i dont know if im allowed to post here but i have a question about MOS 6213 Fixed-Wing Aircraft Mechanic, EA-6 - GYSGT-PVT or something of that nature. i want to get into an aircraft mechanic field while in the Marine Corps. the first day i got into the DEP i filled out a sheet with my top 3 picks for what i wanted as my MOS. my top pick was for an aircraft mechanic position. now my dad brought up an interesting point, i think, and it deals with how many mechanics they actually have. my dad thinks that it is harder to be a mechanic than a pilot. he said they probably have only a handful of mechanics for the aircraft they have. each aircraft has a pilot but he said that they probably have 1 mechanic for like every 5 aircraft. i was wondering if this is true. is it hard to get into a mechanic position because there are so few? or is my dad out to lunch? he was in the U.S. Airforce btw and worked at an airbase.

...sorry if this question does not make since lol

quote:

my dad thinks that it is harder to be a mechanic than a pilot. he said they probably have only a handful of mechanics for the aircraft they have. each aircraft has a pilot but he said that they probably have 1 mechanic for like every 5 aircraft. i was wondering if this is true. is it hard to get into a mechanic position because there are so few? or is my dad out to lunch? he was in the U.S. Airforce btw and worked at an airbase.

According to the 2007 USMC Aviation plan, there were 3586 fixed-wing mechs, with plans to increase to 3887. With a total of 536 f/w aircraft, this works out to about 7 mechs per airframe. There are 1310 pilots - 2.44 per airframe.

wow thnx for replying. that is very helpful. ill be sure to let my dad know. thnx man

Let's just say that I hope your Dad did not have a source for his information. 1 out of 12 Marines have a Air wing MOS. That’s from Ground Equipment, Supply, Fuel, Ordnance, and the guys that actually worked on the Aircraft. I had a Harrier Hydraulics MOS. Most Squadrons have 300 to 400 Enlisted and Officers in them. You have AirFrames, Powerplants, Flight Line, Avionics, Seat Shop, Ordnance as Job related Divisions. There is always monthly turn over of personal in a front line Squadron, most Air Wing MOS's are Air Craft related. It's unlikely if you have a Harrier MOS to be transferred to another Air Craft type unless it's part of a re-enlistment package. Simply, you have not gone to that Aircraft's Specific schools you can't work on them. Then you have those who are getting out at the end of there contract, medical discharges, Discipline related discharges, those going to the Drill Field or Recruiting (you don't get to say no to those orders), those who re-enlisted for a new MOS, and those who just wash out and are sent to some detail like the Rifle Range or the Horse Stables to finish out their enlistment.

Sorry to say and no disrepect eintended your Dad does not know what he is talking to about. If the MOS was over filled then the school will be closed for new enlistments, it even happens after you signed up and gont to boot camp. I was going to be Crash Crew, when I got to my School I was told it was closed for 6 months due to over booking. I could wait for it to reopen. In the meen time I could be on mess duty, or someplace else they need temp help at, take a new MOS Offer in the Wing, or get out on a broken contract.

When I was in it took me 14 months from the time I left for Boot Camp to the time I got my final MOS. That included 3 basic schools that required me to pass just to get my Final MOS. Keep in mind that you only get a promised the school, not the job. You can bom out of the school it does happen, they might reassign you to another Aviation School or it's up to what the needs of the Marine Corps as to your fate. Most who bom out are more likely to have been the party animal type and did not study Sunday though Thursday and as needed on the weekends. I had a guy from my platoon from Boot Camp bom out of Seat Shop School, he was sent to Gruntville for the rest of that enlistment.

The Air Wing can be a fun place for a MOS, you travel a lot with most forward line units. I was in for 5 years. Then factor the 14 months in training, then I had 19 months sea duty, and about a dozen in the US deployments. My 4.4 years at Cherry Point I actually was there maybe 2.5 years of my time in. AKA, we went to place's to blow up mountains or nice little islands for practice. So, if you thinking about asking your High School Sweat Heart to get married think twice as you are likely to be on the road a good part of the year. A good portion of us where Dear John'ed by ours. The fact is the younger you are and the more time you stay away from home the hardships will take down a high percentage of relationships.

Sorry if I though a lot at ya, if you like to talk off line I’ll send you an e-mail. But I would rather let you know the truth than someone tell you something they think is right, and are far from it......

no disrepect taken. i figured my dad didnt know what he was talking about lol. i sent an email