Pilot's Contract??

[SShanerBaner]

Im trying to become a military pilot and have been weighing my options about which service to choose. Ive talked to recruiters from the marines, air force, and Navy. I was wondering... the marines have told me they can gaurantee a air contract and flight school after TBS if I score high enough on the ASTB, can the Navy also provide this kind of written gaurantee that I get to go to flight school?? Thanks for the help.

 

[Junkball]

Yes, you can sign a contract guaranteeing a Student Naval Aviator slot after Officer Candidate School, as long as you are medically qualified and don't f*ck up. One major difference between the two branches is Marine Officers must go to the 6 month-long Basic School after OCS and before flight school.
Use the search function, chances are all of your questions have been answered before.

 

[christaphurrr]

Now, I'm just starting college, but have read a lot about this subject, so I think I can start you off.

If you're in your first 2 years of college, you can look into bdcp. If you are accepted they will guarantee you the opportunity to become a SNA. Whether you actually become a pilot is determined by whether you screw it up or not.

You can also look into OCS. If you're accepted for this you are also guaranteed the opportunity to become a SNA. Same thing.. Whether you become a pilot is determined by whether you screw it up or not.

You can find all the details about these programs via the search option, and I will let some of the guys who have been there explain things I may have missed. Hopefully this gives you a good start.

 

[christaphurrr]

Junk beat me to it.^^

 

[McBuff]

If you're in your first 2 years of college, you can look into bdcp. If you are accepted they will guarantee you the opportunity to become a SNA. Whether you actually become a pilot is determined by whether you screw it up or not.

You can also look into OCS. If you're accepted for this you are also guaranteed the opportunity to become a SNA. Same thing.. Whether you become a pilot is determined by whether you screw it up or not.

To clarify, I think you can apply for BDCP anywhere from your sophomore to senior year of college. BDCP is an 'early acceptance' to OCS with added bennies, not a different program.

To answer the OP if you are selected for BDCP/OCS, you will sign a contract that says upon the completion of Officer Candidate School, you will be an SNA. If you're really interested, just start reading all of the posts about becoming an officer/OCS and you will be much wiser. Believe me when I say that every question you have has been answered within the last 3 months.

 

[srqwho]

Im trying to become a military pilot and have been weighing my options about which service to choose. Ive talked to recruiters from the marines, air force, and Navy. I was wondering... the marines have told me they can gaurantee a air contract and flight school after TBS if I score high enough on the ASTB, can the Navy also provide this kind of written gaurantee that I get to go to flight school?? Thanks for the help.

If you have a solid application and get picked up for pilot (AFTER YOU GRADUATE, NOT BDCP) and you get to OCS only to find out you have some rare heart issue or you fail an eye exam a couple times the answer is NO, you don't have to do something else like SWO or Supply. You can request to leave the program and owe the Navy nothing. But if you get picked up for BDCP and you have some med issues at OCS than you will have to chose another designator that you are medically qualified to do... IF that designator needs people... if not than most seem to end up SWOs. Search.

 

[torpedo0126]

Now, I'm just starting college, but have read a lot about this subject, so I think I can start you off.

If you're in your first 2 years of college, you can look into bdcp. If you are accepted they will guarantee you the opportunity to become a SNA. Whether you actually become a pilot is determined by whether you screw it up or not.

You can also look into OCS. If you're accepted for this you are also guaranteed the opportunity to become a SNA. Same thing.. Whether you become a pilot is determined by whether you screw it up or not.

You can find all the details about these programs via the search option, and I will let some of the guys who have been there explain things I may have missed. Hopefully this gives you a good start.

If you are starting college or 2 years in, I would DEFINITELY pursue NROTC before BDCP.

 

[MasterBates]

I personally would do BDCP over NROTC.

Guaranteed designator. Doesn't matter what school you go to. Unless you go to a uber-expensive private school, you will make more $$ on BDCP than NROTC.

I made $30k in my 1 year in BDCP pre-OCS. That will pay tuition at many private schools and make a dent in your living expenses. If you are a state-school guy, you can bank mad cash.

Did I mention the gauranteed designator? No being pushed or voluntold nuke.

 

[torpedo0126]

I personally would do BDCP over NROTC.

Guaranteed designator. Doesn't matter what school you go to. Unless you go to a uber-expensive private school, you will make more $$ on BDCP than NROTC.

I made $30k in my 1 year in BDCP pre-OCS. That will pay tuition at many private schools and make a dent in your living expenses. If you are a state-school guy, you can bank mad cash.

Did I mention the gauranteed designator?

Very true, you don't have the luxury of a guaranteed designator and I did go to a school that was 40k+ a year.

The reason I recommend NROTC over BDCP is simply the experience. I got to do really cool stuff...CORTRAMID, summer cruises (Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, San Diego), leadership conferences (these were cool because you got to go party at other schools like Notre Dame), shoot shit w/ the Marines, conned a CG, DDG, and SSBN, got rides in a T-34, F/A-18, and SH-60, shot the 20mm on a DDG etc etc etc.

Yea, you may not have to do much in BDCP, but I thought it was awesome getting to do those things in NROTC PLUS getting to experience college.

Also, although they weren't significant, NROTC does try to put you in leadership positions and develop a knowledge of the Navy over 4 years as opposed to the 10-13 weeks at OCS.

Again, that was my perspective having received a commission through NROTC. And excellent officers come from ALL the commissioning sources.

No being pushed or voluntold nuke.

I don't believe anyone can be 'forced' to go nuke. You have to be invited to the interview and pass it. Then again, I have never encountered anyone being forced into nuke...maybe it has actually happened. When I was the recruiting officer at the NROTC unit I was stashed at, I was told the person has to have some desire. Don't let that discourage you from taking the free trip to Hawaii though...

