View Full Version : If you were in my boots
DevilDog0187
12-27-09, 05:13 PM
Hello Marines,
Ok so here is the situation, I ship for boot camp in one week:evilgrin:, I DEP in Dec 9th... So I had little time to think about this.
I went to my recruiter and I wanted to be active duty, after talking and getting to know what my what my goals were with USMC he said I should go Reserve. He gave me 0151 MOS so it will be easier and I could focus on school. Ok so Im 21, no college credits. I scored a 73 AFQT (I was stressing out that day, I got a 86 on the Pretest, I know I can get in the 90's) 130 MM, 127 EL, 128 GT, 120 CL, 126 GT.
I want to be a pilot, Hopefully I will fly a F-18 or a F-35 one day. I know it will be a long hard road, but I am ready for the challenge.
The problem I am facing is the fact that USMC selective reserves will bring in basically no income, and will give me no TA. I know my time is running out and I've got to get my degree within the next four years to stay competitive for flight school, and available jet spots.
My current plan is to get back into school with the money that I will have saved up from boot camp, and then do PLC next year. I want to major in Physics or Aerospace Engineering
My question is, how hard is it to get a degree while active duty? What are the best MOSes while getting a degree (most free time wise).. My HS GPA wasnt to awesome, so there is no getting into MECEP for me.
Thank you for reading,
Pool(ee) Edwards
firedog974
12-27-09, 05:34 PM
It is pretty hard to get your degree while active, but not impossible. I knew quite a few guys who did it, but it took them a lot longer than 4 years. There are a few options for you while on active or while in reserves. One of them is MCECP (Marine Corps enlisted commissioning program)while active. If you have good SAT scores and did good in high school, you can apply for this program after you pick up Cpl. I have 2 friends who went through it, and both are officers now. If you are reserves, you can always live off student loans and part time jobs. My best friend put himself through medical school and payed for all his living expenses with student loans. You have time to look at your options and decide what is right for you. If you can't figure it out in a week, go reserves so you will still have options.
Why not do four years active, do what schooling you can, get out, go to school, then go officer or go back enlisted whatever. You can go to college when you're 40, but you can't join the Marine Corps then.
DevilDog0187
12-27-09, 06:21 PM
Why not do four years active, do what schooling you can, get out, go to school, then go officer or go back enlisted whatever. You can go to college when you're 40, but you can't join the Marine Corps then.
You missed the point. I want to be a pilot, I have to be an officer to be a pilot, and I have to have a degree to be an officer.
DevilDog0187
12-27-09, 06:30 PM
.
Wyoming
12-27-09, 06:32 PM
You missed the point. I want to be a pilot, I have to be an officer to be a pilot, and I have to have a degree to be an officer.
The point was not missed.
You did not get the answer you wanted, so you got a bit snippy with a Marine.
Take out the 'or go back enlisted whatever', and you have the answer.
DevilDog0187
12-27-09, 06:39 PM
Im not aware of what kinda of answer Im looking for, I just want your honest feedback on my situation. His answer wasnt even in the same ballpark of my question or my situation in general. I can't try and be a pilot when I'm 40.
commdog7
12-27-09, 06:50 PM
I'm a few months away from finishing my bachelor's on active duty. It is possible, but it's something that you really have to hard to achieve. If college is one of your main priorities, you should probably go into the reserves.
Wyoming
12-27-09, 06:51 PM
So sorry.
Discussion over, at least on my part.
But before I leave -
My question is, how hard is it to get a degree while active duty? Up to you. Read on. What are the best MOSes while getting a degree (most free time wise).. I love that one. Thanks for sharing. My HS GPA wasnt to awesome, ... and what makes you think you can be a Marine, and get a degree, when you couldn't do HS? so there is no getting into MECEP for me.
I would stay reserves. Apply for the PLC program after you get accepted into a 4 year college, and go that route. You will be doing the same thing I am trying for, the only difference, is I made it through bootcamp/MOS school. To even be eligible for the flight contract for PLC, you need to apply before you 28th birthday (if you went active duty, there is a high chance you will pass that age), and you MUST pass the FAA flight exams. If you are thinking about income, it is no differance then if you didn't join. Think of your end result goal, to be a USMC pilot. You don't need to be enlisted, at all, to even achieve that. The reserves and PLC will help get you there, but that is not the only option.
DevilDog0187
12-27-09, 07:00 PM
So sorry.
Discussion over, at least on my part.
But before I leave -
Thanks Marine.. If your intend was to waste your time and mine, and not offer any piece of advise at all.. you met your mission..
firedog974
12-27-09, 07:11 PM
Thanks Marine.. If your intend was to waste your time and mine, and not offer any piece of advise at all.. you met your mission..
Look dipwad, I offered you a TON of advice, but you chose not take it, or did not take the time to see it. Now you have made a decision to call out a fellow Marine...I suggest you slow you roll. You need to take your arse back to whatever hole you crawled out of, and apologize to Al. If you want to be part of OUR ranks, your little ass need to learn respect. Digress, and let's move on. Otherwise, find a new place to play.
We are here to help, but if you let that mosquito ass run that lion mouth, you will get what you have coming.
DevilDog0187
12-27-09, 07:19 PM
Look dipwad, I offered you a TON of advice, but you chose not take it, or did not take the time to see it. Now you have made a decision to call out a fellow Marine...I suggest you slow you roll. You need to take your arse back to whatever hole you crawled out of, and apologize to Al. If you want to be part of OUR ranks, your little ass need to learn respect. Digress, and let's move on. Otherwise, find a new place to play.
We are here to help, but if you let that mosquito ass run that lion mouth, you will get what you have coming.
You did offer me a ton of advise and I thank you for that. Nothing that I said before was about you.
firedog974
12-27-09, 07:23 PM
You did offer me a ton of advise and I thank you for that. Nothing that I said before was about you.
