Marine Aviators

[Seanaldinho]

Its getting close to college time for me and I was thinking about all branches of service and the question arose what are the benefits of being a Marine Aviator other then being a certified BAMF?
 
Can anyone give a few pros and cons of Marine flying vs the Navy, or Air Force pilots?

Thanks in advance.

[gyrene81]

as a marine air winger, you're still a MARINE     you could end up flying an a-6 prowler, harrier, f-18, osprey or helicopter...even carrier duty...stay in long enough and you get a shiny desk.

the squids have more aircraft choices, still get picked on by the jarheads. takes some titanium balls to do night carrier landings on rough seas.

airforce...  ... imagine vtards with luxury accomodations and excellent chow.

[Selino631]

as a marine air winger, you're still a MARINE    you could end up flying an a-6 prowler, harrier, f-18, osprey or helicopter...even carrier duty...stay in long enough and you get a shiny desk.

the squids have more aircraft choices, still get picked on by the jarheads. takes some titanium balls to do night carrier landings on rough seas.

airforce...   ... imagine vtards with luxury accomodations and excellent chow.

question about this right here, i dont want to get into another Marine Corps vs Army war again but, I have some friends who are in teh marines corps, 2 are Infantry, 0311 and 0313, then two others are POGs,vehicle Mechanic and 0651 Data Networking Specialist (IT). and all of them claim the whole "Your a Marine ur the greatest thing on the face of the earth" is way over-hyped.

the Mechanic and the IT guy say that Marine Combat Training is WAY over-hyped. they said all it was, was they spent a few days in the field, fired the M249 and M240 once, and learned the very basic of how to stack on a wall and where to go when they clear a room, and did a short road march, the rest of the time it was classes. they said it wasnt anything special or like how people make it seem.

and the two marine grunts kinda agreed with it, now obviously they are trained well with combat skills cause its there primary job, but they said that ur a real Marine if ur a grunt, not a POG.

do you agree?





and the airforce comment... i LOL'd so true.

[gyrene81]

i would have to agree with your friends assessment of the corps at this point in time. basic training is or at least was more of a mental challenge than physical, unless you were physically weak to begin with. in the past 10-20 years, with the exception of some specialized schools, the corps has adopted the army "touchy feely" basic training. the instructors can't push you past your physical limits anymore.

i've heard the same thing from several young marines...

[Gman]

you could end up flying an a-6 prowler, harrier, f-18, osprey or helicopter

By the time you would get to flying anything, the EA-6B will be LONG gone, the EF-18F Growler is quickly replacing the Intruder jammer.  Don't forget the F35B, if it keeps on working and makes it through all the controversy etc.

[Pigslilspaz]

By the time you would get to flying anything, the EA-6B will be LONG gone, the EF-18F Growler is quickly replacing the Intruder jammer.  Don't forget the F35B, if it keeps on working and makes it through all the controversy etc.

That's why I plan on flying the A-10 in the Chairforce. Gonna be around at least to the late 20's

[Seanaldinho]

Thanks guy

Anyone else have insight as to the deployment/ lifestyle of a marine stick compared to another branch?

I started leaning Marines partially because I want to be a certified, licensed bad a** but also because I like Marine Blacks (if they call them that) better then Air Force blues. And this way I can apply to both the Navy Academy and the Air Force Academy I have double my chances of entering a service academy. I have a fellow pilot friend who told me the Corps is in a jet drive right now so much that they are transferring AF pilots who are willing.

If I dont enter a service academy I plan on ROTC through Embry-Riddle. (Currently taking Embry-Riddle courses through worldwide at my high school so I can get endorsments from 3 or 4 ERAU proffesors.)

<EDIT> to add the two big paragraphs.

[Selino631]

Thanks guy

Anyone else have insight as to the deployment/ lifestyle of a marine stick compared to another branch?

I started leaning Marines partially because I want to be a certified, licensed bad a** but also because I like Marine Blacks (if they call them that) better then Air Force blues. And this way I can apply to both the Navy Academy and the Air Force Academy I have double my chances of entering a service academy. I have a fellow pilot friend who told me the Corps is in a jet drive right now so much that they are transferring AF pilots who are willing.

If I dont enter a service academy I plan on ROTC through Embry-Riddle. (Currently taking Embry-Riddle courses through worldwide at my high school so I can get endorsments from 3 or 4 ERAU proffesors.)

<EDIT> to add the two big paragraphs.

its Dress Blues. the Officer version is diffrent, personally i think the enlisted one looks pretty good.


I dont know about the whole transferring thing, cause if you go to the Air Force academy you ARE in the Air Force

and as far as deployment goes, it all depends where you are stationed, most likley u'd be on a HUGE airfield like KAF or Bagram in Afghanistan. I've been through there several times in the last 7 months. and the pilots/aircrew, and pretty much all POGs in general live pretty good. its not a Branch type thing, its all about where your at.


Airfield= vacation style living (fixed wing and helicopter pilots/aircrew, POGs, Infantry)

Large FOB= well off (helicopter pilots/aircrew, POGs, Infantry)

Small FOB= decent (helicopters pilots fly through here, some POGs, Infantry)

Company sized COP= eh..... not good (few pogs, Infantry)

Platoon sized COP= pretty bad (very few pogs, Infantry)

a OP= the slums (INFANTRY)

[flight17]

Thanks guy

Anyone else have insight as to the deployment/ lifestyle of a marine stick compared to another branch?

I started leaning Marines partially because I want to be a certified, licensed bad a** but also because I like Marine Blacks (if they call them that) better then Air Force blues. And this way I can apply to both the Navy Academy and the Air Force Academy I have double my chances of entering a service academy. I have a fellow pilot friend who told me the Corps is in a jet drive right now so much that they are transferring AF pilots who are willing.

If I dont enter a service academy I plan on ROTC through Embry-Riddle. (Currently taking Embry-Riddle courses through worldwide at my high school so I can get endorsments from 3 or 4 ERAU proffesors.)

<EDIT> to add the two big paragraphs.

Sorry to keep bursting your bubble with Embry, but seriously... there are much better programs that have NROTC programs available. I know first hand that some people in the aviation field, who get applicants that have graduated from Embry, throw their application right in the trash. And this is at the airline level im talking about. Its a two fold thing as well, because not only is the training not adequate, but its also very expensive. If you do a pilot curriculum, you’re looking at graduating with nearly 150,000-200,000 dollars of debt.

Some of the schools i was looking at for the NROTC scholarship was: Perdue University, Western Michigan State (i believe it was Western, it might have been Eastern), Westminster College, Jacksonville University and Embry-Riddle. Embry was my last pick. I was accepted to Jacksonville with nearly a full tuition scholarship, but decided to turn it down as i wasn’t ready to leave yet.

Remember Navy Dress whites look awesome too...

[AAJagerX]

Go Air Force.  Better planes, hotter women, and you don't have to write with crayon.   

[curry1]

I dont know about the whole transferring thing, cause if you go to the Air Force academy you ARE in the Air Force

Not true when you graduate the Air Force academy or any other service academy you can take your oath to any branch.  My dad went to the AFA and his friend went Navy.  99% probably stay air force but you don't have to.

[ebfd11]

Remember Navy Dress whites look awesome too...

Marine Corps Officer dress White Rule.. (and I wasn't an officer)

Go Air Force.  Better planes, hotter women, and you don't have to write with crayon.   

They dont write in crayon anymore, they use magic marker now. LOL

BTW go with what your heart says to do.

Semper Fedelis MWSS172 MWSG17 March 88 to February 91, Crash Fire Rescue