Marines

[skiddriver]

And for all you Marines out there would you have chosen the Air Force instead?

No, absolutely no. No offense intended to my AF brethren, but between myself, my Dad and my brothers, we put in a collective 60 years in the Corps. Wouldn't have changed any of it.

 

[Jafar]

If you want to be a pilot you might be better off in the AF or Navy, if you want to be a MARINE you're better off in the Marine Corps.

Absolutely.

I was a Marine. Now I want to be a pilot so I'm going Air Force.

 

[Uncle Sparky]

Where does your motivation lie? One of the greatest "Marine moments" that I can remember is when I did recruiting duty after bootcamp. I was at a local High School and assisting the recruiter. The Gunny was running his pitch on this guy who seemed really indecisive and timid. All of the sudden the guy reaches within and pipes up "..Well... what kind of deals can you offer me?" The Gunny snaps back "I can offer you the deal of a lifetime, the opportunity to be a US Marine, if that's not good enough for you, I'll give you the Army recruiter's number!!". Seems kinda corny when I type it out and read it, after all these years but at the same time it epitomizes what being a Marine is all about.
I've been to bases all over the world and can tell you that without a doubt, the Air Force has better equipment, facilities, quarters and most certainly, better food. If you're just looking to fly high performance airplanes while someone else pays the bill, while at the same time submitting yourself to the least amount of physical and mental stress, don't join the Marine Corps.

 

[psysicx]

I think that being a Marine would be awesome.But some of the comments about flying for them would say otherwise.Thanks

 

[AA717driver]

When I interviewed with TWA there was a Marine pilot at the same session. He had the job I always wanted--F-18 pilot. He loved the flying but it was such a minor part of the "job" that it just wasn't worth it.

He basically said you work 7 days a week and fly 200 hours a year. This was in the late '80's so it's ancient history but unless you're on a combat tour or working up for a cruise, I doubt you fly a whole bunch more than that. And, yes, I realize 200 hours in a fighter equates to a lot more in a CRJ.

But it's still 200 hours a year.

On the flip side, the VAST majority of Marine pilots I've met wouldn't trade their time in the Corps for anything.TC

 

[Spooky 1]

Well first of all I am not a Marine, but I have flwn with and worked along side of hundreds of these guys and the attitude and decication to their craft is second to none. I have never never met an Marine Corp. pilot that did not have his sh#t together and thats more than some can say. No disrespect for the Air Force, Navy, Army and Coasties, its just a simple case of observation over about 40 years of professional flying. Yea, the airlines are full of them. The airline I worked for was dominated and served well by Marine Corp vets. The corporate ranks are well represented as well, and in the case of one lage management company here in the US, it is full of Marines at the upper management level. F4's, F8's, A4's C130's, and various heleicopters were all a part of the Vietnam experience and that is where the bulk of these guys came from.


I recall a TWA pilot applicant back in 1965 that had graduated from the AF Academy and had crossed over to the Marines when he went to flight school. His reasoning was that he was better assured of flying fighters than transports if he went Marines. Maybe so then, I can't say for sure today. Now if you want something like C5' you probably shouldn't even consider the Corp.

The point is that all military flight training is excellent. The Marines just add a little, no make that a big dose of personality to the experience. If you have to wonder about this selction, you probably should not consider anything so, well a, kick ass hot.

 

[bafanguy]

Spooky1 and I were at the same airline, and I can second what he said about the Marines he encountered. I flew with a few retired Marines and felt they were tops. Actually, virtually all the retired military guys I worked with were excellent.

 

[psysicx]

Awesome thanks guys.

 

[ChichiAV8B]

In answer to your original question, yes, I enjoyed flying in the Marines. By age 23, I was landing a Skyhawk in the JFK and by age 25 was dropping HE from a Harrier. The best flying period. Along the way, had the chance to be in charge of Marines, make life-long friendships, and serve my country. There are sacrifices that have to be made along the way as a Marine. Its a tough outfit. This is definitely not for you if you just care about flying. Flight time for any single seat platform will be lower than cargo or even helos, and honestly, that always bothered me. I wish I could have flown twice as much, but circumstances beyond your control (budget cuts, maintenance, timing, etc, etc) will sometimes prevail. I ended up being a T-2c instructor towards the end of my career and that helped the flight hour program. All in all, I had a great time in the Marine Corps.

 

[pony251]

Make no mistake, most of us who are current or former Marines would never have done it any other way. I've seen the polar extremes of the different services. When you join the Corps it is like joining a cult, priesthood, or the Borg(geeky Star Trek reference). You are joining a couple hundred years of tradition and service. You put the good of the whole ahead of yourself. It can absolutely be a crappy deal at times. OCS will make you acutely aware of this. That being said, there is no finer organization in the world at what it does; do bad things to bad people, anywhere, anytime, no matter what the odds. The Corps will never say it can't do a mission. The amazing thing is that the whole organization is focused on that ethos. It is focused on it's goal more than any other service. Granted it's goals are a little narrower than most others as well. There are far fewer rice bowls to kick over. The fact that all Marine officers start out at the same place pays huge dividends for them. You are a Marine first. The opportunities you get flyingwise will be unlike anything else. Sometimes they will border on the asinine, as in, "I can't believe we are really doing this." My Guard brethren think I make up half of my flying stories around the boat. They respect it as much as I respect them for flying at 500' around Baghdad in a sandstorm to save some Marine convoy who had gotten cut off. The public sees a difference as well. You can walk into almost any bar in the Midwest in a set of Marine Corps dress blues and you won't buy a drink all night. I can't necessarily say that about my AF dress blue uniform which looks mysteriously close to a greyhound bus driver outfit in comparison. The point is, you can serve anywhere. If you want to go the extra mile and be more than just a pilot go to the Corps. If you have to ask why, then it just isn't for you. Break, break-
Chichi, did I meet you at NKT in '97 at the MCAA airshow? I recall drinking many a beer with the Harrier guys at the club in the BOQ. Sniper was buying.