I posted a thread last week asking from advice from pilots but didn't receive much feedback. I am 95% sure I'm going to join the Marines. I really want to fly and was hoping that someone could provide some insight on accomplishing my goals. I know in order to even be considered for flight school, you must have a college degree and Officer ranking (along with several other training programs and so forth).

Here is my dilemma. First and foremost, I want a education. I have two years of college behind me now. I've thought about doing the OCS program but the recruiter seems to think I would be better off enlisting and finishing school while on active duty. Now, I have no problem going to Iraq or doing whatever I have to do to accomplish my ultimate goal; flying, but I also want to get an education.

Do you guys think I should enlist and finish school on active duty or finish school and then join.

Thanks for the advice.

 

As a 21 year Air Force veteran, I recommend you finish college first if you have the means. This will give you a leg up and widen you range of opportunities. Just make sure you get a degree that the services are likely to need. Lots of people enlist planning to finish college and for whatever reason don't reach that goal. This doesn't mean it can't be done but I have seen many people get sidetracked. If money is tight you might look at trying to join a ROTC program. I hate to say it but I think your recruiter is more worried about his quota than in your goals. I could be wrong since I never did recruiting but I can only think of two circumstances wear enlisting now is to your advantage. One, you can't pay for school yourself or two, the Marines aren't accepting pilot candidates from outside the Corps.

 

The recruiter could have just as easily made a profession selling used cars and done very well. The only advantages to enlisting is that there are some really cool jobs that are available to new Marines. Again, according to the recruiter, these jobs are done while taking class online, at a school on base, or a local college off base.

I think my best route will be to stay in school however, I do worry about this limiting my options when I do enlist after college. I worry that they will be more likely to give better options to someone that has been in for a while versus someone just joining. However, this is just speculation.

 

Well, hopefully, after college you won't enlist, instead you'll be commissioned as an officer which is a whole new ball game and your options should be wider not narrower in terms of getting into flight school. Also, unless you are dead set on the Marines talk to the Army about flying helicopters. Their pilots are Warrant Officers and I understand they only require 2 years of college. In addition, your chances of flying ae probably better in Navy or Air Force than Marines too. The sheer increase in the number of available slots improves your odds of getting a flying billet.

 

I agree with gator 100%. The recruiter doesn't care what happens to you once you get in. He can tell you everything that COULD be available and that you MIGHT be able to get into once you enlist but believe me, some of those programs are tough to get into, have quotas based on race, gender etc and a lot of it is luck of the draw. Not to mention, once they train you, they are going to want to get some use from you. Don't expect to be able to do many online courses right away either - your first year you will be too busy to do anything.

Your best bet would be to finish college if you can. Work on getting a commission if you can. Don't limit yourself to the Marines if you want to fly. Talk to the Navy as well.

After you finish your degree, you will still be plenty young enough to enlist if that is the only option available to you then. No matter what, finishing the degree first will be easier and faster than trying to do it on active duty.

I will repeat just for emphasis - the recruiter has his interests in mind. He needs to meet a quota. Don't believe everything he says. AND IF YOU DON'T GET IT IN WRITING, IT AIN'T HAPPENING.

 

I don't have first hand experience with the military. But drawing on the experience of friends and family members, here are some issues to consider.

First, are you joining the military to fly, or are you joining the military for the Marine experience and you might get to fly also? The reason for this question is that if you are joining because you like to fly, then you might be better off going into commercial aviation. Of course, the Marine Corps has a lot more "interesting" equipment than is found in commercial aviation. Here's some things to consider: these days, military pilots have very little flight time. I knew two guys who were Air Force A-10 pilots and in peacetime they only flew about 2 hours a week. I have a cousin who is a commercial airline pilot and he flys a whole lot more than that. Depending on his schedule, he may fly 20 hours in a week. The days of racking up all the military flights hours you want are gone. Another thing to consider: if you want to fly in the military and then go to a commercial flying job; the airlines are less interested these days in military pilots simply because they have comparatively fewer hours than "commercially" trained pilots.

I agree with al_e._gator about your education. Finish your college degree first if you're able. I think that with your college degree in hand you will be in a much better position to negotiate with your recruiter. Even if you have to take out school loans you can oftentimes get the military to pay those off for you.

It sounds like you're wisening up to the recruiter. As you said, they are salesman for the military. As such, they have quotas and performance incentives. And like many salesmen, they will promise you the world and then deliver what they can.

I hope this helps you make your decision.

 

If your ultimate goal is to be an officer anyway, then enlisting doesn't make a lot of sense. Find a school that has NROTC and a degree program that you'll like and do well in. NROTC will pay for a big percentage of your schooling (if not all of it), and you'll get your commission as soon as you graduate.

If you enlist, it'll be difficult to complete your degree at all. And even once it's complete, there's no guarantee that you'll get into OCS.

 

To illustrate the comment about school being hard to complete while on active duty, it took me 12 years to finish my Associates. I just had other things going on for much of that time and sometimes its hard to keep school a priority.


Mikesmith,
Keep your head down over there.

 

As an Active Duty Air Force vet, I would vote that you finish college first, then join the service, whatever branch you decide.

Some things to consider:

-Yes, you could try to finish your degree while serving. It can be done under the right circumstances. I saw many a mid and night shift coworkers working their way through college.

-Yes, you can start using Government benefits to help pay for the schooling, while you serve.

-But remember-First and Foremost-when you join, the service is Job Number 1. Your job and military service will outrank your College classes. So there may be times when you need to deploy for training or missions in the middle of a school semester. It can't be avoided. It can put major stress on you as you try to play catchup when you get back. Enough of that stress and playing catchup might make you loose your momentum and that goal of reaching your degree could slip further and further away.

-If you get stationed state side and your supervisor(s) understand your wanting to finish your college degree then the good ones will work with you on your scheduling and duties. (At least they did in the Air Force.)


Good luck with your decision.

 

As a former Navy reserve Career Councelor Retired. Whatever you do - get it in writing with signatures etc. secondly. Have you taken the ASVAB test for the military? And I would vote for going to school - unless you really want to go in now for tuition assistance from the military.

One other thing most recruiters don't tell people... this is a 8 year commitment either active, reserves or standby reserves.

 

I agree with going to and finishing school and then joining. It is an honor to serve, but if you want to fly in the military it is especially difficult. I had my hear set on being a pilot in the air force and did all of the testing and they were fine, but then I really read the info and found out that due to my colorblindness, I could not fly and that they were going to move me to something that deals with "pilot" training.

Wanting to be a marine is great, but also remember as being one of the "Few, Proud, Brave" they can be VERY choosier on whom they select as a pilot. Also ring knockers get the first and best assignments.

Do you want to be a chopper pilot? If so, why not try the Army? Way more openings in the Army then the Marines. Of course JMHO

 

Ive got a freinf in the fuard who this happened to, he has currently lost a total of 2 years of school and 3 semesters worth of cash he paid for it,

FIrst was 4 years ago, got called up for flood duty for a few weeks , 1 semester in toilet

second, was in february of 03 got called to go to the sandbox, semester gone, was supposed to get home in july, but came home in october now a full year outa school.

now again this past month for Katrina cleanup..... another 6 weeks out of a 16 week semester....

 

Definitely finish the school first. I joined the military with two years behind me in college and still haven't finished my bachelors degree. I have been in the military for 10 years and I keep getting activated for something everytime I enroll in college and have to push those plans back.

 

You might consider asking about helicopter training in the Army. Not sure of the current education requirements, but it used to be just high school.

 

Finish college first if you possibly can.