USMC ''guaranteed'' flight slot??

[GLEASON_USMC]

Hey guys this is my first post ever so bear with me, I'm using this forum as specifically as a means of gathering information and answering questions by utilizing the seemingly endless knowledge affiliated with the members of this site. Let me start by saying I've been researching the processes of becoming a military pilot through every branch of service for SEVERAL months now and have exhausted nearly every possibility for doing so except two.. I am a sophomore in college (with nearly as many credits as a junior) and I had been extremely devoted to the idea of transferring to a four year university & doing AF ROTC to compete for a pilot slot, & I was prepared to give 110% on every aspect necessary to get that slot. However, I've recently been looking into the Marine Corps Aviation track. Not only do I want to be a marine corps officer more than any other branch of service, I want that title, I want that responsibility, & I want to serve my country; BUT, I chose this also because of the fact that USMC offers a 'guaranteed' flight slot.. Now I'm well aware that NOTHING in the military is guaranteed and that there are several circumstances which must be met or avoided to ensure I make it through TBS & off to flight school. My question is, can I get flight school guaranteed in my contract in writing? & also, if I get to TBS after already being commissioned in the corps & they say there are no current openings in flight school are my dreams crushed or would that not happen? What could potentially happen in TBS that would revoke my flight slot? I simply want to make sure I'm making the best decision to achieve my goal of becoming a military pilot by any means necessary. Any and all information would be a HUGE help & thanks for your time.

 

[Swanee]

Hey guys this is my first post ever so bear with me, I'm using this forum as specifically as a means of gathering information and answering questions by utilizing the seemingly endless knowledge affiliated with the members of this site. Let me start by saying I've been researching the processes of becoming a military pilot through every branch of service for SEVERAL months now and have exhausted nearly every possibility for doing so except two.. I am a sophomore in college (with nearly as many credits as a junior) and I had been extremely devoted to the idea of transferring to a four year university & doing AF ROTC to compete for a pilot slot, & I was prepared to give 110% on every aspect necessary to get that slot. However, I've recently been looking into the Marine Corps Aviation track. Not only do I want to be a marine corps officer more than any other branch of service, I want that title, I want that responsibility, & I want to serve my country; BUT, I chose this also because of the fact that USMC offers a 'guaranteed' flight slot.. Now I'm well aware that NOTHING in the military is guaranteed and that there are several circumstances which must be met or avoided to ensure I make it through TBS & off to flight school. My question is, can I get flight school guaranteed in my contract in writing? & also, if I get to TBS after already being commissioned in the corps & they say there are no current openings in flight school are my dreams crushed or would that not happen? What could potentially happen in TBS that would revoke my flight slot? I simply want to make sure I'm making the best decision to achieve my goal of becoming a military pilot by any means necessary. Any and all information would be a HUGE help & thanks for your time.

Yes, you go to TBS as a 7599 and know you are going to get your shot at earning your wings if you get through TBS. You don't have to compete for an MOS because you already have one. It should be noted that both the Air Force and the Navy have similar guaranteed slots. Pretty much all the services offer guaranteed slots through OCS, The Navy also has a little program called BDCP that you should look into, it's similar to PLC (but definitely not the same) for the Marine Corps.


I've never understood why the Marine Corps says we are the only ones to offer guaranteed slots. We aren't.

 

[GLEASON_USMC]

Thanks for the quick response, can you elaborate on how one can obtain a 'guaranteed' flight slot through the air force? Also, you being a marine & in pensacola, I'm guessing you're in flight training & went through the whole process of the marine corps aviation track; what process did you take to get there & do you have any advice on how I can achieve the same thing?

 

[magnetfreezer]

Thanks for the quick response, can you elaborate on how one can obtain a 'guaranteed' flight slot through the air force? Also, you being a marine & in pensacola, I'm guessing you're in flight training & went through the whole process of the marine corps aviation track; what process did you take to get there & do you have any advice on how I can achieve the same thing?

3 ways to get commissioned in the AF: USAFA, AFROTC, and OTS.

USAFA and AFROTC you'll have to put up with 4 years of ROTCness (less for ROTC if you join later as you are thinking of doing); past a certain point (generally beginning of junior year), you are committed and incur a service obligation whether or not you get a flight slot (you generally find out spring of your junior year). If not, you'll go personnel, space and missiles, etc.

For OTS, when you get/are close to getting your degree and go talk with a recruiter, you can put certain career fields down on your application. You can only apply for pilot if that's the only field you want. However, always remember that the "guaranteed" flight slot is only a chance to go to flight training. If you'd have a major issue with working the rest of your commitment in a different field (due to medical, failing out of training, gross buffoonery on your part, or just finding out you're not cut out for it and dropping on request), don't go this route either. Like those from any other branch will tell you, you need to be prepared to be a military officer first and aviator second.

Numerically, it is easier to get a flight slot from ROTC or OTS since those commissioning sources are allocated 4 years in advance. The AF uses OTS as a "spigot" they can turn on/off as needed to make up for shortfalls/excesses in the other 2 programs. I know many AF navs who went that route (and enjoyed it) since many nav OTS slots were available when it was extremely hard to get picked up as pilot, for example.

As for the USMC portion of your question, do a little searching and browsing - there are countless threads detailing the process for joining USMC aviation. If you need more advice on USAF training, the BaseOps forums would be more helpful - do more research on there before posting, though, since the AW community is a more forgiving place to commit your first search-function infraction.

