fitness reports, no mishaps, and soon to be a deployed FAC in a combat zone. If you are unable to achieve greatness in the PFT, achieve greatness somewhere else. And what it really comes down to is that as long as you are putting forth your maximum effort, your Marines see it.

At the end of the day, whether I stick around for a career, get promoted or not, as long as I can look in the mirror and honestly say that I did right by my Marines, than I have had a successful career.

 

[trongod46]

what ever happened to lead from the front, means in all aspects, yeah, yeah you did earn your title, and so have many others playing the prior card like myself, but when you step in front of your Marines regardless if it is an infantry platoon and a Powerplant shop your know your are expected to lead those Marines in every way possible. If you have been watching the news about Iraq its not just the 03's doing all the fighting other there., ive read phrogpilots post and that sounds good true but comeon Sgt you know you have to go out there and kick butt in front of those 18-22yr olds and show them why YOU are an Officer of Marines and why you are in charge.