Are You a Reserve Naval Aviator? 4th MAW Is Looking for OSA Pilots Right Now.

The Marine Corps just opened a selection board for a specific, high-demand Reserve flying job.

If you are a qualified Naval Aviator in the Reserve Component, or even still on active duty, there is a real billet with your name potentially on it. The deadline is closer than you think.

Reference: MARADMIN 265/26, signed 08 June 2026. Governed by MCO 1001R.1L (MCRAMM) and 4th MAW Reserve Officer Management Policy.

The old problem

OSA billets are specialized and competitive.

Without a formal board announcement, eligible aviators miss the window entirely. Many Reserve pilots with the right hours and qualifications never apply because they did not know the board was opening.

This MARADMIN fixes that by putting the call out publicly.

The new rule (in one line)

4th MAW is convening a selection board on or about 14 July 2026 to fill Reserve OSA pilot billets at two Marine Transport Squadron detachments.

What this is actually about

Operational Support Airlift means flying transport missions in support of military operations. The billets are at two locations:

✦ VMR Belle Chasse, Louisiana

✦ VMR Andrews, Maryland

This is a four-year commitment with real flying, real deployments, and a structured training pipeline.

The eligibility picture

You are eligible if you are:

✦ A Reserve Naval Aviator (SMCR, IMA, or IRR) at the rank of Captain, Major, or Lieutenant Colonel

✦ An Active Component Naval Aviator who is willing and able to separate and affiliate by 31 December 2026

✦ Carrying at least 1,000 total flight hours with a strong instrument background

✦ Holding one of these MOSs: 7509, 7518, 7523, 7532, 7543, 7557, 7562, 7563, 7564, 7565, or 7566

The year-of-service cutoff:

You must have fewer than 16 satisfactory retirement-credit years as of 31 December 2026.

(That cutoff applies to both Reserve and Active Component applicants.)

You are not eligible if you are:

✦ An SMCR Captain who has already been passed over for promotion

✦ A Major or Lieutenant Colonel who cannot complete 48 months at a VMR before your mandatory removal date

✦ A post-command Lieutenant Colonel

✦ Medically disqualified for flight operations (DIFOP), or someone whose flight status was previously revoked

What the commitment actually looks like

This is not a casual drilling assignment. Here is what you are signing up for:

Complete civilian contractor training and earn your Transport Second Pilot (T2P) designation
Serve a minimum of four years from that T2P designation date
Deploy for at least two 90-day periods during that four-year obligation
Participate a minimum of five days per month for drill, annual training, and aircraft qualification
Potentially receive up to 60 days of Active Duty Training (ADT) within your first six months to complete the T2P syllabus

Extensions beyond four years are possible and will require additional 90-day deployment periods.

One more thing: if you currently have a mobilization deferment, you will need to waive it by signing the OSA Statement of Understanding.

What to submit and how

Templates for all documents live here: 4th MAW Aviation Selection Board Website

Your package must include:

Cover letter stating your intent to apply, date of availability, and a Privacy Act sheet. Note your preferred location and whether you would accept an alternate assignment.
Reserve Qualification Summary (Reserve Component applicants only)
Flight logbook pages: accident record, flight rule violations, and most recent flight data
Flight training and qualifications: NATOPS jacket cover pages (sections IIA and IIB) and most recent NATOPS/instrument evaluation reports
Aviation Qualification Summary
Current medical clearance
Last five fitness reports minimum (submitting all breakout FITREPs is recommended)
Career Summary or Biography
Letters of Recommendation, if applicable
Copy of DD-214, if applicable
Statement of Understanding (this is where you waive the mobilization deferment)
Master Brief Sheet

If you are currently in a flying billet: include an endorsement from your commanding officer.

How to submit:

✦ Email one PDF to: omb_4thmaw_g1@usmc.mil

✦ Adobe Acrobat PDF only. No other formats accepted.

✦ Do not include your SSN or other PII. EDIPI is fine.

