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Airborne School for Marines

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JWL

Member
Can a Marine, specifically a Marine officer to go to Airborne school? If so, what are the conditions? Is it more likely that an Infantry Marine officer would get selected to jump school than an officer of other specialties?

Thank you.
 

nukon

Well-Known Member
pilot
Yes they can, all one needs are the orders to go. Jump school itself has open seats all the time, which you can actually see for yourself on their website.

I had orders (cut from MATSG-21) to go to jump school as a flight student student waiting to class up for intermediate. Can't comment on the likelihood of one MOS going vs another, other than anecdotally, people were very (reasonably) confused as to why I was going. A guy I went to TBS with is a reservist tank officer, and he went and got his jump wings.
 

Hotdogs

I don’t care if I hurt your feelings
pilot
Yes they can, all one needs are the orders to go. Jump school itself has open seats all the time, which you can actually see for yourself on their website.

I had orders (cut from MATSG-21) to go to jump school as a flight student student waiting to class up for intermediate. Can't comment on the likelihood of one MOS going vs another, other than anecdotally, people were very (reasonably) confused as to why I was going. A guy I went to TBS with is a reservist tank officer, and he went and got his jump wings.

You've got to be high. Please tell me my sarcasm meter is off.
 

picklesuit

Dirty Hinge
pilot
Contributor
My Dad went in the late '70s as a Marine ROTC student.
Got his jump wings.
Only 40 year old anecdotal evidence, but there you go.
 

Rocketman

Rockets Up
Contributor
More 40 year old anecdotal evidence. I was an 03 in a grunt battalion and always wanted to go to jump school as did a lot of other grunts. It seems like every open seat that came through was scarfed up by a pogue from the company office. Pissed us off.
 

nukon

Well-Known Member
pilot
You've got to be high. Please tell me my sarcasm meter is off.

Sober as a kite. MATSG-21 guys told me they have a ton of spots, but never really send anybody (go figure). I didn't actually end up going, but they did have orders to send me - even did an observed Army PFT and had to get a flight doc to sign off on a 'jump physical.'

I don't claim that it was a good idea, or even a not-bad idea, but I also wasn't going to turn down the orders. Reservist tank guy did get his jump wings. Apologies if I missed the joke, they don't usually let me talk to the grown-ups. While on the subject of unnecessary jump wings; the naval academy also sends a bunch of Midshipmen.
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
After watching an API classmate blow out his knee doing redneck parasailing, and be down for almost a year, I think you're basically trolling for a down chit. I'll defer to the Marines whether it'd help or just be more bling.

Only other time I've seen people do it is some Navy types detailed to certain SOCOM staff billets. Not sure if it was an official requirement or just a bro deal; I'd bet the latter. But even then, if they'd fucked themselves up, they were already winged and headed to cube-farm land. A few months in a cast wouldn't be throwing a wrench in someone's production goals or flight schedule.
 

Hotdogs

I don’t care if I hurt your feelings
pilot
Sober as a kite. MATSG-21 guys told me they have a ton of spots, but never really send anybody (go figure). I didn't actually end up going, but they did have orders to send me - even did an observed Army PFT and had to get a flight doc to sign off on a 'jump physical.'

I don't claim that it was a good idea, or even a not-bad idea, but I also wasn't going to turn down the orders. Reservist tank guy did get his jump wings. Apologies if I missed the joke, they don't usually let me talk to the grown-ups. While on the subject of unnecessary jump wings; the naval academy also sends a bunch of Midshipmen.

I'd be curious what type of funding would be alloted for a student to go TAD for a school that is completely unnecessary for your primary MOS. I would be shocked that there is money for that given today's fiscal climate. Promotion boards (atleast for aircrew) do not care about jump wings. Also a great way to tear up ones body and NPQ'd prior to starting API.

Reserve Angelico and Recon units are typically the only Marines that are going to go through jump school. Mainly due to METs required by said units. I'm sure there are outliers but generally speaking it is a giant waste of money to send some one to a school to learn a trade that they will never use. It sure as hell was not a thing when we went through MATSG.
 

Swanee

Cereal Killer
pilot
None
Contributor
I've never understood the facination with jump school? Why would anyone want to get get treated like shit by the Army so they can learn to jump out of a perfectly good airplane? Don't forget that the military has a way to turn everything that should be cool into a giant suck fest.

If you want to learn to skydive, go spend some money in your free time at a civilian school. It will be much more fun that way.
 
I've never understood the facination with jump school? Why would anyone want to get get treated like shit by the Army so they can learn to jump out of a perfectly good airplane? Don't forget that the military has a way to turn everything that should be cool into a giant suck fest.

If you want to learn to skydive, go spend some money in your free time at a civilian school. It will be much more fun that way.
I have jumped as a civilian and the experience piqued my interest about jump school. I don't think nrotc sends marine candidates to jump school anymore. If you do get treated like shit by Army, it's only for three weeks.

I simply thought it be great to be both a Marine and airborne qualified. I could be wrong, of course.

Are Marine officers more likely to get a jump slot? Some officer told me it was actually hard to get infantry out of TBS. True?
 
Also, is Airborne something one requests at TBS or afterwards?

Why do some Marine (or Navy, excepting SEALs).who are airborne qualified wear the silver Army wings and others wear the gold Navy parachutist wings?
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Why do some Marine (or Navy, excepting SEALs).who are airborne qualified wear the silver Army wings and others wear the gold Navy parachutist wings?

The basic jump wings (Lead Sled) signify basic static-line jump qualed. The gold parachutist wings are earned with five additional jumps with a Navy or Marine unit. There are some additional caveats, I forget what they are.
 

Hotdogs

I don’t care if I hurt your feelings
pilot
I have jumped as a civilian and the experience piqued my interest about jump school. I don't think nrotc sends marine candidates to jump school anymore. If you do get treated like shit by Army, it's only for three weeks.

I simply thought it be great to be both a Marine and airborne qualified. I could be wrong, of course.

Are Marine officers more likely to get a jump slot? Some officer told me it was actually hard to get infantry out of TBS. True?

Jump school isnt hard. It's like 3-4 weeks and they graduate something like 25k people a year. It's not what I would call an eye opening qualification.

They single only reason you would get sent to jump school would be to be in a unit that had an T/O requirement to send you or as a reenlistmrnt bonus (if they even do that anymore). That is a complete crap shoot. Officers in those units are typically not the ones who go either, or atleast not the first. There a plenty of junior Marines who actually do the trigger pulling that need that training. Typically jumping out of an aircraft does not lay in the realm of a Marine officer. Getting Infantry is competitive out of TBS but it isn't impossible and downright easy to get compared to other MOS just due to shear numbers.

You honestly sound like you're chasing a Boy Scout badge. It comes off as pretty lame. If you want to goto jump school then join the Army. Marines typically don't get involved in that business unless required.
 
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