If you want to fly and stay closely tied to the Marine's ground forces then Assault Support Helicopter Aviation is the right way to go. Today, you can chose between the CH-53E and CH-53D heavy lift, or the CH-46E medium lift helicopters.

No other function of Marine aviation has closer ties to the Ground Combat Element. Assault Support concepts typify why all Marine officers are trained as infantry officers from the beginning. To qualify for this MOS, you must pass several requirements: the AQT/FAR exam given either by your OSO or at The Basic School, an aviation physical exam that requires 20/20 uncorrected vision and you must meet all of the Marine Corps physical fitness standards including a first class PFT score and a first class swim qualification. The MOS is open to both male and female officers who posses a secret clearance or higher.

Upon completion of TBS, you will report to Marine Aviation Training Group, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. There you will undergo a six-week curriculum to introduce you to basic aviation concepts. The material will range from aircraft systems, weather factors and flight physiology to aviation safety and survival. From there, you will be assigned to one of 5 primary training squadrons. Two of these squadrons are at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and three are at NAS Whiting Field, Florida. When assigned to these squadrons, you will attend a two week school to familiarize you with your aircraft, the T-34C Turbo Mentor. Your total time to train in primary will be between six and eight months.

Your first ten flights will be with the same instructor pilot. He or she will be your mentor and point of contact throughout all of your primary flight training. You will learn the basics of flight which include takeoffs, landings, emergency procedures and navigation. After your initial flights, you will fly with several squadron instructors who will teach you the finer points of instrument and formation flying, and aerobatics. After completion of primary flight training, you will have the opportunity to request the branch of aviation you desire. Your choices are jets, C-130 transports, and helicopters.

If you are fortunate enough to be selected to join the finest helicopter pilots in the world, you will remain with your primary training squadron for another two to three months for intermediate flight training. Your flights will focus on instrument and visual navigation, and on operating in flying areas throughout the country.

After intermediate training you will be assigned to one of two, advanced-helicopter training squadrons at NAS Whiting Field, Florida. You will complete a two-week course to familiarize you with the TH-57 B and C aircraft systems, which will follow flight regimen similar to primary and intermediate training. After approximately six months, you will be winged as a Naval Aviator.

Where you go next depends on several factors, the primary one being the needs of the Marine Corps. You do get to put in a "wish list" for the helicopter and base you desire. Most of the time you get what you want, but it doesn’t always work that way.

Here is where the three different airframes’ paths part ways. If you are assigned to CH-53Es, you will report to MCAS New River, North Carolina, for training at the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS). FRS training for CH-53Ds is located at MCAS Kanehoe Bay, Hawaii, and training in CH-46Es is at MCAS Camp Pendleton, California. All of the FRS training squadrons take approximately six months to complete and focus on all aspects of flight training, but they also will introduce new concepts such as Night Vision Goggles, and external lift of cargo.

Upon completion of the CH-53E FRS, you will be assigned to MCAS New River, North Carolina, or MCAS Miramar, CA. For CH-53Ds the move can be measured in yards, as all CH-53Ds are located in the same hangar complex at MCAS Kaneohe Bay. CH-46E pilots will have the choice of MCAS Camp Pendleton, California, MCAS Miramar, CA, MCAS New River, North Carolina, or MCAS Iwakuni, Okinawa, Japan.

Leadership opportunities abound for new lieutenants and captains. You can be put in charge of one of the several aircraft maintenance shops, you can work in the logistics department and be responsible for equipping and outfitting squadron detachments, or you can work in operations and be responsible for training your fellow pilots and managing the squadron’s flight schedule.

A typical day in the operating forces would consist of performing your ground duties, i.e., writing the flight schedule or administering to the needs of your shop. On the days you are scheduled to fly, you will arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled briefing time and prepare yourself for flight. Flights vary from 2 to 4 hours in length. Upon return, you debrief and turn to on your ground job, or prepare for the next day. There is no daily regimen, your schedule will depend on what time of day or night you are scheduled to fly.

Over the four to five years you are in you first tour, you will undergo a metamorphosis. You will grow from someone who is comfortable flying a single aircraft to a professional who can command divisions of aircraft in order to accomplish missions in the real world. Deployments with the 11^th, 13^th, and 15^th Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) on the West Coast, the 22^nd, 24^th, and 26^th MEUs on the East Coast, or the 31^st MEU in Okinawa are what you can expect.

After your first tour the Marine Corps will want to expand you in other directions. Many pilots go to Forward Air Controller (FAC) assignments. Several will go to Florida and Texas to be flight instructors. Some will go to the FRS squadrons as instructors. A few will go to B-billets such as recruiting or staff positions at various schools. Others will attend the Amphibious Warfare School. All of these choices are career enhancing and come with new rewards and challenges.

Several squadrons have web sites that you can find by accessing the Marine Corp’s home page. They will be able to provide more insight into assault support aviation. You will also want to check out the various military professional publications and periodicals that are available in the base library or by subscription.

Every flying MOS will be fun, fulfilling, and will provide a good future for you. Assault Support will take you where the Marine Corps goes every time. Pick up a newspaper or watch CNN. You will see Marines at work, their helicopters with them all the way.