Fired up 13 year old looking to join ranks of USMC Pilots

[nittany03]

lol I use to be a boy scout. But then my Den number became inactive and people stopped coming and yeah...

Oh hell yeah. This forum is chock full of pro pilots.

You're 13, which means you're one or two years into eligibility for being a Boy Scout. IIRC, it's ages 12-17 inclusive. Cub Scouts have dens, and the military really doesn't care what you did there. But you've got five years to make Eagle Scout, or whatever the equivalent is in CAP; I know they've got some sort of Mitchell Award or somesuch. I'd highly recommend pursuing one of these if you are serious about being in the military.

Being commissioned as an officer is a very long-term goal for you right now. You're as far away from it now as you are from being in preschool. Earning your Eagle or equivalent from CAP is a big plus on your resume, because it shows leadership potential, long-term commitment, and at least a little maturity. And you can start working on it now.

If I were you, I'd think about finding a troop and at least giving it a shot. There might be one associated with the pack your den was a part of. If the pack folded, look around or do some Google searching to find one. If you want to be an officer, individual initiative and being a self-starter are essential.

<--
Became an Eagle Scout January 31, 1999
Winged a Naval Aviator July 28, 2006

 

[Tovarish1]

I'm probably going to CAP. My den started becoming inactive and then I don't know what happened there but no one started coming.

You're right about not talking about it. But that's why I'm here. Trying to "absorb" some info so to speak. But I understand even that's not enough.

 

[Picaroon]

The biggest thing you need to worry about is your grades. If you have good grades, then it is one less thing (THAT YOU CAN'T GO BACK AND FIX) to worry about. If you don't make it because you didn't quite cut it physically in your app, then you can always work harder. You can't take back wasted years in high school and college.

Agreed 100%.

At 13 you want to work on getting As. In high school, take physics if you're worried about the ASTB. The physics and math I learned in high school and college (I'm not a science major) helped me a lot and I did very well on the ASTB.

Get a good GPA in high school, play some sports, and see if you want to go to an academy, ROTC, or other.

 

[Tovarish1]

I'm gonna try and do everything. You know JROTC, CAP, maybe a little physics, or maybe a lot of physics but I'll squeeze physics. I can get my personal tutor to probably work on that w/ me but that's a little ambitious right now so.

 

[Immy]

Wow, I wish I was as dead set on this when I was 13 as you are. It could have saved me a lot of trouble now.

Anyways, heed all this great advice. Read as much as you can on this site, cause it's all great information from people who are living what you hope to become.

Edit: Naperville huh? I'm from Joliet myself. Small world.

 

[Tovarish1]

Yeah I never expected this many replies in one day. This is my first day on the sight and I already have like 18 or so. But yeah. Illinois rocks.

 

[AJTranny]

Hey man, best of luck to you. I'd take this job over anything else out there. I just want to emphasize to stay away from drugs. Some of your friends may start messing around with that stuff soon and the military wants nothing to do with a kid that's into that. I'm sure you know better, but peer pressure can be tough. Keep your eye on the ball. I look forward to sharing the skies with you in another 9 years or so.

 

[HeyJoe]

Hey man, best of luck to you. I'd take this job over anything else out there. I just want to emphasize to stay away from drugs. Some of your friends may start messing around with that stuff soon and the military wants nothing to do with a kid that's into that. I'm sure you know better, but peer pressure can be tough. Keep your eye on the ball. I look forward to sharing the skies with you in another 9 years or so.

...and resist temptation to "get ink done". Getting a Tattoo waiver or removal is another headache/delay you can avoid.

 

[HAL Pilot]

Tovarish - you're a 13 year old kid. The signature line isn't impressing anyone.

 

[sickboy]

By the way I'm really nervous about the ASTB and I need someone to walk me through that because I'm kinda nervous as to what to do.

