6602 vs 0302

Managing aviation supply operations, overseeing procurement of aircraft parts, maintaining aviation-specific inventory systems, tracking repairable components, and ensuring aircraft maintenance shops have the parts they need. Aviation supply is more technical than general supply — you need to understand aircraft systems well enough to manage the parts that keep them flying.

Planning operations, leading training, conducting counseling, writing evaluations, and managing the administrative burden of 30-50 Marines' lives. You are simultaneously a tactician, mentor, counselor, and bureaucrat. Good days are in the field running live fires. Most days involve more paperwork than trigger time.

After TBS, Aviation Supply Officers attend specialized supply training focused on aviation logistics, DLA (Defense Logistics Agency) procedures, and aviation-specific supply systems. The training builds on basic supply officer skills with aviation-specific knowledge.

The Basic Officer Course (TBS) at Quantico is 6 months and every Marine officer goes through it regardless of MOS. Infantry Officer Course (IOC) follows — 13 weeks of the most physically and mentally demanding officer training in the military. IOC has a significant attrition rate. Expect sleep deprivation, forced marches with 100+ lbs, and constant tactical evaluation.

Low to moderate. Aviation supply work is primarily warehouse and office-based, with some physical demands in managing aviation parts and equipment.

Extreme. You are expected to outperform every Marine in your platoon on every physical event. Rucking, running, swimming, obstacle courses — you lead from the front and your body takes the same beating as your 0311s, plus the mental load of command.

Aviation supply officers manage the parts and logistics that keep Marine aircraft mission-capable. Without the right part at the right time, multi-million dollar aircraft sit on the deck doing nothing. The OSO won't lead with this MOS — supply isn't exciting on a poster. The reality: aviation supply chain management is a specialized skill that the civilian aviation industry values highly. Airlines spend billions on parts and maintenance logistics, and they need managers who understand the system. Your military experience managing aviation supply chains, DLA procurement, and readiness metrics translates directly. The work is administrative and can be bureaucratic, but the impact on aircraft readiness is tangible and the post-military career potential in aviation logistics is strong.

Being a Marine infantry officer is one of the most demanding leadership positions in the world. The recruiter and the OSO will sell you the glory — and the pride is real. What they won't tell you: IOC will break you physically and mentally, and roughly 25% of candidates don't make it. If you do make it, you get 2-3 years of platoon command that will define you for life, followed by a series of staff billets that feel like a different job entirely. The Marine Corps is up-or-out, and not everyone who wants to stay can. The civilian transition is strong — Marine infantry officers are highly recruited by consulting firms, tech companies, and government agencies — but only if you prepare for it. The leadership experience is unmatched. The lifestyle cost is enormous.