 

[60flyer]

If you are starting college or 2 years in, I would DEFINITELY pursue NROTC before BDCP.

Definite vote for BDCP over NROTC.

With BDCP not only do you get a guaranteed designator, you gain time in service (good for both pay and retirement), build leave (you'll start OCS maxed out with leave), you get paid, and do absolutely nothing besides a PRT every 6 months. It's the best deal out there that very few people know about.

 

[SShanerBaner]

Yea I am looking at BDCP since I will be a senior in the Fall, right now im am still trying to decide between the marines and the Navy, I realize the Marines cannot offer the money that the BDCP does, but I think going to TBS and learning the land nav would be cool before I go to pilot school. Just a thought anyone have any opinions Marine vs Navy??

 

[SDNalgene]

Yea I am looking at BDCP since I will be a senior in the Fall, right now im am still trying to decide between the marines and the Navy, I realize the Marines cannot offer the money that the BDCP does, but I think going to TBS and learning the land nav would be cool before I go to pilot school. Just a thought anyone have any opinions Marine vs Navy??

I am not a Marine, however, I caution you that thinking "learning land nav would be cool" before you go to flight school is going to lead to you being one very unhappy camper. If you want to join the Marine Corps your main motivation should be becoming an officer of Marines. The TBS experience is all about the ground pounders and it tends to deify infantry officers. A few of my friends who went there with guaranteed aviation slots almost gave them up to put their names in the MOS lottery for an infantry slot. They didn't do it and in retrospect were quite happy they did not, (flight school is a lot of fun), but some of these guys were Embry Riddle graduates who were absolute aviation whores. That should give you some idea of where the focus is at TBS and the level of kool-aid drinking that occurs there.

I am not trying to dissuade you from going down the green (dark) side, however, if you do, do so knowing that it is way more than a show and tell exposure session to the infantry side of the house. There are a lot of advantages to the way the Marine Corps does it, no question. For starters they train every officer to lead troops on a basic level which emphasizes the leader first, aviator second mentality. The stash jobs that Marines have pre-API tend to reflect this focus on leadership.

In contrast the Navy drops newly minted ensigns right into flight school, an evolution which done properly resembles a well funded fraternity party. If you get a stash job it is likely that it will be handing out towels at the pool or counting laps at the mile swim, not exactly jobs that require a college degree or any leadership ability at all. The first 18-36 months of a Navy pilot's career is focused on turning him into an aviator. It's only after the Navy makes an officer a pilot that they entrust them with troops, and by the way, there is little formal training on how to lead those troops. It is expected that through exposure and observation you will pick it up along the way. The process generally works, but it is hard to say that the pipeline reflects a focus of leader first, aviator second.

If you want to be a Marine, do so because you genuinely want to be a Marine officer and lead Marines. Do not do it if you just want to see some cool stuff before flight school. The Navy has been a great fit for me, and the Marine Corps has suited a lot of my friends just fine. It's all about finding the right fit for you and ultimately you will be happy with your decision.

 

[SShanerBaner]

yea thanks SDnalgene, Im all ready to take the ASTB and begin my career as a pilot right now im just weighing the pros and cons of the marines vs the navy. The Navy offers the BDCP which is a lot of money for my senior year, but there is also something about the marines which draws me in and I think I would like the challenge of proving to myself that I can make it through Marine OCS and TBS, not that Navy OTS would be easy. Just have a lot of thinking to do in the next week or so before I take the ASTB. Thanks for the advice.

 

[jtmedli]

I am not a Marine, however, I caution you that thinking "learning land nav would be cool" before you go to flight school is going to lead to you being one very unhappy camper. If you want to join the Marine Corps your main motivation should be becoming an officer of Marines. The TBS experience is all about the ground pounders and it tends to deify infantry officers. A few of my friends who went there with guaranteed aviation slots almost gave them up to put their names in the MOS lottery for an infantry slot. They didn't do it and in retrospect were quite happy they did not, (flight school is a lot of fun), but some of these guys were Embry Riddle graduates who were absolute aviation whores. That should give you some idea of where the focus is at TBS and the level of kool-aid drinking that occurs there.

I am not trying to dissuade you from going down the green (dark) side, however, if you do, do so knowing that it is way more than a show and tell exposure session to the infantry side of the house. There are a lot of advantages to the way the Marine Corps does it, no question. For starters they train every officer to lead troops on a basic level which emphasizes the leader first, aviator second mentality. The stash jobs that Marines have pre-API tend to reflect this focus on leadership.

In contrast the Navy drops newly minted ensigns right into flight school, an evolution which done properly resembles a well funded fraternity party. If you get a stash job it is likely that it will be handing out towels at the pool or counting laps at the mile swim, not exactly jobs that require a college degree or any leadership ability at all. The first 18-36 months of a Navy pilot's career is focused on turning him into an aviator. It's only after the Navy makes an officer a pilot that they entrust them with troops, and by the way, there is little formal training on how to lead those troops. It is expected that through exposure and observation you will pick it up along the way. The process generally works, but it is hard to say that the pipeline reflects a focus of leader first, aviator second.

If you want to be a Marine, do so because you genuinely want to be a Marine officer and lead Marines. Do not do it if you just want to see some cool stuff before flight school. The Navy has been a great fit for me, and the Marine Corps has suited a lot of my friends just fine. It's all about finding the right fit for you and ultimately you will be happy with your decision.

+1...very well said. I have a few friends who are at TBS right now. The Marine Corps is all about the ground war (even the airwing is there to support the ground war). You'll learn to lead Marines and do everything the other ground MOS's will do which is cool for some of us, but may not be your thing.

 

[SShanerBaner]

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