Timing after OCS

[CASchouten]

I have a few questions regarding entering flight school after graduating from Officer Candidate School. I recently talked to my local CG recruiter. He said after receiving a commission, it was at least a two year wait on a boat before the CG will even allow you to apply to flight school. Can anyone vouch for the accuracy of this? What about the other branches? Is the wait to apply to flight school just as long? Does this recruiter know what he is talking about? Any light shed on this topic would be very helpful!!

 

[CASchouten]

Mari,

When you say that the Navy & Marines "guarantee" you a spot in flight school, what happens if you are not accepted into flight school after receiving your commission? Do you still serve a pre-determined amount of time? Do these two branches have a waiting period like the CG after officer training? I am most interested in flying helos also, does this make a difference as far as my odds of being selected for flight school goes? Thanks for being an impartial source of info! The CG recruiter is pro-CG and very anti-everything else!

Craig

 

[Gator]

As Mari stated, the Marine Corps and the Navy guarantee aviation spots to individuals. This guarantee is made prior to leaving for OCS and is part of a persons enlistment contract.

 

[leonsparx]

It's been my understanding that the Marine Corps does not guarantee flight--that you may enter with an aviation designator but get shunted off into something else because of the "needs of the service." Is this true? I've heard it from several people, including my Navy recruiter (but what should I expect, right?) He mentioned it as an argument against joining the Corps.

 

[Marko]

I spent 5yrs in the Coast Guard and Mari is dead on with his info. To get an aviation slot with the Coast Guard you must first be commissioned and then apply for flight school. Most new officers do end up spending 2yrs on a ship (cutter), some get lucky and get an office job. If you get selected you leave for the flight class selected for. If not selected you must serve out the remainder of your commission. If you want any other info on the CG let me know.

 

[Gator]

The aviation field is one of the few job fields that the Corps will guarantee you. Normally officers put in their wish list during OCS. The class is numerically ranked and then divided into thirds. For example, if the class had 99 people in it, #34 would get his first choice, but #33 would not. Most officers in the Corps want to go infantry and the Corps sees this as a way of spread loading the quality officers. If you are given an aviation designator as par of your enlistment contract and the service fails to provide you with the opportunity to achieve, then you can get out if you want to.

 

[Frumby]

Leon, your Navy recruiter is dead on...Dead on WRONG! You go into the Corps with a Flight guarantee and you will get your shot at flight school. Your only catch is that you pass the flight physical while at TBS. Before you go to TBS you also have to pass one to be accepted for an aviation guarantee but you also have to pass one in TBS. There was a 3 year gap between my physicals, had I failed at TBS, I would have had been put into the selection for a ground MOS. If you DOR or NPQ or fail out of flight school then you are held to the remainder of your 4 year contract (ground contract) and the "needs of the service" take over. We get a lot of logistics and admin officers this way....alot! Trust me, your recruiter knows these facts because it's no different then his side of the house! Frumby

Attack Pilot
Major USMC

 

[Vic]

How about this?
Can you apply for the Corps and the Navy aviation programs at the same time? Or do they have the same standards(re:if you don't get picked for one you won't get picked for the other)?
I'm also getting ready to fly to London from Germany to take the ASTB, any hints?

 

[Kraftwerk]

quote:
How about this?
Can you apply for the Corps and the Navy aviation programs at the same time? Or do they have the same standards(re:if you don't get picked for one you won't get picked for the other)?
I'm also getting ready to fly to London from Germany to take the ASTB, any hints?




Hey Vic are you working with New England NRD?

 

[airgreg]

Thanks Mari, that was probably the best summary of the entire process that I've seen.

 

[Dave Shutter]

I was expecting to class up this week (hey, the LT in charge of the process told me I was!) but things can change at the last second, as was the case. Today when they announced names for the next class he said the waiting terms were now 9 weeks for NFO, 10 weeks for Whiting Pilot and 4 weeks for CC pilot. Remember that while in "A" pool you're basically floating in a feeding tank for all the Primary SQDN's and right now there's a big push for CC, that's the way it is. In a few months it may change and there will be a big push for other people. I'm not complaining; right now I'm getting paid to learn how to SCUBA dive, going to the pool tonight!

 

[Vic]

quote:
Hey Vic are you working with New England NRD?




Yes, with LT Sampson

 

[Phiman]

Dave, How exactly are you learning to SCUBA dive and how'd you pull that duty. I've always wanted to learn. Thanks.