Sgt Grit Marine Forums

Hello all,

 I am a to-be Junior in High School the 08-09 school year. I have wanted to fly planes ever since I was on one and got to see the cockpit. I live about 4 miles away from Purdue University, where they have not only a major Aviation Tech. department, but one of the top ROTC programs in the nation, so I am told by one of the officers that I met with. I am considering the military as one of my options due to it's security and 'the sky's the limit' opportunities. So I suppose that I was wondering if anyone on here went through NROTC on the Marine Option. Moreover, has anyone reading this gone through the Aviation Program down in Pensacola? Broken down, what did it consist of? What made you want to go into the program, or more generally, what made you want to go into The Marines? What did you do to prepare?

 Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

NROTC is a good thing, Purdue is a good thing (brother-in-law  retired USAF Colonel is an Alumni)

http://forums.grunt.com/forums/t/18155.aspx

http://forums.grunt.com/forums/t/2174.aspx

http://forums.grunt.com/forums/t/447.aspx

http://forums.grunt.com/forums/t/43796.aspx

http://forums.grunt.com/forums/t/39689.aspx

http://forums.grunt.com/forums/t/27898.aspx

http://forums.grunt.com/forums/t/22057.aspx

http://forums.grunt.com/forums/t/10831.aspx

Thanks for the links, really enjoyed the last one. (Marinecorpstimes.com)

Ahh... flight school.... Imagine trying to learn how to drive, with an instructor beating you on the head with a kneeboard, screamnig, and asking you continual gnat-ass questions as to how the car works, why it works, and what all it's capabilities / limitation are.  But other than that... it's great.   

 So I can assume that you went through it all?

tell, tell! What advice would you give to an interested high school student?

Preparations?

Still in high school....

Worry about getting into college... getting into OCS... getting an Aviation Contract... getting Commissioned... getting through TBS... then you can start to worry about flight school.

But some common myths... it doesn't matter in what you major.  nor does a private pilot license guarantee anything.   

Yup! I know pilots (now Colonels) who graduated with degrees in the Culinary Arts from the Illinois School of Art in Chicago and the Art Institute of Seattle.

Just need that degree from a 4 year Institution!  No degree, no Commission, no Aviation Contract, no Flt School.

Then again, you can fly with the US Army as a Warrant Officer (don't really need a college degree) and become just as good a pilot, you just won't be a Marine.

Summary: USMC, USN, USAF = need a 4 year degree = Commission = Flt School

USA - Warrant Officer Program, no college degree needed, not a Commissioned Officer (eventually you could get a commission, if you want one and upgrade your education and such), but you still go to Flt School.

Thanks for the responses!

After getting accepted (college), passing OCS followed by TBS and graduating/ getting commissioned, You put forth an application for your specialty, (MOS, I believe) no? The officer said that most everyone from the program that graduates ends up more or less with what they would like to do. So can you pretty much bank on (in the ideal situation, of course) the fact that you won't get stuck doing something you weren't planning on doing?

Sorry for jumping to conclusions and getting ahead of myself, but it's hard to not think about what would happen in the ideal future that I would like to see

When you sign up for OCS/PLC, etc, etc.........that is where you apply for an Aviation Contract (Flt Program).