Being a Recon Marine and a pilot

[JTB7]

Is it possible to be a Recon Marine for some time and transfer to become a pilot? Correct me if I am wrong, I think that you have a longer commitment in the service after being a Recon Marine. But, the cutoff date for being a pilot is 28(or something like that) That would be really cool to say I was in Special Ops and fly

p.s. I did a search and all I could find was this:
(http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6879&highlight=recon+marine+pilot)

 

[mmx1]

You can be in spec ops and fly. Look up the 160th SOAR - the Night Stalkers. USMC maintains an exchange program with them.

 

[Crowbar]

I went through API with a captain who was an 0203 and got picked up for SNA transition. Last time I talked to him he was in the HTs loving life.

Yes it happens but it's rare. It's called a "Field Accession Board" and happens every year. I posted something about this a while back, you can usually count on one hand the number of people who get picked up for it each year.

Here's a couple of related threads:
Help settle a question

Field Accession Board

 

[FlyMikeFly]

It's possible. I say that if that's your dream, just hang on to it and don't let anyone disuade you from achieving your goal. That's the key. I had people tell me that I would never become a pilot (I used to be a Harrier mech) and that I shouldn't even try because so few actually follow through with the long road it takes. I stuck to my guns and now I'm about three months away from reporting to Pensacola for flight training. Go for it man!

 

[Lawman]

Is it possible to be a Recon Marine for some time and transfer to become a pilot? Correct me if I am wrong, I think that you have a longer commitment in the service after being a Recon Marine. But, the cutoff date for being a pilot is 28(or something like that) That would be really cool to say I was in Special Ops and fly

p.s. I did a search and all I could find was this:
(http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6879&highlight=recon+marine+pilot)

The XO at OCS right now is a former Recon Marine that crossed over and flew Hueys. Made LtCol too so whos to say it will always totally ruin your career path.

 

[Stearmann4]

That would be really cool to say I was in Special Ops and fly)

I will offer up that the incumbents in any branch of specops do not generally appreciate someone who has predetermined plans of jumping ship at the first opportunity. Yours and your Team mates' lives depend on your skill and devotion as an operator. A casual approach doesn't usually end up well. I did the exact career path you describe, but I spent 12 years enlisted, so they really couldn't accuse me of not contributing.

I don't know all the specifics of Marine aviation, but you can plan on at least 5 years in MARSOC if selected. Add another couple of years traversing the pipeline to figure your age eligibility for flight school at the end of it all. We only have a couple of exchange slots for AH-1 guys. Maybe a couple opening up for our MH-47s in the future. Although we did have a captain and a Major who took commisions as CWO2s flying 47s' and DAPs.

 

[Crowbar]

FY08 Field Accession Board

Two SNAs and one SNFO, one alternate for each.

 

[freshy]

Is it possible to be a Recon Marine for some time and transfer to become a pilot? Correct me if I am wrong, I think that you have a longer commitment in the service after being a Recon Marine. But, the cutoff date for being a pilot is 28(or something like that) That would be really cool to say I was in Special Ops and fly

p.s. I did a search and all I could find was this:
(http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6879&highlight=recon+marine+pilot)

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude,

Just worry about making Eagle Scout and graduating from 7th grade PE for right now....ok. Not trying to shoot your dreams down....cuz you can do anything you set your mind to (really).

Uh since you are 15 years old, I would offer this advice. Make up your mind on exactly what you want to do....and MASTER IT. Don't be a jack of all trades, and a master of none. If you want to fly for a military career than do it and never look back. If you wanna be a badass grunt...than so be it. Own it, and master it.

 

[JTB7]

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude,

Just worry about making Eagle Scout and graduating from 7th grade PE for right now....ok. Not trying to shoot your dreams down....cuz you can do anything you set your mind to (really).

Uh since you are 15 years old, I would offer this advice. Make up your mind on exactly what you want to do....and MASTER IT. Don't be a jack of all trades, and a master of none. If you want to fly for a military career than do it and never look back. If you wanna be a badass grunt...than so be it. Own it, and master it.

ha ha I was a studmuffin in 7th grade PE. I think I am going to apply for SNA and if I don't get it go RECON

 

[Crowbar]

I think I am going to apply for SNA and if I don't get it go RECON

It doesn't work like that. You "go" out of town. You "go" ugly. You don't just "go" recon. If you're enlisted, you go through a stringent screening process before you even go to Basic Recon Course, which is a ballkicker in itself. Do some poking around online and find some details about it.

If you're an officer looking to "go" recon, you're competing with a lot of other qualified people all trying to get a highly sought after MOS. Some of them will even have infantry and recon experience.

Most people have a misconception about what Recon Marines do, so I have to ask, what draws you to it?

 

[Screamtruth]

ha ha I was a studmuffin in 7th grade PE. I think I am going to apply for SNA and if I don't get it go RECON

Just some advice dude.

You cannot just go Recon.........you have to do your time in the grunts and hone your skills...............Then comes the INDOC............and once you have been accpeted into the Recon platoon in your battallion.............you must hone your skills more, until it is time for your school slot. Then you must pass the school. I have/had a few guys from our Recon Bn that I spoke to, and they earned their way, no doubt...............same goes for the HOG platoon.

I am sure there are other ways, and my knowledge is very dated..........but if you want it.....................you gotta go hard and get it.

 

[ArkhamAsylum]

I hope you know that one just doesn't "get" SNA or "go" recon. In your case, your best bet might be enlisting to try to get recon (they're the ones that do all the badass shiat anyway, not the officers, and you'll have a better chance), and then applying for a commissioning program trying to pick up SNA. That is, if you really want to get out of recon.
Until then, stop watching Rambo. You're allowed to fantasize about being a grunt OR a pilot, but not both.

 

[phrogdriver]

If you're into aviation and snake-eating, it's easier to go the other direction. You can be an aviator, then become a FAC or air officer in MARSOC. There are some other similar opportunities for aviators in ANGLICO or battalion recon.

To go recon as an officer, you'll likely have to be infantry, which is a high-demand MOS out of TBS, then be successful there, apply for recon, get screened, go from recon to force, etc, etc. By the time you do all that, THEN your timing would have to be perfect for one of the fleet accession boards if you wanted aviation.

If you are dead-set on recon, go enlisted. They can apply for recon from any MOS. They just have to pass the screening and indoc--"just" being a relative term.

Not to piss on your parade, but these aren't really compatible goals. It like wanting to be a lawyer AND a doctor. Not actually impossible, but the planets are hard to align on that one.

 

[Flash]

Not to piss on your parade, but these aren't really compatible goals. It like wanting to be a lawyer AND a doctor. Not actually impossible, but the planets are hard to align on that one.

Not to piss on your parade...........but that is a bit easier than getting planets to align, if you are willing to go to school for 6 straight years........

http://www.law.duke.edu/admis/joint.html#jdmd

https://www.meded.umn.edu/admissions/JD-MD.cfm

http://www.colorado.edu/Law/programs/dualdegree.htm

http://www.law.asu.edu/?id=9320

Back to telling the kid to choosing on or the other........

Oh yeah, I did have a Marine in my Primary class that had been Recon on the reserves. He went on to be an ECMO. Had some interesting stories about being dropped out of OV-10's. But he was an enlisted reservist and got commissioned as an SNFO, left the Recon thing behind at that point.

 

[phrogdriver]

Oh for crissakes, it was a rhetorical example! How about rodeo clown and professional cricket player?

I think the verdict here is that the best chance to go recon then pilot is to enlist first. The question then becomes, why does one want recon so badly?