Your first step is to get old, and then see an Officer recruiter. In the meantime listen to what everyone else said. I was convinced that I was going to be a hippie when I was 13 (big goals right?), now I laugh at myself for that. My point is, think about it, but don't get caught up in it. Your goals will change.

 

[OSUbeaver]

Another great program for you to check out is the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps. I was in it during high school and my unit was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California. We had a ton of interaction with the Marines so don't let the Navy uniforms turn you off of a great program. http://www.seacadets.org/public/

 

[red_ryder]

Went to college at UIUC, myself. BSA would be a good deal, you learn a lot of neat useful stuff and you meet other Eagle Scouts later on in life and it helps.
Don't join the CAP unless you really want to; it's totally not necessary for what you want to do.

No matter if you want to go to college first or the Academy, you'll want to keep your grades up in high school--I concur--and I'll also second the extracurriculars. But dude, you're only 13. Enjoy your youth, too.

 

[Giggles]

Did I miss something? Here is my 2 pennies: I know where your coming from I wanted to be a Navy pilot since I was a wee lad...4 or 5 years old. Now I was never a star student by any means, but here is the path I took...thought it might help:
1. Start looking into NROTC programs at Colleges your interested in (or USNA) & start contacted the LT's at those Units about ways of getting a scholarship. Or recruiters, but be careful with that...Honestly you can do JROTC but I didnt need it, and know many who never even considered it...just putting that out there.
2. Dont even worry about the ASTB I didnt take it until I was a senior In college. Finish high school strong with an plan for college.
3. Do well in College, hopefully you are in a NROTC Unit. I was Navy, but you can switch over to Marine I believe whenever..not sure on the requirements for that. But, if you did go Marine, you put a Aviation package in just as you would with Navy. Then the summer before you graduate you go to OCS and then TBS when you graduate...then flight school. Your package takes many different factors in to account, i.e. ASTB score, prt, CO recommendation, type of degree you got etc...its all weighed at different %. And as far as I know, its pretty tough to pick up Recon out of NROTC as an officer, but thats as far as I know on that subject.
4. Overall, just do well, have fun (dont get to stressed over little things now), baby steps, and keep your goals in sight.

Good luck, FLY NAVY!

 

[vicariousrider]

There's a lot of good advice here, so all I can say is this:

No matter what happens, stay focused on your goal of becoming an aviator. It may take you what seems a long time, people may make fun of you for being a "straight edge" (or whatever the term may be nowadays), and there may be other roadblocks along the way, but no matter what, keep focused on the goal and work hard. You're already on the right path by researching it now, and based on what you've posted here thus far I would even go so far as to say that your maturity level is higher than most your age. I commend you for that and I also encourage you to keep it up. It might not be the easiest path in life, but then again, nothing worth doing is easy.

No matter what, when someone tells you you can't do it, when someone thinks your idea is stupid, when one of the guys (or girls) thinks you're an idiot for not doing drugs, remember this: I was a geek, called a dweeb, made fun of, and told by United States Air Force recruiters I'd never fly because of my vision (I wore glasses as a teenager). Yet, here I am, 10 years later, and almost everyone I went to high school with is getting excited about their 10 year reunion because, in the most real sense, it was the best time of their lives, and the mistakes they made then are costing them now. While they're celebrating their 10 year high school reunion, thanks to the United States Navy (they provided me with PRK and paid for my college courses) and thanks to the many good Officers and Sailors that I've had the honor of working for and with (they supported me in my application to the Seaman to Admiral program), I am on my way to a commission and a slot as a SNA.

Finally, be humble as you go down this path and be willing to learn. You already sound like you are, so all I can say is keep that mentality and you'll do well.

Heed strongly the advice given and it will serve you well.

Good luck in your quest to become an aviator!

 

[HeyJoe]

Tovarish - you're a 13 year old kid. The signature line isn't impressing anyone.

Fixed. Tovarish, your signature text was deleted by Mod ruling. You can replace it with something that doesn't include 4 letter words you don't hear on the radio.