Best Commissioning Program

[Son of a Grunt]

If a Marine Pilot were to serve his time and then decided that he wanted to be a chaplain could he go into the reserves for like 7 years get ordained then come back, transfer to the navy chaplain corps and still have his former pay grade and wings? If he served the Marines wouldn't he still wear a Marine Corps uniform with navy rate insignia like a corpsman?

 

[Harrier Dude]

Theoreticlly? Yes. Why?

 

[joshmf]

SoG,

You have very ambitious goals, but at this time any answer you receive is going to be pure speculation. By the time you finish college, complete flight school, serve your initial committment, and then take seven years to become ordained, you're looking at at least twenty years from now. Any procedures or regulations concerning this are bound to change in that time. I'm not sure where you are in the process, but if you're still in HS concentrate on getting into a school you'd like to attend and making the most of your time there. I'm sure if you are truly committed to being both a pilot and a chaplain you can make it happen (although not both at the same time,) but don't get hung up on what uniform you might be wearing in a few decades. Keep up your enthusiasm, but you need to take each step one at a time in order to reach your goals. Good luck.

 

[pctairmen22]

Im new to this forum but i was talking to an officer selection assistant and he told me that you only do the PLC program the summer after you finish your sophmore year and junior year....not all 4 years in college.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Theoreticlly? Yes. Why?

Realistically? Yes and No. Who thought I would ever have anecdotal evidence that it can be done...

After my first deployment, one of the senior Captains got out and did exactly that. There are some quirks to it though. He got picked up for some Chaplain Corps program, so he was released from his commitment early. He went to Seminary (as a civilian - not in the reserves), with the opportunity to return to the military as a Navy Chaplain. He said that it's actually competitive to come into the Chaplain Corps, and that all they guarantee was an opportunity to wait for a spot to open up. Weird.

Haven't seen him in a couple of years, he should be finished now and a Priest. He was a "player" in the squadron (NSI, AMC, WTI), and I asked him why he did it - his answer was that he always felt as though he had a calling to be a Priest, and that once this opportunity presented itself, he couldn't turn it down.

Yes - he'd get to keep his paygrade and wings, but all that time in Seminary (and in the holding pattern while a spot opens up in the Chaplain Corps) doesn't count. The BLT Chaps was a former SWO, and a LT. His Academy classmate was a full CDR and the XO of the ship.

 

[Harrier Dude]

We had a phrog guy in my last squadron who was already an ordained minister (and no, not some jackass from the internet "Holy Spiritual Church of Lugnuts, Wonderbread, and Fire Batons").

I wonder if he could just switch over if he wanted to. Then again, he left preaching to join the Corps, so he probably wouldn't want to.

 

[Son of a Grunt]

SoG,

You have very ambitious goals, but at this time any answer you receive is going to be pure speculation. By the time you finish college, complete flight school, serve your initial committment, and then take seven years to become ordained, you're looking at at least twenty years from now. Any procedures or regulations concerning this are bound to change in that time. I'm not sure where you are in the process, but if you're still in HS concentrate on getting into a school you'd like to attend and making the most of your time there. I'm sure if you are truly committed to being both a pilot and a chaplain you can make it happen (although not both at the same time,) but don't get hung up on what uniform you might be wearing in a few decades. Keep up your enthusiasm, but you need to take each step one at a time in order to reach your goals. Good luck.

It was a purly hypothetical question.

 

[pctairmen22]

So the PLC program is the best way to gain a commission in the Marines and guarantee a pilot spot? What happens if you are forced to drop out before you reach flight school?

 

[Harrier Dude]

Depends on where you drop out.

Prior to being commissioned=become a ground contract OR become a civilian.

After being commissioned=ground officer.

 

[pctairmen22]

what if you drop out of TBS?

 

[Harrier Dude]

Do you mean drop your air contract at TBS?

You can't "just quit" at TBS. At the same time, barring any criminal activity, it's nearly impossible not to graduate eventually as well. If you make it to TBS, you can "give your heart to Jesus, but your ASS belongs to the Corps".

 

[phrogpilot73]

I wonder if he could just switch over if he wanted to.

I don't think so, mainly because of the way Bones explained it. He said that the Chaplain Corps is essentially at T/O and there's a waiting list. So, he'd graduate from Seminary and head off to a church somewhere and wait for the call that a spot had opened up.

 

[pctairmen22]

Haha i figured that, but do you just stay there until your graduate....so if you dont pass something do you just get remidiated until you pass it.

 

[Harrier Dude]

Haha i figured that, but do you just stay there until your graduate....so if you dont pass something do you just get remidiated until you pass it.

You'd have to be some special kind of retarded to not make it out of TBS in a year unless you were severely injured or something.

Look at it this way: It's very hard to be #1. It's even harder not to graduate. Think of the bell curve. A very steep one.

 

[SemperGumbi]

Look at it this way: It's very hard to be #1. It's even harder not to graduate. Think of the bell curve. A very steep one.

Sad but true.
Barring NPQ or criminal stuff, I'll second HD on this one.
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