.Aviator to MARSOC

[arch_angel]

Personally, I dont feel a Marine Officer gains many skills in the MARSOC community compared to being in the Infantry or possibly Reconnaissance.

Most young commanders gain the most benefit to their personal skills (warfighting, fieldcraft, etc) alongside an experienced SNCO at the troop level.

In MARSOC you will do 1-2 deployments at MOST, thats assuming you can land a team commander position for that long.

Stick with your aviation plan then request MARSOC during your FAC time if you can swing it.

To be fair, a tour at a Recon BN will typically yield the same results for a 1stLt/Capt. Either route you go (Recon or MARSOC), you are likely to get 1-2 deployments with a team/platoon before moving to a staff BIC. Obviously there are exceptions to every situation.

IRT career progression, Recon seems to be the smarter move simply because it allows you the versatility of taking Company command at either a Recon BN or a Victor unit later on. The pyramid on the SOC side is much skinnier toward the top and once you're a SOO I'm not sure how easy it is to switch back to big Marine Corps.

OP, if you want to fly jets, make that your focus. I'm sure your OSO may mention to you something about shipping as an air contract then dropping it at TBS... I wouldn't plan on that. We had a bunch of guys who were attempting that at TBS and out of roughly 15, 2 got approved. Another reason I say you should make jets your focus is because the amount of dedication required to pass flight school is no joke. Certainly not something you would want to be "half-in" about.

Another thing you could look into as a FAC would be ANGLICO. Either way you go, you're serving your country.

 

[The Hate Ape]

To be fair, a tour at a Recon BN will typically yield the same results for a 1stLt/Capt. Either route you go (Recon or MARSOC), you are likely to get 1-2 deployments with a team/platoon before moving to a staff BIC. Obviously there are exceptions to every situation.

No, I disagree.

MARSOC workups are no longer than seven months in a BEST case scenario whereas Reconnaissance is roughly two years. Time with your team/platoon is the greatest teacher for young officer “skills” and isnt necessarily quantified by a number of deployments.

That 1 or 2 deployments at Recon would be about 4 years of exercises, critical skills training, individual training and etc while learning the ins-and-outs of big Marine Corps. This contrasts greatly at MARSOC where you basically get really good at one particular deployment and use that to catapult yourself into an arena of credibility using limited experience to then navigate further into the ins-and-outs of SOCOM specifically.

So, avoid MARSOC and go there as a FAC only. We havent even scratched the surface about how SOOs never (I certainly dont think so at least) return to the Marine Corps.

 

[RockHard13F]

I'd second the recommendation that you look into going to ANGLICO as a FAC. Lots of captains and majors in ANGLICO who are pilots. If you're goal is to do good things on the ground side and kill lots of bad guys (and subsequently go back to flying) ANGLICO just might be for you.

 

[Hillclimb]

No, I disagree.

MARSOC workups are no longer than seven months in a BEST case scenario whereas Reconnaissance is roughly two years. Time with your team/platoon is the greatest teacher for young officer “skills” and isnt necessarily quantified by a number of deployments.

That 1 or 2 deployments at Recon would be about 4 years of exercises, critical skills training, individual training and etc while learning the ins-and-outs of big Marine Corps. This contrasts greatly at MARSOC where you basically get really good at one particular deployment and use that to catapult yourself into an arena of credibility using limited experience to then navigate further into the ins-and-outs of SOCOM specifically.

Negative. I'd love to have a 7 month work up, but an 0370/0372 will have a 2 year deployment cycle. They wont drop an 0370 in 6 months prior to a deployment, they will have plenty of time with their team. They'll get the 6 month ITP > 12 month workup > 6 month deployment.

 

[The Hate Ape]

Negative. I'd love to have a 7 month work up, but an 0370/0372 will have a 2 year deployment cycle. They wont drop an 0370 in 6 months prior to a deployment, they will have plenty of time with their team. They'll get the 6 month ITP > 12 month workup > 6 month deployment.

From the horses mouth I suppose. I totally skipped over IT phase. Good catch.

 

[slopmaster]

For anybody who comes across this thread. Here's something to think about.

http://www.forcerecon.com/Capt-Joshua-S-Meadows.htm
Capt. Meadows served as helicopter pilot for 5 years before transitioning to MARSOC (unrelated to flight).

 

[Bunsickle]

I love how all these people think they can have their cake and eat it too in the Military. Just doesn’t work that way. You accomplish a mission, then choose another. Even if that takes multiple different assignments, “Go with the flow”.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

I love how all these people think they can have their cake and eat it too in the Military. Just doesn’t work that way. You accomplish a mission, then choose another. Even if that takes multiple different assignments, “Go with the flow”.

@Bunsickle

This is an Aviator/MARSOC related thread; since you are not a vetted member of either of those jobs, please refrain from making comments within threads out of your vetted expertise.

To add....regarding your specific comment here. In any thread dedicated to assisting other members, what you posted is unhelpful and out of place.

 

[Teufel]

For anybody who comes across this thread. Here's something to think about.

http://www.forcerecon.com/Capt-Joshua-S-Meadows.htm
Capt. Meadows served as helicopter pilot for 5 years before transitioning to MARSOC (unrelated to flight).

He was a forward air controller attached to 1st MSOB.

 

[slopmaster]

He was a forward air controller attached to 1st MSOB.

Ah thanks for the info, yeah that would make more sense given that he was an aviator first.

 

[butler]

I'm currently getting a Computer Science degree from a school that's 1 tier below an Ivy League

If I may make a recommendation: don't ever say that in the future to a roomful of Marine Officers. No one is impressed by "computer science" and "1 tier below an Ivy League", especially when there are Marines out there who don't have to caveat/qualify their accomplishments.