 

[GLEASON_USMC]

I appreciate the words of widsom, I believe the Marine Corps Aviation track is going to be my final decision. I have yet to speak with an OSO yet as to certain particulars (i.e. paperwork, sign-on bonus, what have you) but is it really as simple as getting approved for USMC OCS & selecting 'AIR' and POOF! ill be off to Penscola upon graduation getting ready for flight school??

 

[Swanee]

I appreciate the words of widsom, I believe the Marine Corps Aviation track is going to be my final decision. I have yet to speak with an OSO yet as to certain particulars (i.e. paperwork, sign-on bonus, what have you) but is it really as simple as getting approved for USMC OCS & selecting 'AIR' and POOF! ill be off to Penscola upon graduation getting ready for flight school??

If you make it through OCS and TBS then yes you will get your shot at earning your wings. Nothing poof about it. OCS and TBS ain't exactly easy. And sign on bonus? Seriously?

 

[Mr. Blonde]

You'll get your sign on bonus at OCS. Just ask one of your drill instructors during the first week, that way they have enough time to process the request before graduation.






*above post 'may' include false or sarcastic information.

 

[Pepe]

I'm just curious why you put "USMC" at the end of your username if you're thinking about joining up with the air force. Kinda like those guys that claim they're Marines before they even go to juniors/bulldog.

 

[GLEASON_USMC]

Okay, 1. I was entirely unaware that officers do not get sign-on bonuses so give me a break..
2. I was already nearly certain of the marine corps as my final choice but still at least somewhat curious about the airforce & gave my user name exactly HALF A SECOND of thought so again, give me a break.
Finally, I understand ocs & tbs will be extremely difficult but I have been a proven athlete & academic my entire life. I am completely & entirely determined with every bit of my soul to do what it takes to be an aviator & this forum is simply put, a means to unearthing basic information from within the aviation community. I greatly appreciate the advice given thus far but please get off your high horse & don't knock my username..

 

[Rocketman]

I greatly appreciate the advice given thus far but please get off your high horse & don't knock my username..

Would you be happy if Pepe turned in his wings out of respect for your hurt feelings? (They are real by the way. The wings that is)

If you're going to put USMC in your user name as a wannabe better stand the fuck by for a little flack. Sack up and then show a little respect for those who keep you safe while you sleep at night.

 

[NAVYBM2]

I love reading these threads with all the new guys here.
Just so much fun, I think most forget that the guys on here are military or prior military and talking down to people, or being talked down to, is natural.
If you are going to be a Marine officer you better start getting used to the idea that people ain't gonna be nice to you until you earn the respect.
Good Luck

 

[Swanee]

Okay, 1. I was entirely unaware that officers do not get sign-on bonuses so give me a break..
2. I was already nearly certain of the marine corps as my final choice but still at least somewhat curious about the airforce & gave my user name exactly HALF A SECOND of thought so again, give me a break.
Finally, I understand ocs & tbs will be extremely difficult but I have been a proven athlete & academic my entire life. I am completely & entirely determined with every bit of my soul to do what it takes to be an aviator & this forum is simply put, a means to unearthing basic information from within the aviation community. I greatly appreciate the advice given thus far but please get off your high horse & don't knock my username..

Half a second thought on something that everyone will identify you by may not have been the smartest choice. Big words coming from someone who wants to be here. I may not have earned the privilege to call myself a Naval Aviator, but I have earned the privilege to call myself a Marine and an Officer of Marines. My OCC class had between a 65-70% attrition rate. Many confident and "proven athletic and academic" guys tripped up and didn't make it. You haven't even gotten to the point that those 65% did. So sit down, shut up, read the forums for a few hours, talk to your OSO and get your shit together. Don't tell commissioned officers and Marines to get off their high horse; you want to be us, you have to prove you belong with us before you can talk to us that way.

I'm going to stop now, that censor light in the back of my head is turning on.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

Okay, 1. I was entirely unaware that officers do not get sign-on bonuses so give me a break..
2. I was already nearly certain of the marine corps as my final choice but still at least somewhat curious about the airforce & gave my user name exactly HALF A SECOND of thought so again, give me a break.
Finally, I understand ocs & tbs will be extremely difficult but I have been a proven athlete & academic my entire life. I am completely & entirely determined with every bit of my soul to do what it takes to be an aviator & this forum is simply put, a means to unearthing basic information from within the aviation community. I greatly appreciate the advice given thus far but please get off your high horse & don't knock my username..

Thicker skin WILL be required to succeed during the good times you may get to experience in Quantico. Oh, and as been stated (by ACTUAL Marines), a level of respect for those superior to you (in rank, of course)

 

[GLEASON_USMC]

Okay I coulda figured id catch some flack for that, but I do truly appreciate the information being given here & don't mean disrespect to anyone. Now that I have my first thread lashings out of the way. Swanee, why was your classes attrition rate so high? Does that happen often?

 

[Swanee]

Okay I coulda figured id catch some flack for that, but I do truly appreciate the information being given here & don't mean disrespect to anyone. Now that I have my first thread lashings out of the way. Swanee, why was your classes attrition rate so high? Does that happen often?

It was cold (it was very cold), some got hurt, a couple got sick, some couldn't hack it physically, some couldn't pass the exams (it's amazing how tough stuff can get when you are sleep deprived, exhausted and under nourished) some just didn't have the leadership qualities or abilities, others just decided that they had enough and quit. As far as how often that happens? Your mileage will vary. Head over to marineocs.com they can let you know further about what OCS is like now.