-Bouncer-

I am going on 22 and will be finishing school within the next year. I have been thinking about possibly entering the officer program after school.

Do any of you have any positive or negative feedback for me on this?

I already dealt with one recruiter and he called a bit to much so I told him I was no longer interested. I told him right off the bat I was completely unsure of if I was going to go into the armed forces or not and was specific to him about not being pushy.

Also (don't turn this into a, for a lack of a better word, "battle") but what branch would be best to go into? Army,Navy,Airforce, Marines... and why? .... coast guard is not something I would be interested in.

Thanks ahead of time guys, you have my full support.

Coy

iTrader: (4)

Go Marines if you want to be an O, and go California.

No real good advice from me, but Pendleton is great.

-Bouncer-

Ohh and if any of you guys have done the officer program please list details of your experience.

LT Malice

iTrader: (3)

Go Marines or Navy, and be a pilot. 'Nuff said. PM me for info. I'm in flight school right now, and I wouldn't give up my job to be a **** star with a trillion dollar salary.

SCRWS6

as far as flight...well thats really up to you, but top 10% getting to fly and the rest going where they want you to go....hope you make it man! Uncle just made Col in the AF he loves it, flys the big`ons.....otherwise warrant officer works well for some people, but only if your serious about it, as far as the recruiter being pushy? Honestly the officer and warrant officer packets are some the most time consuming and frustrating packets to deal with next to waivers....and when the applicant doesn`t show up.....believe me if you found a recruiter thats excited about working you in for OCS I`d run with it.....

LT Malice

iTrader: (3)

I'm not trying to rag on the air force (ok, yes I am), but that statement is a prime reason why the air force sucks. In the AF, you get comissioned as an officer, then you hope to god you get a flight slot. If not, you spend the rest of your career behind a desk or doing some other crappy job.

In the Marines/Navy, you will be 100% garaunteed a flight slot before you ever sign a single sheet of paper or make any sort of commitment. You have to pass a flight physical, of course. If you want to be a pilot, joining the air force is the worst, most risky career decision you can possibly make. Kinda ironic, huh?

Gold Z

iTrader: (3)

I probably learned more in the four years I was a Marine officer than in all the rest of the time I've been alive. To be only 23 and leading a platoon of some of the finest fighting men in the world is something only a few lucky people in this world will ever experience. The pay and benefits are good but the experience is priceless and nothing looks better on a resume.

Malicious

iTrader: (1)

1. Not everyone that wants to be an officer wants to fly
2. Why should EVERYONE that gets a commission be able to fly, I think only the best of the best should be pilots, don't see why people wouldn't agree. I wouldn't want some random schmoe that has a college degree and a commission bussing me over the ocean when he graduated bottom of his class. I'd personally rather have the absolute best be able to fly. I know a few too many officers(no offense sir's, ma'ams) that shouldn't drive their car to work much less fly an airplane laden with equipment or personnel

JUICED96Z

Out of all the officers I have been under the BEST BY FAR was a MARINE LTC now COL who was the comander at a MARINE land warfare school.

If I was one of his MARINES I would gladly go on an OP that was suicide.

MARINES from what I have been told are more pickey on who becomes officers. Keep in mind part of this is because all MARINES are Infantry if need be. Even pilots spend some time on the ground with an M-16.

I have met a lot of GOOD AF officers, met more GOOD AF NCO's then officers.
AF pilots are officers that fly.

MARINE officers are grunts that have a commision and fly but if it came down to it would be on the ground shooting if need be.

Met a few GOOD ARMY officers, more GOOD ARMY NCO's.

My father has been AF/ ANG for 27 years and still going strong. The AF has changed a lot and not what it used to be. He has A LOT LOT LOT of respect or MARINES and only has good things to say about them. Keep in mind he is a Crew Chief.


I have a heart murmur that you can't hear unless I tell the doctor that I have it. I got threw meps once and the doc did not hear it. However if I was shot or something happend and was not given anti-biotic I could die from an infection.

If I could get in and not have to worry about that I would go MARINE enlisted. A buddy of mine is at San Diego in boot right now.

I would give up EVERYTHING to do it. I have flat feet and collor blind in a shade of green but can see the colors and all and have been old by a recruiter or two that they can get me around all that and since I have worn cocran jump boots for years pain free they could get me around the flat feet thing to.


Do agree that not everyone wants to be a pilot. My dad has been turning wrenched for 27 years, got his 16 ride and said he would still rather be fixing them then flying. Also agree that they should not let the bottom of the barrel guys be pilots lol

kill_machine85

iTrader: (4)

I would say its looks like it has alot better benefits then being enlisted which i am(USMC), but if your looking for the coolest thing to do as an officer its, a pilot marines would be a good choice because as a helicopter pilot which i think most of them are, you could get to do some awesome combat tours, cant tell you for 100% as im not one.
If your looking for the most leadership experience out of it I would go and be a infantry officer, alot worse conditions then the rest of marine corps(P.O.G.S) but the infantry officers i was under seemed to have it, more so then what ive experienced where im at know.
And warrant officer as far as i know the only way to do that at least in the marine corps is to be prior enlisted of like 8 years, and be at least a Staff Sergeant. I think thats a no go for what your looking into.
No matter what you choose to do do not let the recruiter tell you anything without you yourself confirming it. And anything you want make sure to get in your contract on paper where everybody can see it, i would even get a copy of it for yourself.
Good luck and Semper FI

Toasty

iTrader: (13)

Worst part about being a Marine pilot: the year of ground training it takes before you even GET to flight school.

