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Marine OCS ground contract

LizSJM4

New Member
Hi, I've recently been selected to go to OCS this summer for the Marines. I'm doing PLC Juniors this summer, and I contracted ground. I want to go air but my OSO told me to just put down ground so I could get submitted to the board, he told me I can switch my contract to air once I've been selected. I was just wondering if this is an easy process to do, and if it is that easy to switch my ground contract to an air contract before I commission? He said that I just need to take the flight physical and do well on my ASTB and then I can switch my contract.
 

Treetop Flyer

Well-Known Member
pilot
Don't commission on a ground contract unless you want to go ground. You have some time and stuff to accomplish before commissioning so he's probably not steering you wrong.
 

81montedriver

Well-Known Member
pilot
In theory that is what you need to do. However there need to be slots available. Usually the slots show up during TBS but they are extremely competitive. That was when I went through TBS and the Marine Corps was plussing up. At the moment we are drawing down from 202k to 174k and I have a feeling those competitive air contracts at TBS will become even more rare.

I'm a big fan of being in control of my own fate and if I was in your shoes I would have waited for an air contract.
 

pourts

former Marine F/A-18 pilot & FAC, current MBA stud
pilot
I got one of 2 competitive air contracts in my TBS class out of about 330 total officers. I think about 40 or so were actively trying to get one of the aviation slots, though it was about 7 years ago now. They decided strictly on class rank.

That being said, I agree with 81 and Treetop
 

Gunfyter

Member
I also went to TBS on a ground contract in 1981. 32 years ago. I don't remember how I got the pilot slot but I was perfectly happy going ground.

s/f
 
In 1999, when I was a ground contract at TBS, the original slate (available MOS slots) had 1 pilot and 1-2 NFO slots available. I think they just put that number down to discourage people from applying. (Our SPCs actively campaigned guys to give up air contracts, and one guy even did). In the end basically everyone who passed the test and the physical got flight slots...if I remember 2 pilots and 4 NFOs from my company. Needless to say that was a different world back then.
 
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