marine corps engineering

[Lord Doog]

Hey guys, I'm new to this site, so please bear with me. I have a question that maybe someone can help me out with. I'm studying aerospace engineering in college right now (currently a junior) and I'm considering joining the Marines as a pilot and hopefully an aerospace/aeronautical engineer within the Corps (I want to be a Marine, but I also want to give it my best, which is the aero engineering field). I know the Marines have it, its MOS 8820. I've done as much homework on it as I can, and now I've come here. My question is, does anyone know anything about this MOS, such as how I can get it, when will I be able to get it, additional duties besides engineering, etc. Basically any information would be helpful to me. I already went to the usmilitary.about.com site, so if anyone has any experience with this MOS, or knows anyone in this MOS and can tell me about it and how I can get it? Even better, can anyone give me the contact info of a Marine Aeronautical Engineer so I can contact them myself with other questions? Thanks a lot!

 

[phrogdriver]

Aerospace engineer is not a primary MOS in the Marine Corps, i.e. you will not get that right out of TBS. You will do at least a tour or two as a pilot, infantry O, supp-O, commo, whatever.

I'm not familiar with that one in particular, but I'm guessing that's an additional MOS one gets after doing graduate study in aero under the SEP (Special Education Program). One applies for this after having served successfully for at least a fleet tour. SEP grads do "payback" tours in the disciplines they studied, usually providing subject matter expertise to commands that need that particular skill. After that payback tour, they generally return to serve in their primary MOS.

 

[exhelodrvr]

Aerospace engineer is not a primary MOS in the Marine Corps, i.e. you will not get that right out of TBS. You will do at least a tour or two as a pilot, infantry O, supp-O, commo, whatever.

I'm not familiar with that one in particular, but I'm guessing that's an additional MOS one gets after doing graduate study in aero under the SEP (Special Education Program). One applies for this after having served successfully for at least a fleet tour. SEP grads do "payback" tours in the disciplines they studied, usually providing subject matter expertise to commands that need that particular skill. After that payback tour, they generally return to serve in their primary MOS.

Are their USMC billets at Pax River?

 

[Lord Doog]

Aerospace engineer is not a primary MOS in the Marine Corps, i.e. you will not get that right out of TBS. You will do at least a tour or two as a pilot, infantry O, supp-O, commo, whatever.

I heard that MOS 8820 (aeronautical engineer) was a free mos (FMOS). can anyone shed some light about what FMOS's are exactly?

 

[Clux4]

I heard that MOS 8820 (aeronautical engineer) was a free mos (FMOS). can anyone shed some light about what FMOS's are exactly?

Phrogdriver already pointed you in the right direction. We have PMOS(Primary MOS), AMOS(Additional MOS) or BMOS(Billet MOS) but not Free MOS.

 

[Fog]

If the Marines need to build something, they call the Seabees. The USMC, God bless 'em, is much better at destroying things than building them. JMHO, though.

 

[HeyJoe]

Are their USMC billets at Pax River?

Quite a few. Any platform flown by Marines will have a Program Office at Pax River and include significant representation by Marine pilots/NFOs as well as avionics, logistics, and other maintainers. There are also Marines in the Developmental and Operational Test Squadrons at Pax and China Lake (as well as Quantico/Pt Mugu) and Marines can command at the squadron and wing level. VX and PM assignments are major commands and there are typically Marine O-6s at top of H-1 Upgrade, MH-60K and AV-8B Programs and VMX-22/VMX-1 they share turns on V-22, C-130, and HX-21/VX-20/VX-23 as well as TPS. Slating is influenced by motivation of individual to aspire to specific assignment. IAW, instead of a board picking candidates and slating them, NAVAIR publishes a list of upcoming command billets and individuals put in a package for specific billets.

 

[Lord Doog]

Phrogdriver already pointed you in the right direction. We have PMOS(Primary MOS), AMOS(Additional MOS) or BMOS(Billet MOS) but not Free MOS.

