Strand o & I

Went through I-strand avionics before getting put into Air Traffic Control Maintenance.

1. You will be getting an MOS designation when you hit Pensacola. It doesn't mean anything. You can be switched around regardless of MOS, unless you're a reservist.

2. When you get there, you'll be stuck in J-barracks. J-barracks is pretty gay. Lots of motards running around, insane field days, formations for everything. Libo policy was absolutely terrible when I was there (you had to check out on libo just to go to the chow hall) but appears to be better now. It ebbs and flows with the people who fuck up.

3. Paperwork happens to anyone who fucks up. There's no more boot camp "Haze the idiots." You screw up, you're getting written up. This is due to the massive amount of turnover; they know they can't mentor you, so they just hammer you.

4. The school itself consists of three portions. The first is A-school, officially designated as "ATT," or "Advanced Technician Training." It's a computer-based course that teaches basic arithmetic, basic circuits, (Ohm's Law and all that) and then branches off into some transistor theory and a little bit of stuff regarding integrated circuits. Think of it as Electronics Physics For Retards.

Next, depending on a variety of factors, (Needs of the Marine Corps, GPA, and personal preference, in that order) you will be shunted either into O-strand or I-strand. O-strand is for the (ahem) less intellectually capable individuals. Back when I was there, they also had Aviation Electrician, which was a mixture of the two - you could either be put into an O-strand job or one of the easier I-strand jobs.

O-strand is six weeks long and mostly consists of following block diagrams (Schematics that show the pieces of a piece of gear without actually showing the guts of said gear).

I-strand is three months long and consists of more electronic theory, a course in radios, and a course in radar. Radios are easy; radar is hard.

After that, you get put into C-school, which is specific training for whatever platform you get assigned. Again, platforms are assigned by Needs of the Marine Corps, GPA, and personal preference, in that order.

TL, DR Schoolhouse command is gay. There are three parts to your training. O-strand is for tards. I-strand is for (hopefully) not-tards. C-school comes afterward. After that you hit the fleet and fix electronics for whatever platform you're working on.