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What does it mean to want to be a Marine Officer?

croakerfish

Well-Known Member
pilot
This is the dumbest fucking post on this site I've seen in awhile.

No, typically Marines don't spend a lot of time in Yuma.

You're other observations are trite and hackneyed. Did you just get done watching A Few Good Men and post this?

It was a joke, not a big green dick. Don't take it so hard.
 

RoarkJr.

Well-Known Member
Good on you for asking the question. The superficial reasons you listed for leaning towards being a Marine actually say a lot about where you’d be a better fit. If there is something about a more challenging OCS, a six month ground/basic officer course, and overall being a part of a rich legacy of discipline, excellence, and “one of the few”...it might be for you.

The “reasons” will likely change as you go through indoctrination. You’ll get a grasp of what is ultimately expected of you. It’s a lot. But it’s worth it.
 

kite

Beach FEX
Good on you for asking the question. The superficial reasons you listed for leaning towards being a Marine actually say a lot about where you’d be a better fit. If there is something about a more challenging OCS, a six month ground/basic officer course, and overall being a part of a rich legacy of discipline, excellence, and “one of the few”...it might be for you.

The “reasons” will likely change as you go through indoctrination. You’ll get a grasp of what is ultimately expected of you. It’s a lot. But it’s worth it.

All those things sound appealing, but it definitely conflicts with the "join a branch that cares about its members" line that I've heard from a few former Navy guys. When you say more challenging OCS, are the academics supposed to be harder as well? The more difficult PT looks like "fun" in the sufferfest kind of way. Either way, I figure I'll get in touch with an OSO once I make it through finals week.
 

RoarkJr.

Well-Known Member
All those things sound appealing, but it definitely conflicts with the "join a branch that cares about its members" line that I've heard from a few former Navy guys. When you say more challenging OCS, are the academics supposed to be harder as well? The more difficult PT looks like "fun" in the sufferfest kind of way. Either way, I figure I'll get in touch with an OSO once I make it through finals week.
The more you have to think about it, the less likely it’s for you. Academics is the least of your worries at OCS. Can you lead your peers in a challenging environment, while enduring difficult physical and mental hurdles that you’ll be evaluated on?

Marines’ purpose is to be first to fight, and win. Yes the LARPing sounds shitty but, it’s only LARPing until it’s not.
 

Swanee

Cereal Killer
pilot
None
Contributor
All those things sound appealing, but it definitely conflicts with the "join a branch that cares about its members" line that I've heard from a few former Navy guys. When you say more challenging OCS, are the academics supposed to be harder as well? The more difficult PT looks like "fun" in the sufferfest kind of way. Either way, I figure I'll get in touch with an OSO once I make it through finals week.

The focus of the various services PLC/OCS/OTS/O-Whatever-S is as vastly different as the services are themselves. Marines live in a giant squadbay, and focus on a shitty existence in the field doing small unit infantry tactics. Navy guys live with a roommate or two, and learn about boat stuff. Air Force guys live in a dorm with a roommate and learn about aviation stuff. Army does... well... I don't know what the Army does. Army stuff.


My Marine OCS platoon started with around 80- we graduated/commissioned around 30. Some of those that were dropped ended up going to other services' versions of OCS and commissioned. I suppose the games may be easier elsewhere or may be easier the second time around; then again, maybe not. YMMV.

I'd say that a Marine 2nd Lt is a bit better at the officer thing that another services O-1 (but we're talking about the most attractive person in the burn ward here...). I'd also say that things pretty much even out by the time you're a junior O-3 in your fleet unit. I also believe that as much as TBS sucks (and it sucks) it's a good place to be from.


Again, I joined the Marine Corps because they were the first service to offer me a shot at flight school.
 

whitesoxnation

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
I know the USMC section on this site sees a fair bit less activity, but I wanted to ask a a question: What does it mean to want to be a Marine Officer?