✦ Label your file: Lastname.First.PreferredDetachment (example: Foss.Joe.Belle Chasse)

✦ If submitting multiple files, label them: Foss.Joe.Belle Chasse part 1 of 4

Deadline: 2359 on 02 July 2026.

Late or incomplete packages will not be considered. Period.

(You are responsible for confirming your package was received by 4th MAW G-1.)

Why this is a big deal

OSA billets are one of the few Reserve aviation assignments that put you in the cockpit regularly, flying real missions, with a structured path to qualification.

The commitment is serious. But so is the flying.

For an experienced Naval Aviator who wants to stay current and contribute meaningfully in the Reserve Component, this is one of the more substantive options on the table.

The board selects on a best-qualified basis. Favorable weight goes to applicants who have already completed a three-year tour in an SMCR operational flying unit. Proximity to the drilling site and willingness to relocate also count in your favor.

Also looking: 4th MAW tactical squadrons

Not the right fit for OSA? 4th MAW has open billets at tactical squadrons too, including DIFOP and DIFDEN positions. Units currently seeking aviators:

✦ HMH-772, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ. 609-562-8711

✦ HMLA-773, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ. 609-562-8711

✦ HMLA-773 Det A, JRB New Orleans, LA. 504-940-4905

✦ HMLA-775, MCAS Camp Pendleton, CA. 682-249-6972

✦ MATSG-42/SAU, Pensacola, FL. 850-240-8578

✦ VMFA-112, JRB Fort Worth, TX. 817-782-2718

✦ VMFT-401, MCAS Yuma, AZ. 928-269-2806

✦ VMFT-402, MCAS Beaufort, SC. 504-697-7784

✦ VMGR-234, JRB Fort Worth, TX. 817-782-2901

✦ VMM-764, MCAS Miramar, CA. 682-309-1165

✦ VMM-774, NAS New River, NC. 757-444-7818

A smaller note for active-duty Marines

If you are an active-duty Naval Aviator under 16 satisfactory retirement-credit years and you are already thinking about transitioning, this board does not require your EAS before it convenes. You just need to establish one in writing through HQMC (MMOA) after the board concludes and be able to affiliate by 31 December 2026. Talk to your monitor before applying.

The bottom line

A competitive Reserve OSA pilot board opens now. Two billets. Two locations. One hard deadline: 02 July 2026 at 2359.

If you have the hours, the MOS, and the commitment, put in a package.

What to do with this

If you are a Reserve Naval Aviator (SMCR, IMA, or IRR):

Confirm your eligibility on the year-of-service and rank criteria
Download the templates from the 4th MAW Aviation Board website
Build your package now. The 02 July deadline is tight.
Email your complete PDF to omb_4thmaw_g1@usmc.mil and confirm receipt with 4th MAW G-1

If you are an active-duty Naval Aviator considering transition:

Contact your HQMC monitor (MMOA) to discuss establishing an EAS
Confirm you can affiliate by 31 December 2026
Then build and submit your package before 02 July

If you are an S-1 or unit admin:

Push this to any eligible Naval Aviators in your unit
Confirm they know about the application portal and submission requirements

Points of contact:

✦ LtCol Bartucco, 4th MAW G-1: 504-697-7784 / john.bartucco@usmc.mil

✦ Maj Spiritus, VMR Belle Chasse XO: 504-678-7480 / kyle.spiritus@usmc.mil

✦ LtCol Caceres, VMR Andrews XO: 201-647-0786 / michael.caceres.mil@usmc.mil

✦ LtCol Goodrich, CMC AVN ASM: 703-614-3606 / joseph.goodrich@usmc.mil

This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.

Need a shorter version for a unit newsletter or a longer breakdown of the VMR commitment structure? Just ask.

FY26-02 4TH MARINE AIRCRAFT WING (MAW) OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AIRLIFT (OSA) AVIATOR SELECTION BOARD