Good luck at PLC.

 

[slopmaster]

If I may make a recommendation: don't ever say that in the future to a roomful of Marine Officers. No one is impressed by "computer science" and "1 tier below an Ivy League", especially when there are Marines out there who don't have to caveat/qualify their accomplishments.

Good luck at PLC.

I wouldn't expect anyone to be impressed by it. This is the information that my recruiter asked me to tell her and because I wish to fly aircraft, I laid out the fact that I have a STEM degree (I know about "pol sci" and fly but I think knowing CS has it's benefits in relation to aircraft).

I thought that maybe STEM degrees are favored more once you're already in the Marine Corp, especially in a field like aviation.

 

[butler]

I wouldn't expect anyone to be impressed by it. This is the information that my recruiter asked me to tell her and because I wish to fly aircraft, I laid out the fact that I have a STEM degree (I know about "pol sci" and fly but I think knowing CS has it's benefits in relation to aircraft).

I thought that maybe STEM degrees are favored more once you're already in the Marine Corp, especially in a field like aviation.

To be clear, you should be proud of your academic achievements -- I (for one) know that I could not hack it in the hard sciences (e.g. computer science). Furthermore, your OSO is right: you are ultimately your own best advocate, and you should most definitely put your best foot forward before any sort of selection board. No need to be self-effacing nor humble.

That being said, my admonition is genuine, and is borne of personal experience: I knew a Marine lieutenant who -- in some sort of misguided dick-measuring contest -- bragged about his college major (computer science) at a fairly prestigious school (not an Ivy, but a top public university) to a roomful of other officers. He never heard the end of it, e.g. "XO wants a draft of the LOI? Give it to Lt 'Computer Science'; he's so much smarter than all of us."

Marines are merciless about this kind of stuff, and generally take umbrage at uppity, know-it-all spring-butts (I know that wasn't your intent; just trying to pass on what I've seen and experienced).

 

[slopmaster]

To be clear, you should be proud of your academic achievements -- I (for one) know that I could not hack it in the hard sciences (e.g. computer science). Furthermore, your OSO is right: you are ultimately your own best advocate, and you should most definitely put your best foot forward before any sort of selection board. No need to be self-effacing nor humble.

That being said, my admonition is genuine, and is borne of personal experience: I knew a Marine lieutenant who -- in some sort of misguided dick-measuring contest -- bragged about his college major (computer science) at a fairly prestigious school (not an Ivy, but a top public university) to a roomful of other officers. He never heard the end of it, e.g. "XO wants a draft of the LOI? Give it to Lt 'Computer Science'; he's so much smarter than all of us."

Marines are merciless about this kind of stuff, and generally take umbrage at uppity, know-it-all spring-butts (I know that wasn't your intent; just trying to pass on what I've seen and experienced).

Yes, I agree. Thank you for the advice, I wouldn't brag to other Marines about anything really. The only time I would mention what I do/did in academics and other parts of my life is to people that run the selection board. Even when I talk people who aren't Marines, just people in my personal life or strangers, I never talk about myself unless I'm specifically asked. I only said a "tier below an Ivy League" because I want to stay anonymous and not reveal the actual school, and that is a fair placement for the school.

I have nothing to brag about anyways; a CS degree is fairly ubiquitous nowadays.

 

[jiujiteiro]

Thought I should add this in if I may, I had heard rumors of a Cobra pilot that went to A&S but I figured this was all just rumors. There was a Cobra pilot doing an AMA on reddit and so I figured I would just ask.
Question:
I was just lurking a post over at MOD EDIT and someone who went to MARSOC A&S said they were there with a Cobra pilot? I didn’t know this was possible, I thought you had a certain amount of time you had to pay back as a pilot after winging? Any reason someone who had worked so hard/studied to be a pilot would go be an SOO? Is this something that is common now?
His Answer:
I knew this guy. Great dude. Wasn't in my squadron but from what I understand he was a solid pilot and squadron asset but just kept asking the question and I guess nobody said no, ha. He definitely would have needed something like wing CG level approval, but sounds like it worked out for him. My guess is that someone pretty senior thought that cross pollination in MARSOC was worth losing a pilot for. I haven't heard of anyone else doing it, and that was probably 3 years ago.

I would assume he is the only pilot to do this, but I guess that just goes to show anything is possible?

 

[Teufel]

I’ve always said that nothing is impossible. I wouldn’t put money on it though. Also I don’t put a lot of faith in rumors and sea stories. It’s highly unlikely that the Marine Corps would let a pilot go to MARSOC with the current health of the aviator community.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Thought I should add this in if I may, I had heard rumors of a Cobra pilot that went to A&S but I figured this was all just rumors. There was a Cobra pilot doing an AMA on reddit and so I figured I would just ask.
Question:
I was just lurking a post over at xxx and someone who went to MARSOC A&S said they were there with a Cobra pilot? I didn’t know this was possible, I thought you had a certain amount of time you had to pay back as a pilot after winging? Any reason someone who had worked so hard/studied to be a pilot would go be an SOO? Is this something that is common now?
His Answer:
I knew this guy. Great dude. Wasn't in my squadron but from what I understand he was a solid pilot and squadron asset but just kept asking the question and I guess nobody said no, ha. He definitely would have needed something like wing CG level approval, but sounds like it worked out for him. My guess is that someone pretty senior thought that cross pollination in MARSOC was worth losing a pilot for. I haven't heard of anyone else doing it, and that was probably 3 years ago.

I would assume he is the only pilot to do this, but I guess that just goes to show anything is possible?

Unless you have experienced and working knowledge of a topic, please refrain from offering advice.
I deleted your posted link to Reddit.