Put simply/bluntly - it means you’re going to have to do your own admin and have significant collateral duties in addition to flying.

USMC squadrons are generally structured similar to Navy squadrons. USMC and Navy have different structures than USAF.

A USMC and USN squadron will be responsible for doing things in house that a USAF squadron would not be responsible for (i.e. MX, admin, logistics). A USMC squadron is going to be required to do more admin than a USN squadron due to not having the planning power, weight, or priority of a CAG staff. USMC squadrons will also likely lack the manpower of a USN squadron to cover administrative tasks.

USMC is going to be more undermanned and more poorly equipped than the USN. USMC training is not going to be as good as USN. You will not benefit from an AWF unless part of a squadron attached to CAG and you will not have as much time to study and prepare for tactical execution as the USN or USAF. You may get to participate in a flag or flag level event, but the tailoring and detailing of those to your training objectives will probably not be as detailed. Quality of those tier events varies as well. I have not done an AWF but that is my perception. That plus the admin burden will, to be completely honest and broadly speaking, result in less tactical capability when comparing a similar TMS/MDS USMC vs USN or USAF. My perspective is TACAIR.

USMC will struggle for survival and relevancy due to having niche capability and smaller size. USN and USAF are inherently relevant due to being more capable and larger size. My perception is that the USAF cares greatly about maintaining a tactical and technological advantage over our adversary. Sometimes I’m not sure if the USMC does so to the same extent due to sometimes struggling for survival and the items I mentioned above.

My .02.
 
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Goodfou

Well-Known Member
This is the dumbest fucking post on this site I've seen in awhile.

No, typically Marines don't spend a lot of time in Yuma.

You're other observations are trite and hackneyed. Did you just get done watching A Few Good Men and post this?

#triggered. Is this better?
28259

In case you haven’t noticed, any time in Yuma, is too much time. I much prefer my time in Seychelles, Rota, Scotland, Nola, Sig, downtown Honolulu, even El Salvador, and Djibouti. But then again, one part of my post that was meant to be serious (besides the fact that Marines are the best because they tell themselves that..?, also told to me by a marine), there are good deals and bad in every branch so don’t assume anything. Perhaps to make it more clear for you, join the branch that best resonates with you and don’t look back. And by the way, a dumb marine recruiter tried to get me to join the corps with that varsity/JV line. A Sailor must have stole his girlfriend...?
 

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RoarkJr.

Well-Known Member
The OP's question was "what does it mean to want to be a Marine Officer" not "what does it mean to be a naval aviator in the Marine Corps." To want to be a Marine is to want to accept the challenge of doing more with less, accept that the mission is to fight and support the grunt, accept that you need to be "above reproach" as a leader in our armed forces most disciplined and "militarized" branch. Perhaps it also means that as an aviator you aren't going to be the focus. You are the supporting, not the supported. I'm not thrilled to read about how that means our tactical capabilities and readiness suffer as a result, but hopefully that will start to change with the new force structure.

The new force structure initiatives have us trimming down on size and capabilities IOT get back to our amphibious roots. No tanks or MP, less artillery, more agile infantry, better equipment for what we need to accomplish our primary mission. I hope that implies that we are willing to get smaller so we can get better. U.S.A will always want a Corps. I could care less if that means we have to be even smaller than we are now. Of course, this is all coming from a motivated SNA who is halfway to retirement eligibility and has never worked at the pentagon or HQMC.
 

Treetop Flyer

Well-Known Member
pilot
#triggered. Is this better?
View attachment 28259

In case you haven’t noticed, any time in Yuma, is too much time. I much prefer my time in Seychelles, Rota, Scotland, Nola, Sig, downtown Honolulu, even El Salvador, and Djibouti. But then again, one part of my post that was meant to be serious (besides the fact that Marines are the best because they tell themselves that..?, also told to me by a marine), there are good deals and bad in every branch so don’t assume anything. Perhaps to make it more clear for you, join the branch that best resonates with you and don’t look back. And by the way, a dumb marine recruiter tried to get me to join the corps with that varsity/JV line. A Sailor must have stole his girlfriend...?
I didn’t realize the Navy spent all their time in the Seychelles, Rota, and Scotland. Seriously, just STFU.