This is where I got information about Marine Corps aeronautical engineering: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/officerj3/a/8820.htm. It says FMOS and I did some checking and found it meant Free Military Occupational Specialty. I wanted to know what exactly is a FMOS and also what it is Marine Corps aero engineers do. Thanks

 

[phrogdriver]

FMOS might be some crazy joint lingo; I don't know. It sounds like an AMOS, "ADDITIONAL MOS."

Like it says in the description, it's given after completing grad work in aero as part of the Special Education Program (SEP) in Monterrey. That's something you'd apply for after 1 or 2 tours as a fleet pilot. If you were accepted, then you'd go to grad school in aero and get a follow-on, or payback, tour working on issues that require such expertise. Patuxent River is one place that might be used. China Lake is another.

 

[Lord Doog]

Thanks phrogdriver. Could you explain a little more about what a payback tour is? Is it just consulting or actual engineering work? Details would be appreciated if you have. Thanks for all your help and info

 

[Swanee]

Thanks phrogdriver. Could you explain a little more about what a payback tour is? Is it just consulting or actual engineering work? Details would be appreciated if you have. Thanks for all your help and info

Just what it sounds like, a payback tour. You basically pay the Marine Corps back for them putting you through grad school by having a job that would use that expertise you gained from your studies...




BTW I wouldn't plan on trying to become a Marine with this as your plan. There is a lot of experience on this board and no one here really has any first (or second) hand info on this subject. That should tell you that there really isn't a whole lot of guys with that MOS running around.

 

[Birdog8585]

BTW I wouldn't plan on trying to become a Marine with this as your plan. There is a lot of experience on this board and no one here really has any first (or second) hand info on this subject. That should tell you that there really isn't a whole lot of guys with that MOS running around.

Couldn't disagree more. I had a 'LordDoog' mindset when I came into the Marine Corps and it did not, nor will not, take away from me knowing that I'm a Marine first and the needs of the Corps will come first. I'm an engineer and still have in the back of my mind that TPS and VMX-22 is a possibility. Whether that's a career killer, I don't know and quite frankly don't care. I think that it is good to have a general direction that you can hone down over the years when you get to that point. IMO, if I can help out the Marine Corps with my background and training then I'm all for it, career killer or not.

I hope what swanee meant was that there are going to be a multitude of options out there when you get to that point in your career and very few go the TPS/engineering route - prob cause there are very few slots.

If that's what you want, just work hard, take it seriously and be the best. Do that, keep your goal in sight and the bones and tea leaves will be in your favor.

 

[Swanee]

Couldn't disagree more. I had a 'LordDoog' mindset when I came into the Marine Corps and it did not, nor will not, take away from me knowing that I'm a Marine first and the needs of the Corps will come first. I'm an engineer and still have in the back of my mind that TPS and VMX-22 is a possibility. Whether that's a career killer, I don't know and quite frankly don't care. I think that it is good to have a general direction that you can hone down over the years when you get to that point. IMO, if I can help out the Marine Corps with my background and training then I'm all for it, career killer or not.

I hope what swanee meant was that there are going to be a multitude of options out there when you get to that point in your career and very few go the TPS/engineering route - prob cause there are very few slots.

If that's what you want, just work hard, take it seriously and be the best. Do that, keep your goal in sight and the bones and tea leaves will be in your favor.

This is what I meant. By all means have goals and work to achieve them. But if he is really set on being an Aeronautical Engineer, there are other services where there is a much better opportunity to do so than in the Marine Corps. But again, that is
IF the ultimate goal is to be an AE. If the ultimate goal is to have a career as a pilot in the Marine Corps, hopefully to be an AE then go for it.

 

[Nick Termini]

@Lord Doog:
Trying to reboot this thread 5 years after the fact. I was wondering what became of your ambitions to become a Marine aviator/aerospace engineer. I am in a comparable situation to you 5 years ago: I am currently in NROTC as a Marine Option with an aviation contract and am also studying aerospace. I am also very interested in the MOS (8820) you discussed. Have you pursued this career path and if so, what kind of information could you shed to someone intent on following a path similar to yours?

 

[Brett327]

That guy hasn't logged on in 4.5 years, though others may have some input.