Why Aviation

[Crowbar]

You should really take a look at this MOS handbook (from the TBS website). It gives a good overview of each MOS and its career path. Make sure to note all the Category I MOS's that guarantee that you will stay in your MOS for your entire career. For unrestricted (Category I) officers, there are none.

If you want more information, find MCO 1200.7Y (MOS Manual). Only Warrant Officers and Limited Duty Officers (Cat II & III) stay in their field forever.

https://www.tbs.usmc.mil/Pages/Downloads/MOS/MOS Handbook.pdf

 

[Broadsword2004]

Thanx; by the way, if one goes in with the PLC-Aviation Option, can they still switch to ground or are you basically screwed to have to fly something if you don't like it??

Or I mean like, could you go into flight school and then be like, "Okay, I don't like this after all, it isn't what I really want, I'd rather be infantry...." and switch to infantry, and thus become an infantry officer??

 

[Broadsword2004]

I was reading in that link, it said after 3 years as say a Harrier pilot, you would be expected to move on to something else, like Naval Postgraduate School, Amphibious Warfare School, etc.....is it possible to become a pilot and then change over to infantry later on??

 

[peanut3479]

At TBS it is possible to switch from ground to air or drop your air contract and go ground - I've heard it tends to be frowned upon but I saw people do both. If you get to flight school and decide you don't want to fly, you can DOR and they reassign you to a ground MOS, but if you DOR don't expect your first choice of MOSs. Basically, if you say "I don't really feel like doing what you selected me to do - I want to be a(n) ___ officer now" once you get to flight school, be prepared for the Marine Corps to not really care what you want anymore.

On a lighter note, yes pilots (and all other officers for that matter) do something other than their primary MOS after their first fleet tour. Do a search on "B-billet" and you'll find a lot more info. For a pilot that would mean flying for around three years, then going to an advanced school or becoming an instructor or a FAC, etc. That also means that infantry officers go to a desk job or instructor position or school after about three years in the FMF.

 

[Broadsword2004]

Was just talking to my dad about this, he says I should go with the aviation option. I am thinking I will do that, cuz I could do like rappelling and skydiving and such without having to join the infantry. My dad was saying, "Yeah, you get your ass shot at, that is not adventurous; flying high up in those jets is adventurous."

He was in Vietnam, so I can take his word on the getting shot at part I am sure.

If you fly for like 3 years, and then go to like an advanced school, could you then go back to flying afterwards??

My dad was saying, though I don't know how true this is, that they don't just spend all that money on training a pilot and then only have them fly for a short time. They want you to fly too, but also to get better educated.

So like could you fly for say 3 years, then go to like, say, the Naval Postgraduate School, then go back to flying again???

 

[Clux4]

Was just talking to my dad about this, he says I should go with the aviation option. I am thinking I will do that, cuz I could do like rappelling and skydiving and such without having to join the infantry. My dad was saying, "Yeah, you get your ass shot at, that is not adventurous; flying high up in those jets is adventurous."

He was in Vietnam, so I can take his word on the getting shot at part I am sure.

If you fly for like 3 years, and then go to like an advanced school, could you then go back to flying afterwards??

My dad was saying, though I don't know how true this is, that they don't just spend all that money on training a pilot and then only have them fly for a short time. They want you to fly too, but also to get better educated.

So like could you fly for say 3 years, then go to like, say, the Naval Postgraduate School, then go back to flying again???

In actual fact this is what happens. You fly for sometime go to a B-Billet and then afforded the opportunity to come back. Look around the forum for threads talking about B-billets and things.
You could go air and FAC for a year to still feel like you are a part of the grunts.

 

[sensesfail]

i was in the same situation as Broadsword2004. i wanted force so that i could have fun and run out of a helicopter and sneak onto beaches an all that. but then i saw "going to war" on discovery channel an said hell no i dont want to be on the ground during a war. i mean trainning is fun and all but id rather fly, trainning will be fun and when a war comes around id be scared.

 

[smell the glove]

Just thought I'd add my two cents. All officers in all branches ride a desk at least regularly. The amount of admin paperwork that goes into running a platoon/division can pile up by the foot. If you're an infantry officer, you'll spend hours dealing with your guys' problems behind a desk. It's not always fun and games. If you don't like paperwork, learn to.

 

[Broadsword2004]

Oh yeah, I even saw on the website of a Marine pilot, he says about all the paperwork he has.

 

[orthaj]

In some situations an aviator can wind up in the thick of it with the grunts. I met a major who was a FAC with 7th Marines in OIF I. The Company Commander got medevaced (temporarily) and the 75xx found himself as an 0302 conducting company ops and FAC ops.

-pay attention at TBS-

 

[airpirate25]

First off...I agree, it's not really humoroous when the guy in the front row starts making cracks at the comedian. Ok, back to the original question. I was in the cockpit of something since I was 13, always wanted to fly jets, had glasses, fought the man and won an NFO contract, ended up selecting strike-fighter. Half-way through, lost the ball and ended up leading an aviation fuels division on an LPD. Not flying was heartbreaking, but I had my shot and can't put into words the pride in hands on leadership as a JO. The catch was, I had one foot in, one foot out, and ultimately got the boot. I figure I was good DIVO, not a half-bad NFO stud, but I sometimes think if I had gone with my gut, I'd have forgot the Navy and Marines, joined the Airborne like my old man and retired a general...my point is, if you think something is a risk, it is...if it's not worth it to you to lose it all trying to get it, then maybe its common sense, not indecision that's leading you elsewhere.

 

[Broadsword2004]

Becoming a jet pilot is ALWAYS a risk I think, cuz you could always end up losing it if something bad happens, like you mess up badly.

But then again, it's the same with the infantry I think (in the Marines). The infantry is only one of the ground MOS's remember. To be an infantry officer you have to be pretty skilled cuz a lot of people want to be infantry officers. So I mean you might end up with some ground MOS you didn't want anyhow if you can't go infantry. Whereas with pilot, you might end up with the same if you wash out or something, however if they have to drop you because of like a medical reason, but see that you were a hard-worker and overall good pilot, they would probably give you a ground MOS of your choice. And then if you can make it through flight school, great.

At least that is what I think they'd do going by what I've read on these forums and such.

So I mean for me, even if I wanted infantry, I'm kind of putting all my marbles into one basket cuz I wouldn't really want something else on the ground.

 

[squeeze]

christ dude, do you ever read what you write?

 

[Legionnare]

he sounds like that bor kid that wanted to be a "cool soldier" once. Oh well, more power to him. Everytime I read one of this and don't die, I only become stronger

 

[Broadsword2004]

What's wrong with how I write?