Ive flown USMC aircraft and overnighted in every place you listed except the Seychelles (sub Honduras for El Salvador) including Navy garden spots like El Centro and Lemoore. Also, I’d rather be in Yuma than Nola and of course your idiotic suggestion of Djibouti
 

Swanee

Cereal Killer
pilot
None
Contributor
#triggered. Is this better?

In case you haven’t noticed, any time in Yuma, is too much time. I much prefer my time in Seychelles, Rota, Scotland, Nola, Sig, downtown Honolulu, even El Salvador, and Djibouti. But then again, one part of my post that was meant to be serious (besides the fact that Marines are the best because they tell themselves that..?, also told to me by a marine), there are good deals and bad in every branch so don’t assume anything. Perhaps to make it more clear for you, join the branch that best resonates with you and don’t look back. And by the way, a dumb marine recruiter tried to get me to join the corps with that varsity/JV line. A Sailor must have stole his girlfriend...?

Did a Marine steal your girlfriend or something?

Yuma ain't that bad man. It's got some good food and beer, the public golf course is pretty nice, and the town generally likes the military being there. It's too bad that the German folks retired and couldn't find a buyer for their restaurant. But Yuma isn't bad. I'd put it on par with New Bern. While El Centro has a nicer pool, and transient housing, and go karts, the town of Yuma beats El Centro any day.
 

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
When it comes to the Marines John Thomason said it best...

“There is nothing particularly glorious about sweaty fellows, laden with killing tools, going along to fight. And yet-such a column represents a great deal more than 28,000 individuals mustered into a division. All that is behind those men is in that column too: the old battles, long forgotten, that secured our nation -- Brandywine and Trenton and Yorktown, San Jacinto and Chapultepec, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Antietam, El Caney; scores of skirmishes, far off, such as the Marines have nearly every year in which a man can be killed as dead as ever a chap in the Argonne; traditions of things endured and things accomplished, such as regiments hand down forever; and the faith of men and the love of women; and that abstract thing called patriotism, which I never heard combat soldiers mention -- all this passes into the forward zone, to the point of contact, where war is grit with horrors. Common men endure these horrors and overcome them, along with the insistent yearnings of the belly and the reasonable promptings of fear; and in this, I think, is glory.”

For the most part Marines aren’t necessarily special, hell, I am evidence of that, but for some reason that I can’t explain the Marine Corps is.
 

Randy Daytona

Cold War Relic
pilot
Super Moderator
When it comes to the Marines John Thomason said it best...

“There is nothing particularly glorious about sweaty fellows, laden with killing tools, going along to fight. And yet-such a column represents a great deal more than 28,000 individuals mustered into a division. All that is behind those men is in that column too: the old battles, long forgotten, that secured our nation -- Brandywine and Trenton and Yorktown, San Jacinto and Chapultepec, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Antietam, El Caney; scores of skirmishes, far off, such as the Marines have nearly every year in which a man can be killed as dead as ever a chap in the Argonne; traditions of things endured and things accomplished, such as regiments hand down forever; and the faith of men and the love of women; and that abstract thing called patriotism, which I never heard combat soldiers mention -- all this passes into the forward zone, to the point of contact, where war is grit with horrors. Common men endure these horrors and overcome them, along with the insistent yearnings of the belly and the reasonable promptings of fear; and in this, I think, is glory.”

For the most part Marines aren’t necessarily special, hell, I am evidence of that, but for some reason that I can’t explain the Marine Corps is.

I think you might be looking for this:


Dan Carlin, as always, has a superb description. Pick it up at the 3 hr and 5 minute mark on the Supernova in the East, Part IV.

 
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