Why Aviation

[lucky1899]

I am an OCC187 applicant. I'm nothing yet, but I hope to be a Marine infantry officer one day. take it easy guys, I was just busting your ball$. I know aviation guys can hold their own, maybe I'm just bitter that my vision disqualifies me from flying jets!

 

[Fly Navy]

A record of 26 posts will get you flamed

 

[squeeze]

I am an OCC187 applicant. I'm nothing yet, but I hope to be a Marine infantry officer one day. take it easy guys, I was just busting your ball$. I know aviation guys can hold their own, maybe I'm just bitter that my vision disqualifies me from flying jets!

That's all well and good, but you might want to earn the title before you go busting on people who have.

 

[lucky1899]

Ok, i got the point. There was some humor in my original post you know.

 

[Jester]

You gotta love these candidates that go on about what it means to be a Marine and the ideals of the Corps when they haven't even been to OCS and TBS yet. Know your role! Most of the guys I went to TBS with began diehard 0302, by FEXIII most of them wanted LogO.

 

[Squid]

my vision disqualifies me from flying jets!

jets, jets? you don't really think that's all there is, right? if you've been around for a while, you will know that jets are few and far between, even for the top of the class. what about the wonderful world of UAV drivers?

 

[penderwt]

so i've decided yea aviation. i know some of you might shake your heads because i had some trouble coming to the decision. don't think for a second that i'm going to half-ass may way through (not that i could if i wanted to). this is my style...make careful decisions, and go balls out once the decision's been made.
semper fi

 

[skidkid]

A good choice best of luck. you can always g hang with the Grunts for a year or two if you want.

 

[el_bastardo]

I'll probably get flamed for saying this but- be a man, go ground. Air has the glamour factor for sure, but the real Marines are infantry. Ok, let the flaming begin, lol.

OCC 187 applicant and you're telling me who the real Marines are? Marines are Marines are Marines!

Marines have different jobs, but that LCpl in admin behind a desk is no less a Marine than that LCpl in the infantry behind a SAW. If you honestly believe that there are different levels of "Marine" join something else.

You'll learn that at OCS if you're accepted.

 

[lugginjugs]

It looks like you made up your mind on going air - stick with it. I disagree with Riley's position. The Cessna is a big pile of s$%t. If you don't like the Cessna don't worry. You won't be selecting one. I hated flying it. I came to flight school wondering if I made the right choice. The first few seconds in the mighty T-34C Turbomentor confirmed it. I like the field. I like the outdoors. I like flying. Skidkid has it right - You'll get to do both if you want - maybe even if you don't want. I'm kinda new around here so I don't wanna seem outta line - but WTF to the Candidate or Applicant for throwing out the "real Marine" comment. I know you've been told and I know you thought it would be funny....but picture yourself (not a Marine) on your first OCS liberty walking up to a group of six Marine helicopter pilots from this forum and saying that. How do you think that's going to be received? It's going to be a socially awkward moment. You don't feel the pain yet - but if you're lucky you'll make it to TBS and have an awkward (or several) moment with your SPC. There's even a chance to make an ass out of yourself on the Quarterdeck at OCS if you choose. I think they even encourage brazen comments from candidates.

 

[46Driver]

AS an aviator you can do both. you can be a FAC with an infantry battalion and some guys get to command the Headquarters and Service company during that time. A grunt will never get a chance to fly but an aviator will get a chance to do grunt stuff

Right on the money - this is the best reason to go air (along with flight pay :0 )

 

[reapergm]

I cant wait for my flight physical results to come in. I want to fly so bad it hurts. I also want to be a Marine so bad it hurts. Best of both worlds!!! Im all about putting my face in the dirt for awhile in order to get my @ss in the air!! GOOD TIMES!

 

[TargetInSight]

face in the dirt for awhile in order to get my @ss in the air

Ummm... preferably not at the same time. I believe that would disqualify you.

That's all well and good, but you might want to earn the title before you go busting on people who have.

BOYAAH! That one was a direct hit.

<-- this candidate is lying low until he knows which end of the rifle does the shooting

 

[USMCBebop]

IOC and then Flight School

A grunt will never get a chance to fly but an aviator will get a chance to do grunt stuff

I knew some flight contract Lts. in my TBS class that got to got to Infantry Officer Course (IOC) before Flight School. Hard Core! For some reason, sometimes there is a BIG lag time between TBS and Flight School.

So if you got you s*** together, you're hard core, you have a big lag time between TBS and flight school and IOC has some billets to fill, then you get to qual as an 0302.

I don't know how often this goes on though.

 

[Broadsword2004]

I am having the same trouble, deciding between aviation or ground. Thing is, if I do ground, it would be mainly because I want to hopefully go Marine Force Recon someday; I'd like to do the skiing (Mountain Warfare School), diving and swimming, parachuting, etc.....all the adventurous stuff, but I also think I wanna be a pilot too.

I have read that one can apply for aviation at TBS, so maybe I will just do that; but I am not sure if maybe I should just do the PLC-Aviation Option.

This is all driving me bonkers!!

Thing is, whenever I know what I want exactly, like an overdrive kicks in and I try my absolute best to aim for it. But not knowing is thus a pain, cuz I do not know if I should be dreaming about flying or dreaming about being an infantry Marine (hopefully Force Recon later on, if in the infantry).

One thing I have heard is that if in like Force Recon, one can stay in it for a long time as long as you can keep up with the PT, whereas with pilots, you have to eventually move on to desk jobs. Although I really like aircraft, I do not want to like fly for a certain number of years, then get stuck behind a desk, whereas I could be out running around, shooting targets, rappelling out of helicopters, swimming, etc.....cuz I also want a job that requires serious PFT.

One of the reasons I am going military is to push myself to my limits and to do something most only dream about (and that I have dreamed about all my life). But if I have to serve a good chunk of time behind a desk if I go aviation, that might knock me off some.....but I dunno how it works totally is the thing.