Marines G4

[Lynxman]

just don't tell the fast mover guys (well, maybe harriers aren't all that fast) that you think their platform is the perfect stepping stone to that G4.

anything you fly in the Marines will be good and I suspect you can go to the more generic airplanes from any of them. We had pilots from every Navy platform that I could think of (plus some Army guys and even a Marine) flying C40s in my reserve squadron. I'm Navy and it was a Navy squadron but I suspect that Marine executive lift is pretty similar.

I'd put your goals in this order and priority.

1- finish OCS

2 - finish flight school

3 - aim for the platform of your choice in flight school but realize that it comes down to A - needs of the Corps, B- how you did in primary flight training, and finally, C - what you want.

4 - excel in your first fleet squadron, be it helos or jets or fixed wing. that will give you options when it comes time to choose your follow on tour.

it will be fun and hard and you will enjoy it. and like a previous poster said, every Marine is a rifleman first. So, even if you do go pilot, you'll get plenty of mud and shooting during TBS.

Ya that order is pretty much spot on with how I need things to happen. I feel like my calling in life is Marines. I remember doing AFROTC and it just didn't feel the same. The friends I've made so far through this whole process have been great, way better then those I made in ROTC. Not that I dislike AF but the ROTC guys were so cut throat, whereas the OCS candidates make it seem more like a brotherhood which is exactly what I want.

 

[skiddriver]

Lynxman,

You can get some info from the last aviation plan (ca. 2007). Plans change of course, and you're going to be busy for several years before you hit the fleet, so who knows? The C-40 transition is off the end of the timeline on page 77, estimating 2018.

Plan can be found at this link: www.quantico.usmc.mil/download.aspx?Path=./Uploads/Files/SVG_Signed%202007%20AvPlan.pdf


S/f and good luck.

 

[Lynxman]

Thank you for the link it was very informative. Right now my focus is just get myself ready to do my best at OCS. I still need to take the flight physical at Pensacola and to be honest I'm worried about it. When I was at Meps I failed their depth perception test, so my oso office told me to go to my normal eye doctor and get an exam and she said my depth perception was more than fine. So right now thats on the back of my mind and its really bothering me. I hope they do a different test than what meps uses. Any clues to this?

 

[wolfpackpilot]

Tell me the Marines still have this.

I fly a GIV for a living. I'd sell my youngest daughter to fly a F-18!

Young Man... do you see any civilian Hornets flying around???

 

[pony251]

Semper Fi bro thanks for all you've done! I'm so stuck between infantry or flying. I feel so lucky that I've been given this opportunity to even be able to go to Marines so either course of action will be good.

Dude, they don't send you to flight school if you fail out of the Infantry Officer Course, it's the other way around.

 

[JungleJett]

I fly a GIV for a living. I'd sell my youngest daughter to fly a F-18!

Young Man... do you see any civilian Hornets flying around???

How old is she? If she is over 18, is she hot? imp:

 

[McGillicutty]

The gunpig is a blast, but a .mil G4 could be fun, too. Go for it!

 

[Lynxman]

Dude, they don't send you to flight school if you fail out of the Infantry Officer Course, it's the other way around.

Ya I know which is why I'll prolly keep with the pilot slot.

 

[Lynxman]

Thank you for the link it was very informative. Right now my focus is just get myself ready to do my best at OCS. I still need to take the flight physical at Pensacola and to be honest I'm worried about it. When I was at Meps I failed their depth perception test, so my oso office told me to go to my normal eye doctor and get an exam and she said my depth perception was more than fine. So right now thats on the back of my mind and its really bothering me. I hope they do a different test than what meps uses. Any clues to this?

Any more info on this?

 

[727C47]

Dude, they don't send you to flight school if you fail out of the Infantry Officer Course, it's the other way around.

Brother,in the Marine Corps the infantry is the true faith,everything else is just supporting arms. And I wish the Corps had A10s, something with some real loiter time,to keep the bad guys heads down. Lynxman I hope you get jets. I hope you get those gold wings. That is a dream worth having, worth attaining. The infantry is a calling all its own,and should not be a consolation prize for a guy who can't find the 3 wire. End of rave.

 

[pilotyip]

Don't about 80% of USMC pilots go into helo training?

 

[firstthird]

it is a lot but I think the odds of getting jets are better in the USMC than the USN (or at least that was the way it seemed 20 years ago or so)

 

[pony251]

Brother,in the Marine Corps the infantry is the true faith,everything else is just supporting arms. .

Thank the gods of war for that. BTW, gold wings also qualify you for a ground tour with the grunts. My FAC tour was actually a pretty good time. Helped me get into the Guard. The guys in blue actually respected that more than my flying time. Go figure.

 

[727C47]

Recon FAC !

 

[puck_11]

it is a lot but I think the odds of getting jets are better in the USMC than the USN (or at least that was the way it seemed 20 years ago or so)

I agree, from what I've seen in the last 2-3 years in flight school, if you did well in primary you were going jets if you were a Marine, even if you didn't want them. If you were Navy on the other hand, my roomate was SNA of the year, rocked primary, commodores list with distinction twice (top 5%), solid stand up guy, didn't get anything on his dream sheet, the only thing he didn't list was P3s and thats what he's flying now. In the Navy it was more of a crapshoot on getting jets, did they have any available that week, in addition to having done very well in primary. Now they have tailhook selection out of primary which takes all of the would have been jet or E2/C2 studs and let them compete in phase 1 of advanced for the jet strike slots. Better system in my opinion, get more people into T-45s, and the studs that really shine go on to F-18s.

Lynxman, don't worry about failing the depth perception test, a lot of dudes do. As long as you can pass a civilian one, you're fine. If you haven't already check out airwarriors.com, it's made up of all Naval Aviators (some AF, Army, and CG too!), some with civilian experience, as opposed to this site which is the reverse.

Also, having lived with Marines for the last three years going through flight school, go aviation. You'll never regret it, and you won't be on the ground wishing you were up in the air, and not be able to give 100% to your job. If you really want to, you can do a FAC tour after your first tour and then live your dream as a ground guy controlling CAS.