Basic questions about Marine Officers

[scooter86]

I am going into my senior year of high school and have been giving thought to becoming a marine officer, a pilot if possible. I am fairly athletic and have a 1330 on the SAT. I plan on attending college for 4 years, in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M. I have answered most of my questions already from talking to a recruiter and visiting the marine site, but these are the few that I could not find an answer to

If I wish to become an aviator, would I go to PLC or OCS? When?

My vision is ok, I need glasses to see the board in class though. Would I need to get eye surgery? I would guess my vision is 20/60 or 20/80.

I have absolutly no flight experience and do not plan in majoring in anything to do with flight, would that matter much?

With my grades, what are the chances of getting a pilot spot and getting my first or second choice of aircraft? (F35 and Hornet)

I know this is asking a lot and I would very much appreciate answers to some or all these questions. Thanks

 

[usmcecho4]

answers

1. You can go to PLC or OCC. Go to PLC because your pay entry base date will start as soon as you report to PLC Jrs. This means at FY2004 rates you will make approx $600/mo more when you report to TBS than you would if you had gone to OCC. This will make a difference in pay entry base date will make a $70,000 plus difference over the course of your career. In addition it seems that for the time being it seems that it is easier to get into the program through PLC.

2. You will definitely need surgery to correct to 20/20 if you want to be the driver. You will also need to undergo a flight eye exam which is insanely in depth and even if you have 20/20 you may not pass because of some wierd thing you didn't even notice you had (inter-ocular pressure, diopter, etc.)

3. Major in whatever you want. Just make sure you can get a 2.0 or higher overall. I would recommend taking some science and math so that you have an easier time with flight school written tests.

4. No flight time is not a problem. That is why they send you to flight school!

5. No way to tell your chances right now. You need to take the written test, psychological test, antro test, flight physical, eye surgery, flight eye exam, PFT, etc. There are too many unknowns right now.

6. As for platform there is defintely no telling what you will get. The only way to get exactly what you want is the be first in your flight school class.

 

[scooter86]

Thanks a lot for your time. About the eye surgery, I would hate to get the surgery and then find out I can not be a pilot. I have heard that the Marines will do it for free, is this true? Also, I know that PLC is during summer of sophmore and junior years, but does this mean between freshmen and sophmore is the first time I will have to go or between sophmore and junior years? Again, thanks a lot.

 

[PRIMBESY]

With PLC, you can either go through the entire OCS between your junior and senior years, or split it up into Jr and Sr sessions (6 weeks each); between sophmore & junior, and junior & senior years.

 

[usmcecho4]

Marine paying for PRK

There is no way the Marines will pay for your surgery unless you are already in the Marine Corps. This means you must wait to put in for surgery until after you are commissioned in order for the Corps to pay for it. So you would need to apply under a ground contract or get the surgery yourself. Talk to your OSO to find out your options.

 

[SLU_fly_girl]

you can do your first 6 weeks of training between your freshman and sophomore years (I think the majority of my platoon did this), but you can only do your second 6 weeks between your jr and sr year. This means not returning to OCS for 2 years. I completed Jrs between my soph and jr year and the anticipation of returning this summer is KILLING me. I couldn't even imagine having to wait ANOTHER year before returning. However, I think it's good to apply early because then you have more time. If for some reason you were injured in Jrs, you could return the following summer and still be on track (as opposed to being forced to return for 10 weeks).

on a side note, I had girls in my platoon who are in the Corps of Cadets at A&M and let me tell you, they were LOCKED ON!!! I wish I had that training throughout the year so I was that prepared for OCS!

 

[usmcecho4]

Seniors after Senior Year

You can do your second 6 weeks after your senior year you just need to talk to your OSO (two candidates from my OSO did this). We even had on guy delay seniors for a year after he graduated. He had to get special permission from the assistant commandant but it happeded (incidentally he never did go back).

SLU_Fly_Girl: The staff at seniors told me that the females are absorbed into Golf company and aren't in Echo. You heard this too?

 

[orthaj]

go to school for a year, then decide if the usmc is what is for you.

 

[reapergm]

usmcecho - psychological tests?!?!?!! What!?

 

[usmcecho4]

psychological test

part of the basic tests for a flight contract is a basic psychological profile to see if you have the right mindset for flight training. Can't tell you specifics about it but just answer truthfully and you should be fine. The only advice my OSO gave me was to, "think Maverick." Whatever you can gleen from that.


Good luck

 

[Slammer2]

....sounds like the biographical inventory


Scooter - Find out from your recruiter or a website what the pre-op requirements are for the surgery. Take this info to an eye doctor and have him check you out. My recruiter told me that a few people had PRK done on their own and then took the post-op results to the Navy and were disqualified because they didnt meet the requirements before the surgery.

 

[SLU_fly_girl]

SLU_Fly_Girl: The staff at seniors told me that the females are absorbed into Golf company and aren't in Echo. You heard this too?

Yes, females who return are trained with the "bulldogs" (ROTC candidates, I don't know who else) in golf company. For Jrs, there are enough females to make our own platoon, but for Srs, we train with the ROTC females because so few return.

 

[reapergm]

I had PRK... still waiting on the waiver. Id speak to a flight surgeon, and check out the NAMI/ BUMED web sites.

 

[E5B]

Yeah, when I went back for Sr's in 01 there wasn't enough of us to make a company so we were absorbed by Golf Co.

 

[Deleted member 6665]

Corps

As a member of the Corps of Cadets at A&M, I can attest that you'll be glad you joined. It'll get you used to a military lifestyle, which will help you in OCS, and life in general. What outfit will you join? Do you know anyone in the Corps?