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A

Adrenaline Rush

Registered User
Is it just me or are the marines more than any other service hurting for pilots?? On several occasions over the past 2 weeks recruiters have come down to my flight school and handing out fliers to pilots explaining how you can get a guaranteed aviation contract..just thought it was kind of odd because the navy has become so competitive for Pilot slots and it seems as if the marines has so many to give...maybe im wrong here, if anyone has anything to add, I'd appreciate it
 
C

Citizen

Registered User
that's the jist i got from the OSO in seattle (i go to school in so cal) but everyones knows/loves top gun, and most don't really consider the Corps, so the navy is flooded while the Marines are really on the hunt. the kicker is that they're filled to the brim with ground officers

hopefully, that'll help me (my app is on the OSO's desk, just got the test, PFT and physical to do) but anyone that wouldn't want the challenge of earning the title must be crazy [:D]
 
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leonsparx

Registered User
i get the same impression that you do, about marines being on the hunt for aviators. for the last two semesters at my college, the marines have showed up and offered a day where they have free helicopter rides for all comers in a jet-ranger. take them up, they do a lap around town, and drop them off. kind of cool, and it gets their name out there.

frankly, i'd consider putting in an aviation package for the marines, and i may still do so if the navy turns me down. but, if the marines are really hurting, i would say this: make it interesting. either with $$$$ or some other perk to pull applicants headed for the other branches.
 
klostman

klostman

the happy dance!
Isn't a guranteed aviation slot incentive enough? Nobody else really offers that. However, if you want to join the Marines and just fly, your going to the wrong branch. I'm not disrespecting the other branches by any means, I just think the Marines intimidates a lot of people. Maybe thats one reason fewer people consider the Marines? Maybe somebody else could offer more insight on this. Also, Leonsparx, I was not implying you would join just to fly. Sorry if that came across the wrong way.
 
Q

Q-ball

Marine CH-53E Pilot
pilot
The honor of earning the title Marine is the only incentive needed to join the Corps. If you're looking for more money or other perks, go somewhere else because I don't want you in my Marine Corps.

Semper Fi,
Q

Marine Helo Pilot
 
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leonsparx

Registered User
I had a feeling I'd get sentiments such as these in response, and all I can say is this: they're doing it your way, and it's not working. They're still hurting for pilots.

How would you get more potential aviators interested in the USMC?

klostman thank you for clarifying. I of course understand and respect the difference in ethos between that of the USMC and the other branches. I know better than to think all a Marine aviator does is fly.
 
A

Adrenaline Rush

Registered User
well it would still be nice for the marines to offer more of a money incentive than they do at the moment. In order to be eligible to be a marine officer you need a degree, so for some the navy bdcp may be the only option because they simply cannot afford tuition without major assistance..anyways i agree that it is always officer first, and not aviator first...does a marine aviator get many hours of flight time or do they have other duties that supercede flying most of the time (like the navy with ground billets)..do the marines have fun, go out drinking with chicks?? (i get the feeling that the navy harbors some party animals) or are they disciplinarians who just get their job done?/ maybe these are some stupid questions, but im just curious,, a marine has always commanded the most respect out of any service, i wondered how their lifestyle is
 
R

Rainman

*********
pilot
Isn't that how the Marines have always done it? Made an officer's job to recruit (select) officer candidates with a FITREP riding on meeting recruiting goals? I think the things you see OSOs doing is why they hit those goals. They need to send the most qualified people to OCS (for PLC program). It seems the emphasis in the 3 OSOs I've worked with is filling PLC slots and they actively seek out college students that might have never considered the military.

It seems to me that it is easier to get an aviation guarantee in the Marines if you still have college left and can do PLC. The OCC aviation slots (equivalent to Navy competing for AOCS) seem to have way more applicants than slots.

Marines are the only service to hit enlistment and officer recruitment goals since . . ... sometime in the 80's? So I guess they don't have to offer money if they give helo/hornet rides and canvass the colleges? who knows. .

kinda hard to say b/c the Navy doesn't have an equivalent "still in college" commissioning program like PLC.
$0.02
 
T

The Wiz

Registered User
I have just the opposite of leon the Marines never come to my campus and i wanted to talk to a recruiter about an avation contract
 
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Tessone

Registered User
Originally posted by Adrenaline Rush
well it would still be nice for the marines to offer more of a money incentive than they do at the moment. In order to be eligible to be a marine officer you need a degree, so for some the navy bdcp may be the only option because they simply cannot afford tuition without major assistance..
Click to expand...

