Marine Pilot Slot

watmiah

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Joined
Oct 22, 2018
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Hello I am a current Air Force cadet that may switch to NROTC Marine option (reasons are long and not related to post) but I am curious how pilot slots work. I tried doing research but everything I found was unrelated to my situation. Does a person apply for rated slots like in AFROTC? If so do they win lets say I pilot slot or slot for other jobs and are trained in that area when they commission or is this an Air Force only thing? Lastly, does the Marine option have field training during the summer like afrotc or no? Someone from NROTC told me yes, but I also read somewhere no so I don't know who is correct. Thanks for helping an idiot!
 
Yes there is summer training, but it’s going to OCS at Quantico for 6 weeks for the bulldog program. You just pass this and they don’t just pass anyone. It is not an easy program by any means. If you don’t like PT then you really need to evaluate the USMC move. Even as a pilot you will be a Marine first and foremost. Your first stop after commissioning is 6 months at TBS.

To get a pilot slot for USMC it’s actually rather easy. Pass the ASTB and request to get an aviation contract. You go before a board and they either approve or disapprove you. You will still have to pass a flight physical too. After TBS you start flight school. Do your research and really understand what being a Marine is all about. Because if something goes wrong... and you don’t fly... you need to ensure being a Marine Officer in a grunt unit or even supply unit is okay.
 
@watmiah: if you leave Air Force ROTC there is no guarantee that you will get NROTC MO. So your commission paths could be NROTC, PLC or OCS. There will be summer training with NROTC and PLC but not OCS.

Hoops gives great guidance as always.

If you want to go USMC, consider yourself a grunt. If you are "forced" to fly (and today, that option is pretty easy if you want it) go reluctantly and remember your job exists to support the guys on the ground.
 
Thanks for the information all! I am interested in doing MO, I love the people here at AFROTC but I want to push myself to be the best leader I can be and serve my country at the highest level, and honestly MO sounds like the best option for me, even if I can't serve as a pilot I want to be challenged. Does the MO have like a test to get in or something? Because AFROTC you kinda just show up and start and PT to pass the physical. I only ask because I have work to do to pass a Marine PFA and some self evaluation because I don't want to join something I don't plan to see through no matter what.
 
You need to pass the Marine PFT before you can contract, which means no later than end of sophomore year. You can google it and the scoring. 3 mile run, crunches and pullups. There have been some changes lately and I'm not sure what was added or how scoring changed but it's all available online. Their physical testing is more demanding than any other service.
 
You can contract for a NROTC MO aviation slot your sophomore year. Getting an aviation contract is the easy part. Becoming a Marine is the hard part.
After you commission from NROTC as a marine everyone attends The Basic School (TBS). Marines "service selection" (using Navy terminology) is done after TBS and is based mostly on your performance at TBS, unless you have an aviation contract.

Do your research. Obtaining a NROTC MO scholarship or advanced standing is extremely competitive.
 
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