Grunt to Pilot

[macdadde37]

I want to be a Marine Officer when i graduate from college and I've always been torn between pilot or grunt, mainly recon and MARSOC. I understand that the process for passing recon is very hard and that is why I am asking this question. If an officer failed at recon school, could he become a pilot or does he have to stay on the ground?

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[djj34]

Short answer - no.

Long answer - all Marine officers (with the exception of air and law contracts - I'll get to that) compete for their primary MOS out of TBS, or The Basic School. Recon is not a primary MOS. What will happen, usually, is an 0302 or 0202 - infantry or ground intel officer - will be invited to be screened into the Recon community. By the time you even go to the Basic Reconnaissance Course course your track is pretty much set to remain a ground officer.

Very rarely, a ground officer can go to flight school via the Fleet Accession Program. It's very rare and I don't know anything about it other than my OCS company commander went from being an artillery officer to flying Cobras.

If you want to be a pilot, get your air contract and hold on to it. You'll get that contract from the OSO and it will guarantee you a shot at aviation training, and nothing more. It'll very likely be your only shot if you want to fly.

Source: I'm a Marine aviator.

[macdadde37]

thanks