Adrenaline Rush, you're incorrect about the Corps not offering financial assistance. If you contract to go to Platoon Leader's Course (PLC) during the summer, they pay you cash for school plus pocket money (I can't remember the exact figures) every year you're in the program. You must complete PLC-juniors to receive the cash, which happens after sophomore year, but that's not really very different from BDCP (which starts after soph. year except for technical majors).

However, advertising how much money they'll give you is not the way the Corps recruits (at least not the recruiters I've encountered), and to be honest, that's why I initially had an interest in joining the Corps. My OSO talked to me more about the honor of a commission and what responsibilities I'd have than cash. At some points, I felt like he was almost trying to talk me out of it, he was stressing how big the responsibility is so much.

As for lifestyle, all the Marines I know are nice, personable, fun people. If you want a look into the personality of just one Marine officer, check out Capt. Grose's web page (http://members.tripod.com/jdgrose115/). He's a mustang ground officer (an adj) and an exceptional person. He's honestly a big reason for my choosing that this was the road I would take. Marines care a lot about honor, but it doesn't have to come at the expense of a sense of humor. Right now, I wouldn't give up trying to attain the title of Officer of Marines for anything.

By the way, well said Q-ball. It's that attitude that makes me want to serve with you. :)

--
Chris Tessone
http://www.polyglut.net/
 
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Adrenaline Rush

Registered User
not to discount anything you said tessone, but the marines (not that its anything to sneeze at) offers about 10,000$ in financial assistance (not sure if that is a year or overall)whereas the navy bdcp offers 2800 a month until u graduate(here with the BAH) this is a big difference for a college student who has to pay flight fees, but i agree 100% being a marine officer is special because you are part of the elite
thanks for the website
 
T

Tessone

Registered User
*nod* Understood about the mixup. I just read what you said about needing a degree to be eligible for Officer of Marines (which you need to become an officer in any service anyway) and thought maybe you didn't know about PLC.

I agree that it's not a ton of money, but that's the way it goes. The really motivated will find a way to make it work. :)

--
Chris Tessone
http://www.polyglut.net/
 
C

Citizen

Registered User
Originally posted by Tessone
Originally posted by Adrenaline Rush
well it would still be nice for the marines to offer more of a money incentive than they do at the moment. In order to be eligible to be a marine officer you need a degree, so for some the navy bdcp may be the only option because they simply cannot afford tuition without major assistance..
Click to expand...

Adrenaline Rush, you're incorrect about the Corps not offering financial assistance. If you contract to go to Platoon Leader's Course (PLC) during the summer, they pay you cash for school plus pocket money (I can't remember the exact figures) every year you're in the program. You must complete PLC-juniors to receive the cash, which happens after sophomore year, but that's not really very different from BDCP (which starts after soph. year except for technical majors).

However, advertising how much money they'll give you is not the way the Corps recruits (at least not the recruiters I've encountered), and to be honest, that's why I initially had an interest in joining the Corps. My OSO talked to me more about the honor of a commission and what responsibilities I'd have than cash. At some points, I felt like he was almost trying to talk me out of it, he was stressing how big the responsibility is so much.

As for lifestyle, all the Marines I know are nice, personable, fun people. If you want a look into the personality of just one Marine officer, check out Capt. Grose's web page (http://members.tripod.com/jdgrose115/). He's a mustang ground officer (an adj) and an exceptional person. He's honestly a big reason for my choosing that this was the road I would take. Marines care a lot about honor, but it doesn't have to come at the expense of a sense of humor. Right now, I wouldn't give up trying to attain the title of Officer of Marines for anything.

By the way, well said Q-ball. It's that attitude that makes me want to serve with you. :)

--
Chris Tessone
http://www.polyglut.net/
Click to expand...

the financial assistance is excellent - i forget the name of the program, but if my prayers are answered and i'm accepted, my last 2 years of school are pretty much free. the program (one of a few, but the best one i remember from my meeting with the OSO) gives a big chunk of change for school, and just requires that you spend at least 5 or 6 years in. you're already in as an aviator for longer than that, so go for it!

also, last week i had the pleasure of speaking with a gentleman who is a year ahead of me, and has just completed PLC juniors. he made it though with about $1,700 for his efforts. not much, but hell, i'd pay to do this [8D]
 
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