Crew Chief - MOS?

[Wyoming]

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Dagnabbit - I timed out on the edit.

Question - Pete, how much change has there been on the last 35 years?

[onux16]

I have to be honest with you, Allan. I'm not even in the fleet, so to speak. I'm flying with Marine Helicopter Squadron One. We don't run the same way as the fleet, and I'm still fresh out of school, so I couldn't tell you much. The pilots are still pretty cool. This will probably make every infantry Marine gasp in shock, but I've been on beer runs for some of the pilots... and that's for starters!

As for climbing in the cockpit, it's still a "tradition". My recruiter is a 46 Crew Chief, too, and he's told me all sorts of stories during his time in the Gulf War. Taking the controls every now and then was one of several that he shared.

And if you didn't know, there have been A LOT of changes to the aircraft since Vietnam. And flying at night still blows, even with NVG's, but I bet the extra hands tying down the aircraft was good enough motivation to get through the night, eh?

Pooless, take note: this is by far, the best job the Corps has to offer.

[KevinR90]

I keep hearing that the CH-46 crew chief is the best job there is. I even got to talk to a CH-46 pilot at a helicopter airshow a couple months ago. He was reserve (Lt.Col. I think he was) and he said he loves the CH-46 a lot. I was just wondering if there's anything wrong with the Hueys or the other helicopters. Everyone seems to be gunning for the 46.

I just hope I get crew chief for any type of helicopter. I'm afraid of failing the requirements (I haven't gone swimming in a long time) and I don't really want to go to fixed wing- helicopters are where I want to be.

[onux16]

Kevin, when I was swimming in boot camp, I was a 200-lb rock, and I passed. Just keep doing the strokes required, don't give up and, to quote Douglas Adams, DON'T PANIC! The 2nd Class qual is a pain in the neck but it's possible.

Water survival in Pensacola isn't hard at all, even with myself as a 220-lb rock (not a typo; I gained an unusual amount of weight in MCT). You'll have a swim buildup for your first week which prepares you for everything else. Just do what we did: grab your junk, take a deep breath, and give yourself an oorah! (or something motivational)

The Crew Chief MOS for any platform is the best, and each person is going to say their bird is better than the others. Here's why I believe the Phrogs are the best:
--although they leak like a runny nose in December, they don't break down as much as the 53's.
--the V-22's can only support one aft-mounted machine gun. The only time when you can fire back is after the enemy has shot the bird up a couple of times! I love the quote "You bastards want to live forever?!", but that's ridiculous.
--is there a Hell Hole in the Hueys? I suppose the only way to make up for that is to allow Huey Crew Chiefs to test the Cobras. ::shrugs::
--as for HMX-1, all of the VH-3 guys are miserable because they aren't H-60's, and the H-60 guys are miserable because they aren't the Phrog.
(what? I can't do some trash talking every now and then? haha)


btw, Kevin, if your vision is around 20/100 or worse, you will be placed on the C-130 platform. Anything better will reserve you a spot on the helos.

[KevinR90]

Thank you for some good information so fast. Unfortunately I do have worse than 20/100 vision. Without my glasses i have 20/400 in one eye and something similar in the other. I do plan on eventually getting eye surgery though. So right now, since I wear glasses, I'd get assigned to C-130's? And if that happens, can I eventually switch over to helicopters if I get eye surgery?

[onux16]

Even with glasses, yes, you will be on C-130's. It's not so bad, though. You will have several opportunities to travel. Hopefully you don't get homesick easily!

You should probably consult your recruiter first about the eye surgery and if getting it done will increase your chances of helos. It might take some time to get an answer, though, as he might have to ask other Marines, too. Personally, I would recommend giving the Hercules a try and having the surgery done while on active duty -- it will be cheaper for you, if not completely free. Then, after two years, you might have the ability to make a lateral move. Your chances of moving would be greater than most Marines since all you would need is your mechanics course and flight school.

Again, I can't stress enough how much you should consult your recruiter. And if he doesn't help in any way, either ask another recruiter at the station or bug the crap out of him to give you phone numbers for other sources and try yourself. I'm sure there are other Marines with much more information they can provide you with.

[KevinR90]

Ok, thanks very much. I'll have to talk to my recruiter about it. Even if getting eye surgery doesn't increase my chances at getting back to helicopters, i will still get the surgery (something I'd want to do whether or not i was in the military).

I have to give him a call anyway because he didn't call me on Wednesday (his weekly contact thing). Or am I suppose to call him??

[onux16]

Show some initiative; call him instead.

Here's an insider tip: you can be a flightline/avionics/airframe mechanic and still later become a Crew Chief (not home brewed like the salty Marines on these forums), or at the least an Aerial Observer which shares similar duties as a crew chief.

[FLRULZURSHPSCKS]

Just want to put it out there so no one gets any more bad info. 46 crew chiefs are not the best. Huey crew chiefs are. Thats all there is to it.

[onux16]

FLRULZURSHPSCKS, I'd happily flame war with you all day about which platform is best, but there are poolees and parents looking for genuine, helpful information about this duty. As such, I'll be keeping my posts professional. Likewise, being a crew chief on any platform is the best, in my honest opinion, and I'd recommend it to anyone willing to work hard enough to reap its rewards.

Semper Fi.

[rvillac2]

jeesh, FLRULZURSHPSCKS.
How are you still a PFC?

[jetdoc]

I was guaranteed Aviation, thats it. I went to Memphis and became a structual mech....then to MCAS New River, HMM-264 for TME. After TME training I was sent out to work F-4's in El Toro.

Point being, back in 78 I think you could move from fixed to rotors with no problem? Can't really recall. With my MOS I somehow went from Helo's to Fixed wing with no number change.

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I might be losing me mind, but I'm sure I replied to a question today from a poolee writing that his recruiter said he could sign up for a Crew Chief MOS. Maybe so, today, but that isn’t how it used to work.

Going in, I was guaranteed an Aviation MOS. That was all.

I was a 6211, I believe, which was Helicopter, Reciprocal, Mechanic.

Anyway, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that being a Crew Chief came with time served as a mech. I'm not sure, but quite possibly some tin-benders, twigets and grease rags went on to be Crew Chiefs. If not, they were all fine gunners.


As it was, in 34's and 46's, there was a PIC and SIC, along with a Gunner, who rotated, as did the Pilots. The Helicopter was deemed the property of the Crew Chief, and he flew it on every mission.

The pilots were in command while in the air, BUT, when on the ground, the 'authority' turned to the Crew Chief.


If you get a chance, google Mike Clausen, the only Marine Crew Chief in Viet Nam to receive the CMOH. Read his citation. Mike did his thing while the pilots sat, and only then did the helicopter take off.

[onux16]

The NATOPS and NAMP programs, as I understand it, set the rules later in the lifetime of Navy/Marine aviation where a mechanic trained under Platform X could not maintain Platform Y without proper formal training and certification. Anyone else with more knowledge care to clarify?

[jetdoc]

The NATOPS and NAMP programs, as I understand it, set the rules later in the lifetime of Navy/Marine aviation where a mechanic trained under Platform X could not maintain Platform Y without proper formal training and certification. Anyone else with more knowledge care to clarify?

Thats what I was referring to, just didn't say it so eloquently,

[onux16]

lol I don't know if I should say Thanks or You're Welcome.