Search results

Gotta get ready for being an attaché somehow!

If it’s who I think it is, he’s retiring soon anyway, right?

@Waveoff I also wouldn’t completely rule pilot out either. From what I saw, some units had age cutoffs out to 37. I’ll defer to the guard guys on here, but my impression is that the bigger issues are rank/time in service.

So I’ve confirmed the following ANG units still have CSO opportunities and have hired recently. I didn’t dig into all of the C-130H units because I wasn’t sure how long they’d be around/the mission set didn’t interest me. Additional caveat that there are likely other AF Reserve units as well...

Agreed. When I talked to their hiring folks it was 6 months every two years rotating with the active squadrons. Definitely not the flying club experience.

Yep, it’s pretty much VAQ-209 or bust at this point.

Gotcha. What units are you thinking of? I’m aware of a KC-135 unit, an A-10 unit, and an MQ-9 unit, none of which offer flying opportunities for CSOs. There are certainly staff jobs available though.

There’s also the OKC unit that currently flies MC-12s, and is switching to OA-1Ks. They’re aggressively hiring CSOs now (both brand new folks and previously qualified CSOs/NFOs) given the requirements of the new platform. What Flash said is true though, I looked into it recently and it’s pretty...

Agreed, that’s not what right looks like, because when it’s properly done it works well. It’s not an issue with HSC/CSAR TTP, just task prioritization (mainly on the part of VFA). I just want to make it clear that I’m not calling out your community’s execution or TTPs, but more so how Naval...

What you said. I will allow that (from what I’ve seen) the Air Force does train more consistently (at least at the Red Flag/WSINT integration level) to higher threat CSAR than the Navy does at AWF, although the AWF I did in 2022 demonstrated that the Navy is certainly moving in that direction...

On one hand I’m happy about his success in the military/afterwards. On the other I’m left questioning why someone would let the “attitude” of a bunch of strangers on the internet convince them to not go aviation if that’s what they really want, and then would feel the need to come back and...

What unit leadership? Are you referring to your old NROTC unit? I would defer to what your recruiter says, but as others have mentioned, I wouldn’t be (unfortunately) surprised if you don’t get picked up. Being separated from a previous commissioning program is never a good thing to have on your...

He was my CAG for most of my JO tour. He made it a point to come hang out in the ready rooms and get to know everyone. Incredibly smart and personable guy (albeit intense). The Airwing really liked him.

What’s interesting to me is that there are other government organizations that have better systems in place and the Navy hasn’t bothered to learn from them. When I was TDY to an embassy it took less than a day to get my accounts set up and to get a work phone issued with the full mobile MS...

I’ll be honest, I’m a bit confused. You want to try to defeat the safety systems that are telling you to focus on driving and not be distracted? Not being snarky, just legitimately curious as to why you’d focus on defeating a system that is trying to keep your attention on the road.

And that makes sense, especially when you consider your DHs (likely) limited experience with both the FNAEB and POCR processes. It’s not a process your average VAQ DH would have seen play out, plus FNAEB is a big scary acronym that aviators try to avoid like the plague. I agree with Brett that...

I could have misread the original post, but I think the OP is already in the FRS or the fleet (two seat tacair). They also owe the remainder of their winging commitment (7 years). There’s some great advice here, but some of it seems geared towards the OP being able to get out now. Having to...

In VAQ land it’s only a requirement to have it complete by the time you take command. That being said, most people try to have it on their record in time for the command screen board.

There have been instances where VFA has sent JOs to TOPGUN during their first sea tour (it happened to a JO during my last cruise), but it’s definitely not the typical path. In his case he came back to the squadron for the end of deployment (a few months) and then went to his production tour.

He probably means select. OP, do some searching on the forums for answers on E-6 and P-8 lifestyle questions. I’m locking this thread for now, ask any follow-on questions in old threads on this topic. No one can tell you how often P-8 or E-6 slots will come up, it will depend on the needs of...

I know several VAQ guys that were SERGRADs and are current VAQ COs or XOs. Sure, it will make your timing slightly more complicated, but you won’t be the first to have done it. The detailers should account for that when assigning your timing for the FRS and picking your first fleet squadron...

I still don’t understand why that T-1 syllabus existed. I remember having 5ish flights and then brain dumping everything enroute to VT-86.

^^what he said (obviously not a helo guy, but have worked with plenty of folks from both communities). HSC (Sierras) is a community without a codified long-term plan. Romeos are the way to go.

I’d consider what you’d be interested in doing after the military. If it’s anything to do with flying, stay on the pilot route. Your qualifications from the military will more than make up for the additional two years of service. If you’re not interested in flying on the civilian side, then it...

You pretty much answered your own question. TPS Grads will fly a bunch of aircraft during TPS and their follow-up test tour(s). Add the pilot’s fleet aircraft and flight school aircraft, and it’s not out of the realm of the possible. That is a lot of different types, but I’m sure it’s been done...

