looking for info on aviation warfare systems operator

[crisblunt]

hey guys this is my first post on this forem so first of all hi i like the place
well im 18 and planing on signing up for early enlistment withen the next two weeks and once i graduate leaving and trying to become an aviation warfare systems operator then going threw the sta-21 program im basically looking for any and all information on this subject any advice warnings everything
oh i foundout aw's do search and rescue but i know nothing about this how certification works and what not

 

[MasterBates]

Punctuation and spelling make your posts much more readable.

Use the "Search" function. STA-21 is not a guarantee.

 

[crisblunt]

sorry guys im a computer nerd im bred this way, but ill see if i can work on it a little. Oh im mainly looking for information on aviation warfare systems operator that what I am having trouble with. I am looking for information on daily life,how to prepare,were i may be stationed,and primarily info on search and rescue (i know almost nothing and I am most interested in this) i read a thread from years ago that got me started on this site but I am looking for more up to date information. http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15588
I have tried to contact some of these guys but no luck.

 

[MasterBates]

Junior, you need to shape up before you ship out if you want a prayer of earning a commission.

Send in a STA-21, OCS, BDCP or NRTOC application like how you type here, and see how far you can get.

That may be "good enough" to get your ass to Great Lakes, but that shit won't fly on the Officer side of the house.

 

[Birdman]

He's right. I'm not an officer, but I was accepted into ROTC. When dealing with the officer corps you have to seem like you're not a dolt.

 

[BourneID]

Ok not all AW's do SAR, There are several Breeds, HS/HSL/VP Then VP has two types as well Acoustic and Non Acoustic. As a former AW let me break it down this way. As an HS or HSL aircrewman you will be deployed on a ship, live in a small ass rack, and lose you BAS (extra money given to you for food) for that time underway. As a VP AW you will go on Deployment but be on Land everynight not only will you keep you BAS but you will also get paid Per Diem ( An extra allowance for basically being away from home can range from $3.00 - $103.00 a day depending on the location) Yeah the HS and HSL guys get SAR Pay, but they also have a lot of training to get it. I personally think VP is the way to go as an AW (maybe I am biased) you might fly longer days, but if your ultimate goal is to pick up STA-21 then you have more resources for your package. A helo flies with 2 Officers, a P-3 Flies with 5. 12 Crews in a P-3 Squadron = 60 officers, compared to what maybe 25 in an HS or HSL Squadron (I'm ignorant on this part so its just an Assumption so someone correct me here).

 

[crisblunt]

Guys thats fine and dandy but I am in a thread right now, anything official i not only edit but mod my word programs as to auto change my "slang"/leet language back into English but I am in a web browser and speaking the way i speak in is my nature when on forums,instant messaging,and any other non official communication on the internet. But i will take into consideration what you both have said and work on that but i do hope that you both understand that your on the internet, here things are not normally spoken in good grammar and this is actually the first place on the internet that i have found were anyone has ever cared.


In fact just to help i just modded my web browser so it has a built in spell check just for this forum.


But the advice is appreciated and noted.

 

[crisblunt]

Ok not all AW's do SAR, There are several Breeds, HS/HSL/VP Then VP has two types as well Acoustic and Non Acoustic. As a former AW let me break it down this way. As an HS or HSL aircrewman you will be deployed on a ship, live in a small ass rack, and lose you BAS (extra money given to you for food) for that time underway. As a VP AW you will go on Deployment but be on Land everynight not only will you keep you BAS but you will also get paid Per Diem ( An extra allowance for basically being away from home can range from $3.00 - $103.00 a day depending on the location) Yeah the HS and HSL guys get SAR Pay, but they also have a lot of training to get it. I personally think VP is the way to go as an AW (maybe I am biased) you might fly longer days, but if your ultimate goal is to pick up STA-21 then you have more resources for your package. A helo flies with 2 Officers, a P-3 Flies with 5. 12 Crews in a P-3 Squadron = 60 officers, compared to what maybe 25 in an HS or HSL Squadron (I'm ignorant on this part so its just an Assumption so someone correct me here).

Ok, so what is hs/hsl/vp i don't know what any of these are. Spare me any grief if i should know any of this my "big" meeting in two days with the recruiter and parents is were I am going to be getting all of my information. So as of right now i just have a good idea of what i want to do.

