greeneagle5
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2007
- Messages
- 347
What's the usual SOP and due dates for processing a Firstie's "Dream Sheet", and when will they hear their selection results ?
Thanks and GO NAVY !
Thanks and GO NAVY !
That's definitely different. It seems weird that the different communities (especially Marines) would be cool with Mids just choosing completely on their own without any direct input from the company officer or officers in that community.
I'd say most people now know how good their chances are at getting what they want, so it's very stressful, but not a complete shot in the dark. The guys and girls on the margin lines for their top choice, however, are sweating bullets. I think last year in my company we only had one guy leave service selection night disappointed, and he'd wanted SEALs.
Is it true that Marines must be choice #1 on a Midn selection list if the Firstie is interested in Marines ? And if Marine Air is #1 on the dream list, does the "selectee" recieve a " contract" assuring him/her a slot in flight school after successfully completing TBS and all medical qualifications ?
GO NAVY
Also, random question for usna1985: I've heard that there used to be an option for females called "general unrestricted line officer" which basically entailed doing shore tours for an entire career because females weren't allowed to qualify as SWOs, etc. Is this true?
Marines can be put down as a choice even if it's not your top. However, the likelihood of getting USMC if its 2 or 3 is slim (unless 1 is SEALs/EOD), especially considering the summer training requirements (Leatherneck/MAGTF). Getting Marine Air means that, pending successful completion of TBS/flight physical, you are guaranteed to be able to report to flight school, but you can drop the contract and go Ground while at TBS. Conversely, there's usually a 2-3 flight spots open to Ground contracts at TBS, but these are extremely hard to get.
The only things that have to be first are SEALs, Med Corps, SWO Options, and EOD (EOD can be put second only if the first choice is SEALs).
Warning, boring details follow!
Also, for those who are curious: firsties have to put down six selections if they've taken the ASTB (test required to pass for aviation fields), but only can put down four if they haven't taken or passed the ASTB. Because there's different standards for each service, it's possible to pass for Navy Air and not Marine Air, or for NFO and not pilot, etc. So, for example, if you've taken the ASTB, the preferences list could look like this:
1: USMC (Air)
2: Submarines
3: Navy Pilot
4: Navy NFO
5: SWO
6: SWO-Nuke
If, not, it'd look something like this:
1: Submarines
2: USMC (Ground)
3: SWO
4: SWO-Nuke
5:--
6:--
If you're NPQ'd from commissioning into the unrestricted line or USMC, you have four choices: Supply, Intel, Information Warfare, or Civil Engineers Corps (CEC). If you are physically qualified, these aren't even available as options to put down, aside from SWO-option. For example, since I'd PQ'd for commissioning, my status is cleared for stuff like USMC, SWO, and SWO-Intel (or another option), but "not cleared" for Intel.
Service Selection (technically called "Service Assignment" now, which is probably more honest) is just that, you only find out your community. Ship selection and flight school/nuke school/TBS dates are all worked out later.
Also, random question for usna1985: I've heard that there used to be an option for females called "general unrestricted line officer" which basically entailed doing shore tours for an entire career because females weren't allowed to qualify as SWOs, etc. Is this true?
Absolutely true . . . in part. There was a General URL option -- and that's what most (more than 50%) of the women did. It wasn't that women couldn't qualify as SWOs, etc. -- rather, b/c women couldn't be in "combat," we couldn't be assigned to most ships or squadrons. Thus, there were very few ships (mostly destroyer or sub tenders) or squadrons (mostly aggressor squadrons) open to women and thus very few billets in the URL. I think ~7 women in my class went SWO and about the same number went pilot. Women could go USMC but could not fly in the Marines.
Also, in my day, women who were PQ'ed could still select Intel, Crypto, AMDO, Supply, etc. and some of these were highly sought after billets.
Yes, General URL was mostly, if not entirely, shore tours -- although not always in CONUS. Unfortunately, it was the best the USN could do until the combat restrictions were lifted in ~1993.
That's crazy and kind of sucks. Glad there's a different system now.
Correct in your assumption on the #s. However USMC pilots are much more likely to be flying hovercraft ... and that doesn't mean hoverounds!
What are some of the unique differences/distinctions between choosing Marine Air vs. NAVY Air ? Don't both attend the same flight schools and train/ fly similar aircraft ? I'm assuming the Naval Air community is much larger than Marine Air( ?) .
Thanks,