Marine officers training with Air Force UAV/RPA pipeline.

[phogsky]

I'm a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps and was recently informed that I will be attending IFS in Pueblo, CO followed by some school in San Antonio. Does anyone know what this process is like? Have there been many Marines that have came through this pipeline in the past? I understand what IFS is, but what is the curriculum in San Antonio geared towards?

Any information on this topic would be very helpful. Thanks!

[Keydet]

It's baffling that the USMC is sending you to San Antonio with little to no idea what happens after IFS. Alas...

From the cockpit at Pueblo, the next stop is the RPA Instrument Qualification Course (RIQ) at Randolph. You will fly a watered down T-6 simulator for about forty hours of in-cockpit training, learning how to fly basic contact and instrument missions. You'll learn how to fly ILS, VOR, and GPS approaches to real-world airfields around the San Antonio area. This is on top of roughly 140 hours of academics.

The final stage, developed uniquely for RPA pilots, is known as the RPA Fundamentals Course, also at Randolph. During this final stage of undergraduate training, you will gain insight into the basic operation of "sensors, tactics, air tasking orders," and the multitude of skills needed to ensure success transitioning to an RPA airframe. There will be more death-by-powerpoint, but a little more interesting.

Edited February 25, 2013 by Keydet

[Swanee]

I'm a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps and was recently informed that I will be attending IFS in Pueblo, CO followed by some school in San Antonio. Does anyone know what this process is like? Have there been many Marines that have came through this pipeline in the past? I understand what IFS is, but what is the curriculum in San Antonio geared towards?

Any information on this topic would be very helpful. Thanks!

You're one of the first guys in that pipeline as far as Marine types go. It's owned by the CO of MATSG-22 in Corpus Christi. The monitors did a road show and stopped by Kingsville. They gave us a presentation on the latest and greatest MOS in the Marine aviation world- your UAV MOS. They threw a bunch of buzzwords as us while our eyes glazed over. At the end of their spiel they asked if anyone was interested in leaving the jet world and lat moving to UAVs. Crickets... FWIW I remember him saying something about training at Randolph and Ft Huachuca.

[phogsky]

I appreciate the feedback, I'm looking forward to getting started. Hopefully, I'll have some time to get out and enjoy the San Antonio area some while I'm down there!