Tobe
Member
He is an older guy. He told me he was a RIO (radar intercept officer) in the F4 phantom in the 70s. I asked him to tell me about some of his experiences and this is what he said,
"Hmmm. I guess why I like the movie "The Great Santini" is that it confirmed why I gave up my regular commission. I went in the Corps with a reserve commission, which meant that you had to re-up every 3-4 years. With a regular commission, you were in for good—unless you received poor fitness reports. So, when I was at Pensacola, I applied for a regular commission and received it. Well, once I learned that I would be committed to overseas, unaccompanied tours for 12 to 15 months every 3 to 5 years, I said, "Ah, I am committed to my wife and son first." I then resigned my regular commission and reverted to a reserve commission. Nevertheless, serving in the Marine Corps was one of the best things that I did in my life time."
Is there any way I could know for sure he was legitimately a RIO in the Marines? It matters because he said he could write a letter of recommendation for Marine OCC.
"Hmmm. I guess why I like the movie "The Great Santini" is that it confirmed why I gave up my regular commission. I went in the Corps with a reserve commission, which meant that you had to re-up every 3-4 years. With a regular commission, you were in for good—unless you received poor fitness reports. So, when I was at Pensacola, I applied for a regular commission and received it. Well, once I learned that I would be committed to overseas, unaccompanied tours for 12 to 15 months every 3 to 5 years, I said, "Ah, I am committed to my wife and son first." I then resigned my regular commission and reverted to a reserve commission. Nevertheless, serving in the Marine Corps was one of the best things that I did in my life time."
Is there any way I could know for sure he was legitimately a RIO in the Marines? It matters because he said he could write a letter of recommendation for Marine OCC.