<p>I'm going to school for either mechanical or aerospace engineering. I want to get a master's or PhD. Lately though, I've been thinking about joining the military after graduating. If I do, it'll be the Marine Corps. It's not the deciding factor, but my dad was a marine, and I've always wanted to be one too, but I thought as an engineer, it could get in the way of my career (for instance, if I got a good job offer right out of college). Is that reasonable to think that?</p>
<p>I'd want to be a pilot, probably in a helicopter since I'm 6'2", so I don't think I'd fit in the fixed-wings. Could I do my graduate work while in the military or should I get it before joining?</p>
<p>From what I understand, it is really hard to get an OCS spot after college, and the OCS grads mainly end up in last place slots like gator navy and resupply. It would be easier -and cheaper- to go through ROTC. Pilot spots, even among ROTC, are tough to get.</p>
<p>One of my college roommates (years ago) was 6’3" and flew A6s for the Navy.</p>
<p>OP, what year are you now? Have you talked to the NROTC detachment at your school? There are 2-year NROTC programs for people such as yourself who decide late to join. I would heartily recommend that over trying to get in and do OCS.</p>
<p>As far as the impact to your career, it will essentially stagnate while you are serving, which will be a 6-8 year active duty minimum (4 if you do not succeed at making pilot), if I recall. During that time, you will not be doing any engineering, but you will be picking up other useful skills and experiences that will be valued, especially if you go to a defense contractor! But you will essentially come in the same as the guys fresh out of college.</p>
<p>I would not recommend graduate before joining - undergrad skills are not tremendously perishable, grad skills ARE. By the time you get out, all that knowledge you had gained will be either gone or outdated. Also, I would not plan on getting a grad degree while serving - your commitments in the military will make it extremely hard, and there are not likely to be many decent grad programs convenient to your station.</p>
<p>I am going just on what my military or former military co-workers tell me…</p>
<p>You may want to look at the Air Force if you want to make more use of your degree. The Marines (from what I hear) will give you the least chance of using your degree and/or having military obligation interfere with your career goals.</p>
<p>I’m currently going into my freshman year. I haven’t talked to the NROTC detachment at the school yet. I looked further into it, and it appears that aviation officers with an undergrad in aerospace can apply to the advanced degrees program and basically receive 24 months to go to school for a masters while still receiving regular active duty pay. I’m sure this would only lengthen my commitment though beyond the already long 8 year pilot’s commitment.</p>
<p>What about the USAF reserve? Would that be a better option?</p>
<p>Also, in the Air Force’s list of jobs, I see “Experimental Test Combat Systems Officer”. I’ll have to ask exactly what one of them does, but if it’s only a 4 year commitment and gives me some experience that would be useful as an engineer, it might be a good idea.</p>
<p>ROTC would probably be the way to go for a college freshman. Realize that will probably limit you to a BA/BS degree initially, unless you win a competitive scholarship, as a full-time student. The military is willing to pay for educated officers, but they usually demand your time after you graduate! Lots of officers wind up doing a master’s in their spare time. In the AF, it is essentially required to progress past a certain point.</p>
<p>Just make sure you know what you want, and that what you want includes serving in the military as a leader. With a few exceptions, officers are there to lead and manage, rather than “turn the wrench.” </p>
<p>(Also, flying helicopters is a lot of fun!)</p>
<p>I’ll have my own vehicles if I get the itch to turn a wrench, I’m perfectly fine leading. In fact, I don’t really want to be an engineer forever either. I’d like to eventually start my own company or advance to leadership positions in an existing one. That’s one of the other reasons why I’m looking into the military; it would give me a chance to gain the leadership and discipline required to do what I want to.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info and advice, everyone. If anyone else has some thoughts on the matter, even if you want to talk me out of it completely, it’d be greatly appreciated. It’s a big decision to make.</p>
ANYTHING voluntary will lengthen your commitment, and my suggestion remains - leave grad school for AFTER your service, so that you go into the workforce with your technical skills at their peak.</p>
<p>
I do not believe ANY of the services accept pilots directly into the reserves - you would need to pick a different field. Further, I think that only a few services actually accept ANY officers directly into the reserves, so you would probably still need to spend at least 4 years of active duty. Realize also that this is essentially your de facto fall-back plan if you fail to become a pilot - they put you in some other job.</p>
<p>
These are the non-pilot version of test pilots - they evaluate those systems that do not require actual piloting skill. It is one of the few jobs in the military that really does give some worthwhile engineering experience, but is pretty competitive.</p>
<p>I would advise you not to plan too far ahead - you just cannot predict what will change in your life as you go. If you want to do military, then by all means do it now, as that is the HARDEST thing to come back to. But I would not spend too much time or effort yet on what comes after, simply because you don’t want to go to grad school and then realize that you want to make aviation your career. Or otherwise go in some direction where an MS 4 or 8 years prior has no value. Plan your next step, for everything after that keep your options open but don’t commit.</p>
<p>You really need to decide what you want to be. A pilot or an engineer.
I went throught NAVY OCS back in 2002, back then my class was 75% pilots or flight officers(I was a flight officer), so it really depends on the needs of the Navy. Ive been in the Navy for 10 years and I’m a reservist now.
Now couple things to make your decision easier.
Easiest way to join any service is ROTC.
Best career path for a mechanical or aerospace engineering is the Air Force. You will be wasting your time in the Marines unless you want to be in the military for 20 years.
If you only want to be a pilot my first choice will be Air Force again then either Marines or Navy(note that Marine aviation is harder to get into than Navy),Army also have some aviation but I don’t know anything about it.
Pilots have to sign for 8 years of sevice (Flight Officers for 6 years).
There is no such thing as joining reserve aviation, you have to be a previous active duty pilot to be a reserve pilot. Remember you have to earn your wings first, you don’t get that on the reserve.
Now if you go pilot, thats what you are going to be a pilot. When you get out in 8 years you are not an aerospace engineer you are a pilot with military experience.
Is you want to be an engineer just choose an engineering related career in the Air Force, you might be working with radar stuff or other neat stuff. While in there get your Masters Degree and even your PHD if you like at the expense of the Air Force. If you decide to get out of the Air Force you will be considered an engineer with tons of experience.</p>
<p>So again what you want to be a pilot or an engineer.</p>
<p>The Navy is recruiting pilots right now, especially out of ROTC. You could go undergrad for engineering, then go to flight school, go to grad school after your Navy commitment is up.</p>
<p>Do your homework before you sign up. Just because you want to fly, does not mean it will happen. If your eyesight is less than perfect, you may not be qualified. Everything in today’s military is a competition. You might get what you want and you might not. Grades, performance, physical capabilities are all considerations. </p>
<p>I am the wife of a career Army officer and the mom of a young man in Army ROTC.</p>
<p>MD Mom is spot on here. You sign up to serve and aren’t guaranteed anything specific. Just because pilots (and NFOs) are being recruited now doesn’t mean they’ll be in demand when you commission (or even next year for that matter). If you don’t get a pilot slot, will you still be ok with serving? You’ll be on the hook for a lot of money if you quit over getting a SWO or Nuke (or other options from the other branches, of course) slot.</p>