I've been told 23 is too old for air contract?

[Mdale]

Hey guys,

This is my first post and I hope I'm posting in the correct section.

Well, I spoke to an "enlisted" Marine Corps officer recruiter at my college today, and I am a little confused. To make a long story short he told me that I, being a college senior and interested in OCC, would be unable to get an aviation contract because I am too old, even though he told me the age limit for aviators is younger than 28 by the time you get pinned with wings. He also showed me a chart with contract numbers for the next few OCC classes, and there were available aviation contracts for the next few classes. I understand that they fill the bulk of contracts with those participating in PLC, but I observed that they do get a few OCC SNA contracts.

I presume the recruiter decides who he is going to give the contracts, and not some contract selection board, considering he told me I'm too old to be competitive at 23?

Thanks guys,
Bill

 

[AJB37]

No. I went to OCC 199 at 23 as an air contract got hurt and went to OCC 201 at 24. I turn 26 in 6 months and still haven't started flight school, so no you are not too old to be competitive.

 

[Mdale]

Thanks,

Do you know who selects the people who get air contracts and how?
Also, when a recruiter gets these contracts, is it at his discretion whether to give them all to PLC or divide them with PLC and OCC?

 

[HAL Pilot]

The age limit is for the date you commission, not the day you wing. You are not too old.

 

[Swanee]

I went to OCC-200 at 26 years old. There were some guys who were older.

 

[Cron]

For the USMC, the age limits are 27.5 for SNA and 29 for SNFO. This refers to the age you have to be commissioned by.

You can also apply for an age-waiver beyond that (even if you're not prior-enlisted), although they're currently not giving them out to SNA hopefuls.

 

[Mdale]

Thanks for the replies, but I want to get more specific info on how people get awarded contracts.

How are contracts assigned? Do a bunch of people approach a recruiter and he picks who he feels is the best match for the contract?

 

[Sonog]

From what I gathered in my time working with my OSO, is that its up to the office that you're working with to assign contracts. They give contracts to those who they feel have the best chance of getting selected. They get a mission from higher up that tells them how many slots they get to send to the board, and as far as I know OCC and PLC are separate. Try to be proactive as possible and talk to the OSO himself about it. There's nothing wrong with that, maybe if he finds out more about you he'll be willing to work with you and he'll give you more information. If he doesn't want to work with you because you're 23, try contacting another OSO.

 

[Slammer2]

Pretty much in line with what others posted, I went to OCS at 23 and commissioned at 25. If things go how they're supposed to, I should wing sometime late this summer just after my 28th birthday. As far as the numbers, when I went through we had a couple of air contracts, and other offices had many more. So its different from office to office.

 

[usmarinemike]

He was blowing smoke. If you want to be an officer, then don't talk to him again. He can't really help you. Good luck. Pickins are a little slim right now.

 

[MIDNJAC]

The guy you talked to must really think college kids are dumb these days. Last I checked, it takes a college degree to get your commission, and that would put most of the youngest OCS candidates at 21-22. You aren't anywhere close to the age cut-off, not even if you wait a couple years. I commissioned shortly after my 25th birthday, winged shortly after my 27th birthday. Doesn't factor at all into your competitiveness. Trust that this jack-off you talked to was just gaming on the chance that you would fall for his BS, decide that aviation was out of the question, and sign the dotted line to boost his enlistment numbers. They do an important job (so don't take this the wrong way), but their tactics piss me off. I remember during senior year of high school, I stupidly talked to an enlisted recruiter and asked about flying. Guy told me flat out that there was almost no way I would ever be able to fly, but that he could certainly get me into a nice summer vacation @ Great Lakes. Luckily I had more common sense than to take his word for it, and 10 years later, I'm flying Hornets. #1 rule that pretty much each and every one of us had to live by to get here.......don't take no for an answer.

 

[Spekkio]

Proof yet again that one should not talk to an enlisted recruiter about commissioning.

 

[twobecrazy]

Proof yet again that one should not talk to an enlisted recruiter about commissioning.

Sir, you are mistaken. He spoke to an officer recruiter that is enlisted such as a SSgt, etc.

 

[phrogdriver]

If you were a freshman at 23 timing might be tight, but as a senior? No way. If the SSgt is the assistant OSO, maybe some lines are getting crossed here. Considering most people graduate college at 21-22 even if they finish in 4 years, 23 would only allow 1 year's leeway. I know lots of guys who went off and did all sorts of things for years either before or after college, then went off to fly.

 

[Mdale]

The guy I spoke to was in fact an S Sgt. assistant OSO. I am very aware of the smoke he was bowing and I don't want speak with him again. In fact I think it would be beneficial in my case to drive the 40 minutes and speak with the Captain OSO himself.

Do you guys think the OSO would get pissed if called his office and asked to make an appointment to drive down to his office and speak with him face to face about my desire to become a pilot in the Marines, even though I will not be interested in OCC for another year, and will not be helping him fill the demands for this year? I understand he has assistants, but I know they only get around 3 air contracts a year for OCC people through his office. I want one and I want to make sure he remembers my name when another contract passes over his desk during the next fiscal year, after my PRK surgery ( I already did the research about waiting times and parameters) .

I am a highly motivated person. I scored above 1200 on my SATs and I am a senior biology major at a private Catholic university. I am involved in many paid and volunteer extracurricular activities, such as coaching my little brothers midget football team, working as an EMT in the city of Scranton Pa, and I recently presented the undergraduate cancer research I have been doing for two years at the Commonwealth Medical College, to state senators at the capitol building in Harrisburg.

I have no flight experience, but I have religiously played flight simulators since I was 10, and I have collected a small library of aviation literature and flight manuals since a young age.

Although I am probably a dime a dozen in my recruiters eyes, I would appreciate any advice on how to approach this OSO and secure an OCC flight contract for next year, without bribing lol.

Thanks guys,
Bill