mos 6174 hu 1 crew cheif - info please!

[thebry21]

looking through lists of marine corps mos's again and again this one is my favorite. helicopter crew cheif - hu 1. my recruiter says its a cool job but id like to hear more opinions and im hoping for someone had the experience or had a friend in that mos who could tell me how it is and what you do. my understanding is that you provide maintainance to the huey when its on the ground and in the sky you are part of the aircrew and your job is to keep the bird safe... but i'd like to know more! im signing my papers and going up to meps on saturday (today is thursday). this is the job im hopefully signing my job contract for. also i hear this job is hard to get. i got a 72 on the practice asvab i took in the office. hopefully ill do better on the real asvab and be eligable. if i cant get this job what are some jobs that are similar to this one?

thanks in advance to anyone who has any info they can share.

[PhrogDoc]

BRY,

Being a UH-1N/Y crewchief is definitely a good gig. It is a gun ship you got:
Rocket Pods, .50 Cal, 240D, and a GAU 17. The last one fires 3000 rounds per minute. They get to do all the cool stuff that crewchiefs want to do.
I am a CH-46 crewchief, I wanted UH-1 crewchief when I was in school. The Marine Corps on the other hand had different plans for me. The school is long, its about a 1 yr total if everything falls into place.
As far as your ASVAB I had Marines working for me that scored in the 50's on theirs and they qualified. If not see if you can become a mechanic, because then you will have the ability to become an Aerial Observer and get to fly anyway. (only after you did some time in your field of course.)
I hope this answered your question. If you have any other shoot them my way. Training is pretty standard for all aircraft crewchiefs.

SSgt Bilky
FRC East

[thebry21]

thank you staff sargeant. I got an 84 on my asvab and my recruiter said I do qualify! I hear there's a lot of work to do day to day as a crew cheif. I hear things like 20 hour work days and no sleep but the job is still worth it. is this true? thanks again, sir.

[PhrogDoc]

Work hours for any aircrew can really suck. Especially when you watch everybody leave at the end of shift and your still there for whatever reason. We have limits to how long we can actually be at work, and how many hours we can work in a day, if your on the flight schedule. I have never worked 20 hour days. The most I had was 16 hour days when we were fighting in Fallujah in 2004. It is worth every bit of the horrible hours.

[thebry21]

wow good to know. this is still my #1 job and i really hope im lucky enough to get it. my last question would be what made it all worth it? why do you love being a crew cheif? really appreciate your answers thanks!

[PhrogDoc]

What made it worth it was:

Bringing water and food to people who don't have any. They really appreciate it.

The look on peoples faces when you offload their mail, bullets, or comforts from home.

Just knowing that the Marine you picked up on casevac lived because of what you do.

Dropping into some insurgents yard blacked out at zero' dark thirty with a SOF team to get them. And actually get him and all of the weapons they had stashed away.

Those are just a few of the reasons that made it worth it to me. Everybody will have their own reasons. I hope that helped you out.

[thebry21]

yes it did. thats so cool. thank you