Concur with USMCFLYR. I worked the same service active duty and now I fly the reserves. During my active service, I was gone frequently-more than just the Middle East combat deployments. Expect each year on average 5 months gone. Some years more. Some years less. If you can accept that, flying in the Marines is money! I fly Herc tankers. I wouldn't trade it for anything. As an airline guy now, I find that my "country club" is my reserve unit. My company is fun, but my reserve unit is home to most of my friends. Its a brotherhood.

Incidentally, my wife was a big-"I don't date jarheads" girl. She eventually did and she suffered through a year of Iraq deployments with me. Point--they can hack it if you can hack it. Better be comfortable with the possibility of helicopters or ospreys if you come to gun club. Though, it truly is about who you fly with and not what you fly--at least in the Marines.