FAC tour

Morning everybody,

I was wandering if a FAC tour is a mandatory requirments for all USMC aviators or just highly encouraged?

How does doing/not doing a FAC tour effect your career?

Thanks

Are you an officer or enlisted? Your profile is very weak.

Officer

We have a Harrier pilot that drops in and out occasionally (pun intended), but most of us are enlisted types.

I would imagine if they give you orders to a FAC tour, and you decline them, it would be like declining any other transfer order. Likely not a good thing. It isn't on the enlisted side, particularly for SNCOs.

I can see where a FAC tour would be a career plus for an aviator, particularly an attack pilot. Volunteering for a FAC tour would probably be even better.

On the enlisted side, we have "B" Billet tours that are requirements if you expect to see 20-years (DI, Recruiting, Embassy Detachment Commander). You need at least one "B" Billet tour, but some get more. A lot of Marines volunteer for a particular "B" Billet, but a lot also just get assigned to one. Declining a "B" Billet tour is pretty much career suicide.