Oh, but it was. You mess with one, you mess with all. You are out of line, and, in my opinion, have no chance of EVER becoming an officer with that little school boy chip on your shoulder. You obviously do not know where you stand on the pecking order at this juncture. Like I said....you may want to apologize.
Lisa 23
12-27-09, 07:53 PM
Thanks Marine.. If your intend was to waste your time and mine, and not offer any piece of advise at all.. you met your mission..
Listen up there young man, you need to RESPECT the Marines that are giving you advice, whether it's the advice you want to hear or not.
A lot of you wannabes and poolees come here asking questions because you all feel that your recruiter is feeding you some kind of BS, not telling you the truth and so on. We're not recruiters. There may be some former recruiters who come to this site every now and then.
You are way out of line to talk to a Marine, BigAL, in the way that you did. I do believe you owe Marine BigAl an apology.
You mess with one Marine, you mess with us all. :evilgrin:
SGT7477
12-27-09, 08:04 PM
The DI's would have fun with him.
Sgt Leprechaun
12-27-09, 08:31 PM
You did offer me a ton of advise and I thank you for that. Nothing that I said before was about you.
I highly suggest you UNFRACK yourself IMMEDIATELY before you are bounced the hell out of here.
Go read the rules. You are a guest. You have no standing and ZERO right to act like a smartazz know it all punk, use sarcasm, etc.
I expect a posted, humble apology and an IMMEDIATE freakin attitude adjustment. This isn't the block. Those here have EARNED the title and are giving of their time and effort to answer YOUR questions. If you don't particularly like those answers, well, welcome to the real world.
Fix it, or it will be fixed for you.
thezero
12-28-09, 02:24 AM
Alright nasty civilian, learn your place and say thank you to the Marines that post here even when you think they "aren't trying to help you". It is not that hard to get your degree while active duty, I had DI's that did it, my PMI is working on his, my father didn't really try to get a degree and take a **** ton of extra courses but he is only 2 classes from a Bachelor's. The time you have for extra schooling is taken upon yourself once you hit the fleet, even if your deployed when time allows take the initiative to work on college courses. I may be a new Marine but I have the knowledge that my father and my DI's have passed on.
Also I am also suprised that no one has said anything about your user name yet... Devil Dog is a Marine, you are not.
Marine84
12-28-09, 09:00 AM
Another one testing the water? GEEZ!
NCOPOWER
12-28-09, 09:26 AM
Also I am also suprised that no one has said anything about your user name yet... Devil Dog is a Marine, you are not.
You beat me to it.
This kid has a lot to learn. Don't worrie your DI will fix you....or break you!:evilgrin:
jinelson
12-28-09, 09:33 AM
By Marine84: Another one testing the water? GEEZ!
Unfortunately he was Kim and it was boiling and he burned himself badly. Dont hold your breathes for an apology. It will be a while before he returns from CCP/BAS!
Jim
And he wants to be an officer?
Wyoming
12-28-09, 11:27 AM
To all the poolees and wannabees out there.
What part of ...
Once a Marine, Always a Marine!
or
**** with one, You **** with them all!
... do you not understand?
... lastly, has it ever dawned on you that most of these questions have been asked, and answers given, on numerous occasions, and what is really ****y about the whole thing is that you want us to do your search work?
Ask your questions, take the answers, and move on.
****, it ain't our fault they don't suit you.
Phantom Blooper
12-28-09, 12:01 PM
It will be a while before he returns from CCP/BAS!
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone
And another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey,Jim's gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust :evilgrin:
commdog7
12-28-09, 01:01 PM
Ironic title of the thread.
If I was in your boots, I'd haze the sh!t out of myself, then render an apology to the Marines I disrespected in this thread.
StoneTheWeak
12-28-09, 11:07 PM
I skipped over all the previous responses, but I figure this has been said before. The first thing I would do is just hold off on bootcamp altogether, it's going to make the route to being a pilot all the more difficult. If that's what you truly wanna do, just stop for a second. Go talk to an OSO at a local college about ROTC. If you can get accepted, that will help tremendously with college, and for Officers, the only sure thing you CAN get is a flight contract. After that, how well you perform determines what platform you get to fly, sort of. Top of the class gets first pick, usually F-18's. My guess is by the time you get to that point, the Marine Corps will be opening up spots for F-35's, however something tells me the first guys to go will be the former Harrier and F-18 pilots.
Back to what I was saying, have your recruiter put you in touch with an OSO. He or she will be the one most able to answer all your questions.
Lisa 23
12-28-09, 11:34 PM
Thanks Marine.. If your intend was to waste your time and mine, and not offer any piece of advise at all.. you met your mission..
Another one testing the water? GEEZ!
Unfortunately he was Kim and it was boiling and he burned himself badly. Dont hold your breathes for an apology. It will be a while before he returns from CCP/BAS!
StoneTheWeak....I guess you should've read all of the posts instead of skipping over them. The original poster of this thread lookes like he's in a time out for a while for disrespecting BigAl and other Marines. Chances are, after his time out, he may not be back period.
Have u considered requesting to be transferred to the active reserves? school will be free the workload is not as much because your planning training for the smcr every 2 years u change reserve units. only problem is its the hardest to gain rank in.
HOWARDROARK3043
12-30-09, 02:55 AM
all the other Marines advice is not good at all... Here is the best advice for you,,,,get a job at the airport and somehow work with the food handling so you can get on the plane,, then buy a bad @ss camera and take a picture of yourself in the pilots seat,,then post it on facebook and watch the poon come rolling in,,,,,Im just saying,,that is your best shot at being a pilot and dont men just do everything to get ladies---so why do all that work when you can take a short cut,,,