A year and a half after I commissioned I'll be in Iraq.

Its not terribly difficult to get a flight slot with the Air Force, but not everyone gets one. Trust me, not everyone deserves one either.

As far as that "gauranteed" crap...there's alot of fine lines with the Army/Navy as far as what is "gauranteed".

Either way, officer first, aircrew second. Don't forget it.

gogogadgetcar

I know being a young officer in the Air Force right now is not exactly a stable job. We've been cutting officers like crazy.

red01z28

iTrader: (9)

whats wrong with the coast guard we have one of the fastest moving ranks in the military im leaving for OCS in july i got into the blue 21 guaranteed flight program im going to fly the hh-65c dolphin helo i will start off as an 0-1 but will move to o-2 in one year Coast Guard is the way to go

krink85

ok i will say marines cus i am in the marines but can i juat say this in ALL RESPECT to all officers here. just cus you went to college doesnt make you god. i am a Cpl (E-4) with 3 tours in iraq. officers here (in my unit, i am not basing the whole Marine Corps off this) are "stuck up". they wont listen to experenced marines. PLEASE DO NOT BE THAT GUY. earn respect as a person becasue the respect for the rank is already there. ok off my soap box.

-Bouncer-

I genuinely just don't have interest in the coast guard.

-Bouncer-

I have the utmost respect for anyone in the services. I know because I went to college doesn't make me god nor does it make me any different from anyone who didn't. I want to get into the services because that is what i wanted to do before I went to college. I went to school because I was offered money to play football, and that is what my parents wanted for me, case closed.

p.s. If you have anyone willing to talk to me (not a recruiter) someone who is an officer who is respectable to you, not stuck up. I would love to talk to them and talk about the experience they have had. Once again I don't want to talk to a recruiter, but rather someone with real experience who has gone through the program.

LT Malice

iTrader: (3)

About the pilot thing: Some people were born to fly. I have wanted to fly since I was 5 years old. I only wasted my time with college becuase I had to have a degree to be an officer and I had to be an officer to fly. I am deep into flight school right now and I'm kicking *** at it. I would not have joined the Air force only to have my flight slot yanked from me for some beauracratic bullshit.
If you think that being a pilot "might be cool or something", then by all means join the air force.
If you absolutley KNOW that you Must be a pilot, then go Navy/Marines.

About being a Marine:
Yeah, it's pretty much awsome. All O's had to go to TBS, where we spend 6 months shooting M-16's, M203's and M-249's. I miss my M-249 Saw. It was my baby at TBS. We ride around in CH-53's, spend weeks in the woods, shoot at stuff, and have a great time. We ALSO learn how to write fitreps, conduct NJP's, and other admin matters. We spend long hours at work each day needlessly because the company's leadership is all fellow student 2nd LT's. THey are learning leadership. I never had a billet above squad leader, but some LT's will have to be company commander, 1st SGT, etc...

I am technically qualified to be a provisional rifle platoon commander. I know the basics. If I was placed in front of 42 seasoned enlisted Marines though, believe me, the platoon SGT would be running the show. He knows WAAAY more than I do about realistic infantry tactics.

When I arrived at flight school I was looked up to by the freshly commissioned AF and Navy o-1's. If there was a position for class leader or some other billet, the Marines usually got them. I had experience under my belt. In turn, some of us Marines look up to the USCG student aviators because most of them do a cruise on a cutter before coming to flight school.

Marine Time Table:
I graduated college in Dec 2004. I got commissioned in Jun 2005 due to a paperwork SNAFU. I got to work in a recruiting office for a couple months, then I went to TBS in NOV 2005. I graduated that in June of 06 then moved to FL for flight training. I started training in oct of 06.
It does take longer to deploy if you are a Marine, due to TBS. I will pick up 1st LT about the time I graduate primary flight school, and then I've got almost 2 more years of flight school. I won't get to a deployable combat squadron until I'm a Captain.

-Bouncer-

Oh and on another note some of the things you guys are abbreviating is completely oblivious to my knowledge. Could you maybe explain some of the terms you guys are using when you reply also. Thank you.

Urban Legend

iTrader: (5)

Tell the recruiter that you want the "college op" and go to Army OCS. All you do is go to basic, then you report the next day to OCS. The process takes 23 weeks and you'll be a 2nd lieutenant. .

LT Malice

iTrader: (3)

whoops.

M-16 = assault rifle
M203 = grenade launcher
M-249 SAW = squad automatic weapon. It's a 17lb machine gun that fires 800 rounds/min
1st SGT = first sergeant = guy with lots of important responsibilities
TBS = the basic school. 6 month long basic infantry course for Marine officers.
platoon SGT = Platoon sergeant = guy who knows everything about being in the infantry.
2nd LT/o-1 = newb of the military officer world
1st LT = no longer a newb, but still a Lootenant