Verification

[sanders]

I have learned never to believe anything a recruiter tells me without getting verification first. I am in the NROTC college program at my school and I talked to a Marine recruiter. Can sombody tell me if what he told me is true or false?
1. You can get a flight spot guaranteed before you ever have to take your physical. When you do take it and fail the eye exam, they give you the option of going to NFO or getting PRK.
2. There is a waiver for contacts (soft) as long as your vision is corrected to 20/20 (mine is 20/80 right now and correctable to 20/20)
3. You have to get accepted to the Marine NROTC scholarship before applying for a Aviation contract
I know #2 has been adressed like infinity times on this site, and from what I understand the rule is still 20/40 uncorrected, but the recruiter convinced me it has changed within the last few weeks.

thanks a lot!

 

[pcl retard]

I don't know about now, but back in my day (read 3 years ago), you had to pass the flight physical before you could get a guaranteed aviation contract. I don't know much about the eyesight thing being already in the nfo pipeline. Again, i don't know much about nrotc but in plc to get a aviation contract you had to get selected in general. They sort of went hand in hand and you could try for both at the same time (in fact, that was the preferred method. Hopes this helps some. Good luck.

 

[Raptor2216]

Plc retard,


Back in my day, 2002, you didn't have to take the flight physical until you were ready to be commissioned. I went to Jr's and Sr's with only my MEPS physical and the flight physical was completed right before I was commissioned a few months back.

 

[TXHusker05]

Actually, I received a similar pitch from the PNS here at the University of Nebraska NROTC program. I told him I was interested in the aviation pipeline and he tried hard to sell me on the Marines because they have guaranteed aviation. If you are the Marine option in NROTC, you ARE guaranteed a spot in the aviation pipeline no matter what upon graduation and completion of TBS. Obviously, if you don't pass the flight physical or your eye sight doesn't follow regs, then you won't be flying and will be send to another area of the Marines. This is obviously for scholarship MIDN only, college program MIDN's must achieve advanced standing before being eligible for selection to aviation.

This is the main reason people choose the Marine option in NROTC, guaranteed aviation while their Navy counterparts stand in a long line with the detailer praying that all the aviation slots aren't filled before they get to the front.

Keep in mind though, as a newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Marines from OCS, PLC or NROTC... you still must attend The Basic School which makes you a combat Marine before a flying Marine, TBS is 21 weeks (I think, might be longer). After that, you can go to aviation. Great system but you won't be up and flying in the fleet for at least 3 or 4 years with TBS and then flight school. Better to try Navy, get your commission and report to Pensacola right after. Especially for someone like myself who most likely won't be a lifer and doesn't want to spend half of my 8 years before seeing the fleet.

 

[pcl retard]

P_ubhi18,

Sounds like it may be OSO dependant. I know my oso wouldn't contract aviation before the physical. Sorry if i gave out bad gouge. If your oso says you can, go for it. The worst that can happen is that your application gets put on hold until you get the physical. Not the end of the world, your going to have to pass it somewhere down the road.

Btw, tbs is six months give or take. After that you are basically on the same timeline as your navy brothern. Depending on how the cards are aligned at the time, you might go through flight school slightly faster than Navy flight students and sometimes slightly slower. Right now on the NFO side, Marines go through much quicker, because the Navy guys have to wait to class up 3-4 months after API to class up.

 

[KBayDog]

Great system but you won't be up and flying in the fleet for at least 3 or 4 years with TBS and then flight school.

Depends on airframe and pipeline delays, but three to four years is on the extreme of the spectrum.

Better to try Navy, get your commission and report to Pensacola right after.

...and still face the possibility of lengthy delays. The waits for school seats ebb and flow. For example: I commissioned in May '04, went to TBS, reported to NASP in Jan '05, and started API before some of the Navy kids I commissioned with. Yes, they waited upwards of nine months to start API. From what I hear, the Marines now have a long API wait. When I started Primary, the Navy had a long wait for helos. When I selected, the Marines had a long wait.

Free advice: DO NOT choose a service just because you think one will get you through flight school faster than the other. What is true today (as far as waiting for a class) will not be true tomorrow. Instead, choose your service based on factors such as culture, mission, airframes, duty stations, career paths, etc.

Especially for someone like myself who most likely won't be a lifer and doesn't want to spend half of my 8 years before seeing the fleet.

Check the specifics of your contract, but generally, your aviation commitment does not start until you are Winged.

 

[SpiderUSMC]

I don't know about NROTC, but for OCC types (at least in my case with my OSO) I have to have a fully checked off flight physical before they allow me to contract for aviation. This includes any waivers including soft contact or PRK.

 

[DocT]

Like P_ubhi18 I contracted as an SNA and completed Jrs/Srs with nothing more than a MEPs physical. I did however go to a civilian eye doc on the Marine Corps dime to get a full eye work-up before I contracted.

I'm commissioning in about a month and was sent down to NAMI this past October.

 

[sanders]

Thanks for the responses. So Doc, I have taken the civilian physical and they recorded my vision at like 20/80 I think. DOes this mean that I can still get accepted to the flight program, then maybe get PRK or apply for a SCL waiver after that? thanks

 

[SpiderUSMC]

Thanks for the responses. So Doc, I have taken the civilian physical and they recorded my vision at like 20/80 I think. DOes this mean that I can still get accepted to the flight program, then maybe get PRK or apply for a SCL waiver after that? thanks

I was told last week that I could not put in an application for SNA or NFO without meeting the vision requirements. If I had PRK I would have to do that and meet the stability requirements before a flight surgeon would see me a sign off on my physical. A physical is required for me to sign my contract.

This was told to me by the Aviation Medicine dept. at the Naval Hospital at MCAS Beaufort and by my OSO.

 

[Spin]

For Marine Jets 3-4 years is about right. I started TBS in Jan of 04 and I'm gonna be done with advanced jets probably around end of 06 beginning of 07. Then the rag which for the Marines has been having almost a 6 month wait for class up and then another 6-12 months for the rag .....

 

[HighDimension]

If you are the Marine option in NROTC, you ARE guaranteed a spot in the aviation pipeline no matter what upon graduation and completion of TBS. Obviously, if you don't pass the flight physical or your eye sight doesn't follow regs, then you won't be flying and will be send to another area of the Marines. This is obviously for scholarship MIDN only, college program MIDN's must achieve advanced standing before being eligible for selection to aviation.

This is the main reason people choose the Marine option in NROTC, guaranteed aviation while their Navy counterparts stand in a long line with the detailer praying that all the aviation slots aren't filled before they get to the front.

Not to doubt you, but where did you hear this? The MO's I have talked to here on scholarship said it was still competative for a flight contract.

 

[KillerSnakes]

I was with Delta 04-05, Checked into MATSG 21 in Jan 06 and I classed up April 14th. The Marines' wait time is shrinking right now. More Marines have been starting.

YUT!

 

[Frumby]

You cannot contract with a civilain physical/exam etc so forget any thoughts regarding anything from a civ doc. It needs to be certified by a USN Flight Doc to be considered contractual for a aviation. If you are told differently before you get to TBS, chances 98% you will be a ground pounder.
Production of jet pilots(USN/USMC) will probably slow this summer so expect a delay before primary or at KROCK and Attridian this summer and fall. I will not expound on that factoid so don't ask.
Semper Fly, Frumby