Life as an Aviation Mechanic.

[SemperEsurio]

Seeing how I was unable to get my MOS changed to air crew or infantry, I am about to head to bootcamp on an AF contract. Seeing how sulking around feeling disappointed and frustrated will get me no where, all I can do is try to make the best of it. Other than the obvious maintenance aspect of the job, what can I expect to see or do in this field? What are some do's and don't's in the field? Any advice or words of knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

[supermanlives22]

you can change your job or wait till one opens. im sure there are guys on here that would disagree but when i went in i wanted MT but they didnt have it. i told them i want that or im not joining so they offered intel i took that. what im saying they dont control you right now and you dont have to be forced to take that job. the recru have quotas to make and if they dont make it i guess its bad. dont be pressured to do this you wont be in trouble. this is your life and you need to make sure its what you want to do. dont be forced to make your life choice.

[Lisa 23]

Try doing a search on the site as this topic has been covered before.

[eazyrider]

Don't sign the contract. Simple.

[WXSgt]

Don't sign the contract. Simple.


lol @ eazyrider I loved the mech life hated the promotions or lack thereof.

[SgtJones]

Secondary MOS?
It has been a long time so this may no longer be true. In the helicopter squadrons we had a secondary MOS. Most of our Crew Chief had a primary MOS of Mechanic and a secondary as Crew Chief. Tommy Adams was a tweek (electrical/avionics/fire control) on Hueys and Cobras when his bird went down October 1990. John Kilkus was a metal smith, Kenny Keller and Tim Romei were mechs. A couple of us non-mechs flew as crew and Tom had his heart set on being a Crew Chief the first day he came to work for me. It is not a job for the meek, it has its risks and there is a lot of responsibility with little or no thanks, but for those of us who truly love to fly, there is no better job.

[Beltayn]

Don't sign the contract. Refuse to go. Say you will wait until the next available contract for the job you actually want. Do not be pressured into doing a job you do not want to do and hate life for the next 4-5 years.

[SaltyFungus]

Jobs are broken down into 6 periods over the course of the fiscal year. Each district is assigned a certain amount of &quot;slots&quot; per job, per period, end of story. <br />
<br />
You say you want to wait, you risk...

[Beltayn]

I respect how difficult it is to be a recruiter, and how unrealistic the expectations of poolees can be. I have great sympathy for recruiters on dealing with the "selective hearing" men and women walking into their office probably frequently display.

But ultimately, a man or woman entering the Marine Corps has the right to make the job field a condition of joining. This is an all-volunteer service. We do not need large personnel additions. The force is down-sizing.

I can understand if the circumstance is that a poolee simply does not meet the qualifications for the job they want. I'm not going to tell a fat body to hold out for a guaranteed recon try out, nor an ASVAB-waiver for intel.
But there is NO logical reason for a poolee to sign a contract for a job field they do NOT want and do not feel they will find rewarding or enjoy. Not having the contracts available is not a justification. There will be more contracts if you wait for them. Most of the time that fact is not made clear to poolees. A lot of times they are given the impression that it is now or never.

This is an issue that is important to me. It's something that has affected me personally, and impacted my satisfaction with my career. It is an issue that affects the Corps as a whole in a negative manner.

I have great respect for recruiters, I really do.
But I ask you to think about when you return to the fleet, if you really want to have the Marines serving under you be absolutely miserable and hate life because they were under the mistaken understanding that the job field they did not want was the only option they had?
As a cook, this is something I encounter on a daily basis. A large majority of the Marines I work with wish that they could go back in time to when they were a poolee with the knowledge that they have now. Working with people who hate their MOS or feel cheated is not a rewarding experience.
It is an issue that is important to me, and a message that I will continue to try and get across to poolees wherever I can. For the betterment of the force that I want to be a part of as a career.

There is no reason for a poolee to feel like they need to sign a contract for a job they do not desire if they qualify for other jobs and are willing to wait for contract availability.


I have no doubt that your recruiting office is extremely squared away and you set your poolees up for success with all the information they need. Not every office is like that sadly, and one way we can help that is by passing solid info to poolees in places like this forum.

[SaltyFungus]

I respect how difficult it is to be a recruiter, and how unrealistic the expectations of poolees can be. I have great sympathy for recruiters on dealing with the "selective hearing" men and women walking into their office probably frequently display.

But ultimately, a man or woman entering the Marine Corps has the right to make the job field a condition of joining. This is an all-volunteer service. We do not need large personnel additions. The force is down-sizing.

I can understand if the circumstance is that a poolee simply does not meet the qualifications for the job they want. I'm not going to tell a fat body to hold out for a guaranteed recon try out, nor an ASVAB-waiver for intel.
But there is NO logical reason for a poolee to sign a contract for a job field they do NOT want and do not feel they will find rewarding or enjoy. Not having the contracts available is not a justification. There will be more contracts if you wait for them. Most of the time that fact is not made clear to poolees. A lot of times they are given the impression that it is now or never.

This is an issue that is important to me. It's something that has affected me personally, and impacted my satisfaction with my career. It is an issue that affects the Corps as a whole in a negative manner.

I have great respect for recruiters, I really do.
But I ask you to think about when you return to the fleet, if you really want to have the Marines serving under you be absolutely miserable and hate life because they were under the mistaken understanding that the job field they did not want was the only option they had?
As a cook, this is something I encounter on a daily basis. A large majority of the Marines I work with wish that they could go back in time to when they were a poolee with the knowledge that they have now. Working with people who hate their MOS or feel cheated is not a rewarding experience.
It is an issue that is important to me, and a message that I will continue to try and get across to poolees wherever I can. For the betterment of the force that I want to be a part of as a career.

There is no reason for a poolee to feel like they need to sign a contract for a job they do not desire if they qualify for other jobs and are willing to wait for contract availability.


I have no doubt that your recruiting office is extremely squared away and you set your poolees up for success with all the information they need. Not every office is like that sadly, and one way we can help that is by passing solid info to poolees in places like this forum.

Although I largely agree with you Beltayn, it's sometimes not that easy to wait for contract availability. The logistics behind that sometimes aren't feasible. However, the poolee as well as the recruiter may/is at fault here.

Fortunate for my entire pool, future Marines and applicants, I care deeply about their careers. You're absolutely right, I don't want a disgruntled Marine working for me when I return to the fleet. (The Corps is small enough where you will eventually run into a DI or your Recruiter) Every applicant and potential Marine that walks through my hatch, I ensure they understand the conditions of their enlistment before they sign on that proverbial dotted line. But, it is ALSO the applicant's responsibilty to fully understand and accept what they are signing up to do.

My point being, it's a two-way street. Knowledge is power right?

*Sidebar: I appreciate the respect you have for recruiters. It is a tough job however, extremely rewarding. If you're thinking about the Corps as a career, look into becoming an 8411 for your B-Billet. You want to directly affect change throughout the Corps? This is the most direct way to do it... Marines say the "transformation" begins at Parris Island, I whole-heartedly believe it begins the moment that applicant walks into my office.

[Beltayn]

Fair enough Staff Sergeant.