Marines

[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.

 

[ChichiAV8B]

I was there Pony so I am sure we had a beer. Hope all is good for you. Seems like it is. When did you interview with UPS?

 

[pony251]

Check your PM's

 

[Kuma]

Psysicx-

I'll be happy to respond to you via PM if you have specific questions. I could go on for days about this subject. I was/am/always will be a Marine for 11 years and an Air Force pilot for the past 2+.

I spent 2 years doing Officer Candidate School, The Basic School, and flight school. I spent 6 years in the fleet doing the "mission", 3 years in the training command (both Corpus Christi primary and Randolph PIT) teaching others how to fly or how to be instructors in the training command, and two years as an Air Force U-2 pilot.

I've seen outstanding officers and dirt bags in both services.

I have personally had the pleasure of living for weeks on end in the woods/ desert doing "grunt" stuff. I have fired (and cleaned) every weapon that you would find in an infantry company (REIN). I have lead Marines in garrison and in the field. I have been transported in ships, AAVs, assault support helicopters, LCUs and LCACs. I have flown on the high seas where I have no "alternate" but to go back to the boat from which I came (as it pitched/rolled/had winds in and out of limits). I have coordinated fire from naval surface fire support, artillery, mortars, FWCAS assets, RWCAS assets, tanks and the battalion on the same target area with various sequential and simultaneous methods.

Many of my AF counterparts have none of those experiences. They simply flew their MWS, collected Per Diem when they went TDY, and did the "mission".

I am happy and proud to be a U-2 pilot. If I had it all to do over, however, I would have still been a Marine first.


Kuma

 

[Troll]

I've seen outstanding officers and dirt bags in both services.

I'll jump in on that point. There are really good dudes and some not so good dudes in every service and squadron. Guys that generalize about everyone in a particular branch, i.e. AF sucks, Marine Corps is OK and the Navy rules, just haven't been around much. I look back on my time in the Corps with a lot of pride and say I wouldn't have done it any other way, but note that I am saying all of that in the past tense. If I was you, I would find guys still slogging it out on active duty and get their perspective.

 

[Caveman]

How many airmen get tattoos having anything to do with the Air Force? None.

How many Marines get tattoos having something to do with the Marine Corps? Tens of thousands.

Why in the world would anybody permanently disfigure themselves just to let everyone know that they were a member of a particular organization? Now I'm not saying that getting a lifer tattoo is the smartest thing to do but it does speak volumes about the intense loyalty of Marines to the Marine Corps.

How many cars have decals on them for the Army, Air Force, or Navy that belong to folks NOT currently in the military. Not many. Pay attention next time you are out driving around and notice how many Marine Corps emblems you see on vehicles. They are all over the place. Once a Marine, always a Marine.

Soldiers, sailors and airmen buy their dress uniforms off the rack. Marine dress uniforms are tailored to fit. If you're the best you gotta look the part.

What's this got to do with the original question? Military flying is military flying. Some of it's fast, some is slow. Some way up high and some down in the trees. It's all good and at times pretty exciting. But what about the other 8500 hours in the year after you've flown your typical 260 hours? Would you rather be a soldier, sailor, airman or a United States Marine? C'mon...tell the truth....you know the answer. Every young man worth his salt secretly wants to know whether he'll measure up. Ever hear anybody say that they wouldn't join the Air Force or Navy because it was too tough? I didn't think so. If you are going to join the military you might as well shoot for the best. Give it a try. Put it all on the line. IF you succeed you'll never regret it. Semper fi......

 

[Uncle Sparky]

Why in the world would anybody permanently disfigure themselves just to let everyone know that they were a member of a particular organization? Now I'm not saying that getting a lifer tattoo is the smartest thing to do but it does speak volumes about the intense loyalty of Marines to the Marine Corps.


....

I was in HMM-262(Flying Tigers)at Kaneohe and we had a boot come to the squadron and in his first week he had a huge tattoo of a Bengal tiger with wings put on his bicep. Now I'm all for Esprit de Corps and the Gung-Ho attitude........problem is....364'(Purple Foxes) were short on manpower. He got transferred the next week. I guess it could have been worse. He couldv'e been sent to the Purple Foxes first.

.......... I don't regret it one bit and would not change my choice if given the chance to do it all over. I think you'd be hard pressed to find any Marine that would answer differently! Except for a few of those late nights in the PI...I might change a few things there....but that's it...honest. puck....puck....puck....puck!

 

[Purpledog]

Don't worry about the hours. I flew Marine Tac Air and got hired by FedEx with the bare minimum (1500) and the AF heavy drivers and Civs all had 3000+ and two of them didn't get the nod. Civilian employers (most of them ex-mil) know the difference between quality and quantity of flight time. I wouldn't trade a second of my Marine career for anything mainly because for the most part you are around a good group of guys. Where else can you travel the globe drinking beer with 20 of your best friends. Here's a good test. If you are an engineer/math major/spelling B champion, drink Chai latte, join the Air Force, you'll fit in great. If you are a Poli Sci major/play sports/drink your weight in beer/chase women/don't like wearing scarfs, excuse me, ascots, you will probably enjoy yourself in the Corps. Good luck with your decision.

____________________________________________
You can run, but you'll just die tired. USMC attack pilot

 

[Gatorman]

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.

Well said, well said.

I might not have ever been a pilot, but I will ALWAYS be a Marine.

FYI - in the mechanics world of aviation....you will find that most the real wrench benders are Marines. There are quite a few AF avionics techs in the field also.
But when it comes down to the tough jobs, it usually winds up being a Marine with the 'can do' attitude that gets it done.

 

[psysicx]

Can anybody tell what life is like in the Marines especially when not deployed.I know everybody has side and it depends if you are flying or not.Also would Fedex hire someone with that low of time now?Thanks

 

[Uncle Sparky]

Can anybody tell what life is like in the Marines especially when not deployed.I know everybody has side and it depends if you are flying or not.Also would Fedex hire someone with that low of time now?Thanks

I was an enlisted Marine so I was going to let a former "zero" answer that but since no one has stepped up.......Basically, when you "swing with the wing", once you've made it to the fleet, when not deployed, it's just like a 9-5. No Gomer Pyle barracks or platoons running around shouting cadence, like you see in the movies, just go to work in the morning and do what you want after that. If you choose to live in the BOQ, then the picture might be closer to working a 9-5 and staying in a cheap hotel. Whether enlisted or "O", I've seen groups of guys pool together and get a place off base(not a lot unlike a crashpad). Also, "O"s in a squadron take on a collateral duty when not flying(S1, S2, S3....safety officer....maintenance control officer etc.).