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Pilot vs NFO (Navy/Marine Corps)

Caribbean_Joe

New Member
My friend is in primary right now and says Marines are not taking any more NFOs, is this true?
 
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jollygreen07

Professional (?) Flight Instructor
pilot
Contributor
I just classed up two about a month ago. I believe they are the last, but the story keeps changing. If that’s what you want to do ask for it and let them tell you no.
 

0621 Hertz

Well-Known Member
I know the guys that classed up recently. When I left for Whiting they were still held up in MATSG-21 after API due to HQMC not wanting any more NFOs. I guess they finally slipped by so that should be the last of them.

Even if you do make it, it's probably career suicide. Go Navy if NFO is the path you want.
 

Hair Warrior

Well-Known Member
Contributor
The Marine Corps will surely take flight officers... and turn them into RIFLEMEN.*

*may affect your ability to continue being a flight officer
 

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I guess they finally slipped by so that should be the last of them.

Even if you do make it, it's probably career suicide. Go Navy if NFO is the path you want.

^^^^Great advice! When door closes, you could be left without a community. Unless you really want to be a Marine Officer regardless of MOS, NFO is not a viable career strategy as a Marine. Handwriting has been on the wall for years with Platform after Platform being retired that involved a NFO seat.
 

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
The Marine Corps will surely take flight officers... and turn them into RIFLEMEN.*

*may affect your ability to continue being a flight officer

Or worse...I went through TBS in 78 and when drawdown hit our Class, picks had been made so all that was left was Motor T... in Okinawa. Infantry was not an option as it was highly competitive. I had one friend who insisted on JAG school and ultimately got it... by talking to a lawyer. Several others were USNA grads and asked to go back into Navy. After being told that wasn’t an option, they lawyered up and became Ensigns after a big contentious spat with chain of command.
 
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Hair Warrior

Well-Known Member
Contributor
Or worse...I went through TBS in 78 and when drawdown hot our Class, picks had been made so all that was left was Motor T... in Okinawa. Infantry was not an option as it was highly competitive. I had one friend who insisted on JAG school and ultimately got it... by talking to a lawyer. Several others were USNA grads and asked to go back into Navy. After being told that wasn’t an option, they lawyered up and became Ensigns after a big contentious spat with chain of command.
...holy cow...so many questions.

Did the 2LT going for JAG get some type of paralegal or officer manager billet, or did that mean he/she automatically went straight to a civilian law school on the Marine Corps' dime? Or, did he/she already have a JD degree before attending TBS?

And for the 2LTs who went back into the Navy as ENS, I'm curious how their careers went as well.
 

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
...holy cow...so many questions.

Did the 2LT going for JAG get some type of paralegal or officer manager billet, or did that mean he/she automatically went straight to a civilian law school on the Marine Corps' dime? Or, did he/she already have a JD degree before attending TBS?

And for the 2LTs who went back into the Navy as ENS, I'm curious how their careers went as well.

The first guy became a JAG (he was a USNA grad so had to start from scratch to get his JD) and eventually went into the Reserves while becoming a prominent lawyer defending high profile Military members in National news. We are still in touch. Send me a PM if you want a connection to him.

The other guys all did fine because with pooling and other delays, they did not lose any time. We all ended up a Pensacola at same time. I even caught up with my TBS roomie even after I made my move into Navy after a stint in Pentagon for a year.

Over the years, I have met Navy to Marine and Marine to Navy inter service transfers. It is easier to do within Dept of Navy but I have seen other service transfers as well. All about timing and opportunity windows that sometimes are wide open, sometimes not.
 

Caribbean_Joe

New Member
I was curious what the different splits were for pilots and NFOS in the Marine Corps and the Navy? By splits I mean the tract that SNAs and SNFOs go into? SO for a pilot what percentage would go to helicopters, cargo, heavies, fighters, etc...In both the Navy/ Marines? For NFOs what is the break down going to strike, strike fighter, heavies, etc... In both Marine Corps and Navy?
 

cfam

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I was curious what the different splits were for pilots and NFOS in the Marine Corps and the Navy? By splits I mean the tract that SNAs and SNFOs go into? SO for a pilot what percentage would go to helicopters, cargo, heavies, fighters, etc...In both the Navy/ Marines? For NFOs what is the break down going to strike, strike fighter, heavies, etc... In both Marine Corps and Navy?

Welcome to the site! Take a look around the forums before starting new threads on commonly asked questions like this one.

Also, think through what you're actually asking and why. Are you trying to figure out what your odds are of getting a particular platform? The short answer is "it depends" and there really is nothing you can do to affect the outcome aside from your performance in flight school. Even then, your platform selection can be entirely up to the needs of the Navy or Marine Corps.

Final point; the Navy and Marine Corps don't really refer to any of their aircraft as "heavies." That's much more of an Air Force term.
 

Caribbean_Joe

New Member
If you're aircraft is retired, wouldn't be an easy switch to transition to pilot as you'd just have to complete intermediate and advanced?
 

DocT

Dean of Students
pilot
You really don’t want to voluntarily join a transitioning/dying community. There’s lots of politics and it’s not straightforward. If you have the choice do something else.
 
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