Based on the amount of retirees bumming around southern Germany, retiring here doesn’t seem like a terrible option. Most seem to have gone from active duty to a contractor or GS job on one of the staffs and then retired out of that. I think you’d have to consider your tolerance for dealing with...

You all aren’t missing anything, he’s a relatively new guy that has a habit of asking obvious questions, and the creator of this thread was using similar language.

There are definitely differences (they’re completely different airframes), but I don’t really think it’s germane to your DCS interests/will affect any of your future learning. For your purposes the cockpit controls will be similar enough. You can Google a list of all of the differences or search...

Yeah…not sure how in touch the folks you work with are then.

It would not be something you could or should put on your resume and you definitely shouldn’t mention it in your OCS application or anywhere else in the process. It will not give you an advantage at all. Feel free to read it as an hobby, but you already know how many steps you have before you...

No, but it was surprisingly close to there. The media here has been drawing the parallel. Here’s the investigation by the crowd-funded independent newsroom that broke the story: https://correctiv.org/en/top-stories/2024/01/15/secret-plan-against-germany/ Sadly, despite the outrage, the AFD will...

I know they purchased some from New Zealand, not sure about Singapore.

@wallythenycat You’re trolling and this thread is done. Also, you’ve asked the same flight time style questions in multiple threads, and also asked plenty of questions that can be answered with a simple Google search. If you’re actually interested in flying in the military, then take a bit of...

Yes (caveat that I’m only familiar with Whidbey SAR’s processes). Requests for their support have to go through the AF’s Rescue Coordination Center and be approved by the Base CO. In my experience it’s a pretty quick process to get approval. They supported a few rescues on the local climbing...

Ummm, no. Plenty of flying opportunities available as an O-4 and O-5.

Not necessarily, but flying opportunities are definitely reduced once you hit O-6. Carrier COs/XOs and typewing commodores/their deputies fly, and there are other O-6 flying billets out there (weapons school, VX-9, other test commands, etc). The amount of flight time is definitely less overall...

NAPS isn’t something you can apply to directly. You have to apply to the Naval Academy and not be offered direct admission and then be offered a slot at NAPS. NAPS is intended to prepare you for the curriculum at USNA and implies that you are signing up for a five year program, one at NAPS and...

I used to volunteer at a local company up on Whidbey. Fed Fire had a mutual aid agreement to cover most of the city of Oak Harbor so they were out on any calls that required a second alarm, or anytime the local departments were tapped out with multiple calls at once (e.g. brush fire season). I...

I just use the standard kiwi brown polish and a boot brush. It only takes a few minutes to get a decent shine back on them.

Yes, (pilots only) for up to 10 years after the designator change. There are a limited number of embassies with C-12s, but several of them are FAO billets.

Interesting, and good to know! I think I know who you’re talking about if he’s also a FAO. Not sure if it depends on the year (I was a few years behind him), but the last few years have been pretty competitive. The board (and Naval Aviation leadership), seems pretty concerned about keeping folks...

Totally agree about the total crapshoot that is FAO detailing. Olmsted could be a perfect option, but he would need an EP to be competitive. The foundation’s board has the idealistic view that every scholar is a future admiral or general, so they prioritize operational performance. The only...

I echo what everyone said above regarding a lateral transfer. I honestly think FAO would be a a good fit for you. You’ll have the opportunity to get a masters, learn a language, and live abroad. Sure you may not get the region you want, but you’ll definitely get to live some interesting places...

I never actually got to use one, but heard good things/saw the effectiveness data. Were there issues with it dispensing properly/jamming up, or am I misremembering?

Awesome loadout! Thanks for the correction.

Lol, I miss the 113. The kids these days don’t know how bad they have it with the CCS. The 43 is the zombie that refused to die. It took until about three years after the last squadron transitioned until we stopped getting questions about bulk chaff at HAVOC.

Lol, happy to help. All that VAQ nerd knowledge finally coming in handy! There are several mentions on aviation blog posts of later Iron Hand missions incorporating Standard ARM on A-6s. I’m inclined to trust them because most reference Rick Morgan’s books on Intruder ops in Vietnam. I don’t...

I think you’re right. I did a bit more digging, and it looks like the SHRIKE wasn’t compatible with the Prowler at that point in time. I’m still looking for something definitive though. The HARM information came from VAQ-140’s command history report, which I had to update several times as a new...

I don’t know if the EA-6B ever carried the AGM-45 SHRIKE in Vietnam, but the Intruder certainly did. The HARM was first fielded on a Prowler by VAQ-140 in 1985. They also were the first to deploy with it on the Kennedy in 1986. The USAF presence continues to this day. All USAF personnel are...

Merry Christmas everyone!!