Warbird Information Exchange

my son, upon graduation from high school is shipping out to the marines this june. naturally daddyo is very proud of his descision!! he's already sworn in. ok all you jar head aviation wrenchers......after basic training, what can he expect to encounter in the class room & in the field?? what marine birds will he train on?? f-4 phantoms? a-6 intruders?? choppers?? how many facets to marine aircraft mechanic are there?? he will be in pensacola after basic. i know his duty station possibilities are boundless, anywhere in the world, aircraft carriers, helicopter assault ships, land based. i'd just like a little perspective from a parent's point of view.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Ah, Semper Fi to your boy, Tom!

IndyJen didn't work on airplanes during her active-duty time in the Corps--that didn't come until later, in the reserves--but she spent time in the air wing, at Cherry Point.

Boot Camp (not "Basic") is the same for all Marines, no matter what their specialty. The training is infantry-oriented ("Every Marine a rifleman"). Much yelling, lots of PT, designed to get you in shape and thinking like a Marine.

The only advice your boy needs, as far as Boot Camp goes, is: whatever the DI demands, do it. Right now, no hesitation, and quickly.

Pay attention in the classes. Score high scores.

What he works on, and where, will depend on his MOS, and whether it's specific to a particular airplane, and not a back-shop speciality,

A squared-away hard-charger will get ahead in the Marine Corps, no matter what his career field. The definition of "squared away" will be made clear to him in boot camp.

Best thing he can do before getting on the bus for Parris Island (or Pendleton, if he's a Hollywood Marine), is get in shape. Do lots of running, lots of sit-ups, lots of pull-ups (overhand style). Swimming well is a good skill to have, too.

Otherwise, enjoy that civvy life while he's still home!

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IndyJen

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thanks for reply. he's been gung ho for better part of a year now. lifting weights, he benches 220!! gets up at 4:30 am to work out daily. he's got a 6 pack made of granite. my 12 pack is made of budweiser. my dad died this past october, a ww 2 army infantry rifle company commander. i wish he would have known what his grandson was doing. where should he go after basic / boot camp. my son is not 1 to take the short road, but i want him to fit in.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

SAAA-LUTE !!

You should have told him the door to the Air Force recruiter was the next one down. I'm sure he can "join our team" at a later date...

Seriously, good on him! Take lots of pictures. Before you know it, he'll be retirement eligible and he'll wonder where the time went!

P.S. The Marines have LOTS of KC-130s!!!

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

OHH RAH and Semper Fi IndyJen gave him good advice. Congrats to both of you.

bill word
USMC 1950-57

Congrats to your son.

F-4's and A-6's are long gone. Here's some of the aircraft that are current.
F/A-18 Hornet, EA-6B Prowler, AV-8B Harrier, C-130, AH-1, UH-1N, CH-46, CH-53E, MV-22B. Those are the main types off the top of my head but there are others.

Mike

Congrats to you both...your son should do well given his effort to prep before he joins.
As an aside, the best chow I ever ate while in the USAF was during the week that I spent @ Camp Pendleton for OV-10 Egress School. The cooks there put the ones at Edwards to shame!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEqqDPkBAHA&feature=related



Good for him!!

Hopefully it will become the best years of his life. Being a guy who recently came off active duty (NAVY). Nothing in civilian life compares with serving shoulder to shoulder with some of the best people in the country. Like anything in life, it's all about what you want to get out of it. If he just wants to party and goof off while he's in, then that's what he'll get. But if he wants to take advantage of the tools and oppurtunities offered to him while in the Corps, then his career will be rewarding. Like I said, it's up to him.

Boot Camp is a bunch of stress mind games, lots of PT and Attention to Detail training. If he keeps his mouth shut and his ears open he'll be off to a good start. Everything in his career will be heavily influenced by attitude, good and bad. If he maintains a Positive "Can-Do" attitude, he'll overcome any obstacles and challenges ahead of him. Not to mention his fellow Marines will see this.

Regarding NAS Pensacola, I was there in '98 for DAIR training at NATTC. As I was "C" school student I stayed in ECHO barracks (E-4 and Above). So it was a little nicer (maid service) than the barracks that your son will be in. But I was impressed by all the facilities at Pensacola. Most were new (at the time) and the whole base is well maintained. One of the nicest bases I've been to. My 1st roomate there was a Devil Dog and as such I was invited to a few Marine parties and excursions. They know how to have a good time. Some partying is fine, just don't get carryed away and get into trouble.

Being an aviation buff since birth, there were several things I liked about NAS Pensacola. The Gate Guardians. The National Museum of Naval Aviation and finally the Blue Angels. When I was there in the latter half of '98 it was totally common to see the Angels scraping the tops of buildings of the base. Awesome sights, I always looked forward to a breaks in class to go outside and watch for 10 mins. Good stuff.

Bottom line if he keeps his head screwed on straight and watches for "Hot Brass" he'll do fine. Hopefully these will be the best years of his life, because there is nothing like it.

He's joining a long tradition,......









Take care and good luck,........and remember have fun and enjoy every minute of it.



Shay
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Semper Fortis

My Uncle flew Corsairs while in the Marines during WWII and to this day when he comes across someone in the uniform, he goes up to them and shakes there hand and salutes them.....

Lynn

i know those types are retired, i just didn't think he'd train on current operating birds!!! i thought he'd train on hacks for experience.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Those airframes have been around long enough that I'm sure they have timed out or damaged airframes to work on. Does he know what he will be working on, airframe, engines, electronics, life support etc...?

Mike

The best thing you can do is always keep encouraging him. He will need all the support from the home front he can get.

As a retired USAF maintenance guy, I am surprised with the amount of training the Marine aviation mechanics get. My grandson graduated from high school in 2007. He finished boot camp at San Diego in December 2007. He next went to Avionics Maintenance school in Pensacola. He left Pensacola in December 2008 and went directly to Miramar for more school. He is still in school at Miramar and is not scheduled to go to his first duty station, Cherry Point, until April. Then, at Cherry Point, it will be OJT, for several months. Bottom line is that he will have over 2 years in the Corps until he really gets to work.

Be proud of him!! It will be a great adventure and the best years of his life.

Thank him from us, you have much to be proud of.

Let him know that if he ends up working on helicopters, harriers, or f-18s, he'll spend a lot of time deployed. When I was in back in 89-95, we averaged being deployed 7-8 months of the year; even when we weren't overseas. If he gets helo's, C-130's, F-18's, he will be either in New River/Cherry Point, NC or Camp Pendalton/Miramar, Ca. If he gets harriers, he will be in Cherry Point or Yuma, Az. Also, if he's going to Pensacola after basic it sounds like he's going to go to the aircrew school they have there. Lots of swimming involved. If he's not a confident swimmer, he will need to work on it. Let him know that no matter what he signed up for, nothing is guaranteed. He has to pass all his courses or he will be put wherever the Corp needs him. I knew a couple of guys that thought they were going to be aviation mechanics until they didnt pass their basic courses and ended up in with the grunts. But after all is said and done, congrats. Let him know an ex 46 jock said 'Good Luck'

Almost forgot, whatever type he ends up working on, he will be training on grounded airframes of that aircraft in both his basic, and advanced aviation training.