 

[Sly1978]

First, quit worrying about your grammar or spelling on here. Sure, the old salts will get on your case, but this is not any part of your application. In other words, don't stress it here. I assume you're smart enough to figure out that you should probably take a little more time and effort when actually applying.

Second, be careful what you're getting into. If you are enlisting because you want to someday be a pilot, it's a bad idea. I realize that your recruiter will cross his heart and swear to you that the best way to become an aviator is to enlist in an aviation billet and then apply to an officer program. He's lying. The vast majority of pilots out here have never put on an enlisted uniform. Look into the officer programs available to you.(Don't ask your recruiter about these, he won't tell you.) If you don't qualify for anything right now, then I would suggest that you go do a year or two at a community college and then see what opens up for you.

That being said, if you're enlisting because you want to be the best AW you can be and serve your country then don't let me discourage you. Just understand that using an enlistment as a stepping-stone to a commission is a trap that many, many recruits have fallen into. Good luck to you.

 

[docpup]

Attention: New Kid Burned for Grammar...

Sorry, I can't find the thread that was on here, and the search isn't helping me.

There was thread on here from a high school kid who was looking at the AW rate as a path to the front seat. I found this link (god bless google and youtube) with a video highlighting the whole becoming an Aircrewman process. Sorry to send this to all...

 

[HH-60H]

Guys thats fine and dandy but I am in a thread right now, anything official i not only edit but mod my word programs as to auto change my "slang"/leet language back into English but I am in a web browser and speaking the way i speak in is my nature when on forums,instant messaging,and any other non official communication on the internet. But i will take into consideration what you both have said and work on that but i do hope that you both understand that your on the internet, here things are not normally spoken in good grammar and this is actually the first place on the internet that i have found were anyone has ever cared.


In fact just to help i just modded my web browser so it has a built in spell check just for this forum.


But the advice is appreciated and noted.

Well, that's fine and dandy, but I hope you realize that you are not on the internet, you are on AirWarriors.com.

 

[FLYTPAY]

trying to become an aviation warfare systems operator then going threw the sta-21 program

What is your backup plan if you do not get AW qualified? If you were to get STA-21 and became an officer, what would be your dream job?

Well, that's fine and dandy, but I hope you realize that you are not on the internet, you are on AirWarriors.com.

+1, My car's GPS has better grammar.

 

[Hozer]

I personally think VP is the way to go as an AW (maybe I am biased) you might fly longer days, but if your ultimate goal is to pick up STA-21 then you have more resources for your package.

There are more former helo-AW's/Officers on this board than former VP AW/Officers. There are at six current VP DH's that are former HSL AW's just here in Jax. Don't under estimate the value of the "culture" of PT in the SAR world as a long-term career asset.
VP has an unfortunate reputation as a fat-body refuge.

But it is clearly a great rate, just don't think of it as merely a stepping stone.
Just my .02

 

[chet]

hmmm

FYI, if you want it bad enough then you'll find it and get it done. Google is a great starter tool for finding things you want to know information on...its where I found all of the info I started off with when applying for the STA-21 program. Second, no one cares about you as much as you do...so don't depend on others to get you what you need to know and where you need to go. Its hard but not impossible to go enlisted first then officer. When I enlisted I had no idea I'd ever make it this far but saw the opportunity and gave it my best shot. I come from the nuke community on fast attack submarines...which may not mean too much to you this early in your Navy career, but its pretty darn hard for the sub community to let go of its guys...not to mention the nukes. Note, if you go to the fleet enlisted and spend all your time and effort on the officer pkg and not on supporting your command (i.e. getting qualified) then the road to success may be a bit bumpy. Best of luck to you.

 

[BourneID]

There are more former helo-AW's/Officers on this board than former VP AW/Officers. There are at six current VP DH's that are former HSL AW's just here in Jax. Don't under estimate the value of the "culture" of PT in the SAR world as a long-term career asset.
VP has an unfortunate reputation as a fat-body refuge.

But it is clearly a great rate, just don't think of it as merely a stepping stone.
Just my .02

I didn't realize that about the former Helo O's here. Does that mean you all saw the light and realized VP was a better lifestyle, or did they all just pick up NFO? Regardless, most Officers I know that used to be AW's are kick ass when compared to those that came from other rates.