NAVAIR Reserve Program (NRP) and DCO opportunities: AEDO & AMDO

[Gizmo85]

On the active side, lots of AEDOs (all AEDOs I’m pretty sure) have wings and some are in flight billets. On the reserve side there are a lot of winged AEDOs from the fleet, but also a lot of direct commission ones too.

Are we talking about prior pilots? When you say wings are we talking about pilot wings and or NFO wings? I know AMDOs and ADEOs who were pilots and still wear their wings. That's not what I'm talking about. In regards to an AEDO, they have those who duties are full on Flight Engineers? Meaning they don't pilot the aircraft but fly on the aircraft in support of system functionally. Flight Test Engineers at Pax aren't flying the aircraft. Even on the Lockheed Side, our Flight Test Engineers ride along for functionality support.

 

[IKE]

Yeah, no one is a SELRES AMDO doing this. I've been at Pax for Flight Testing and never seen a Reservist stand in as a Flight Engineer. Navy wise I've never seen or heard of an AEDO flying as a duty. Only ones i know that have wings are Pilots, NFOs, Flight Surgeons, and Aircrew. Now there might be AEDOs on larger aircraft but I'm not 100% sure on that. I can't speak on what the Army does in regards to Flight Engineers.

I'm an AEDO (active-duty), and I fly. The opportunities at Pax (to my knowledge) are only at the test squadrons, though some of us with desk jobs are lucky enough to have DIFOPS orders and fly as a guest occasionally.
I'm not aware of any AEDOs flying in the fleet (except particular test events), only within NAVAIR or VX-1.

On the active side, lots of AEDOs (all AEDOs I’m pretty sure) have wings and some are in flight billets. On the reserve side there are a lot of winged AEDOs from the fleet, but also a lot of direct commission ones too.

Yep. AD AEDO is a transfer community, and all of us had to come from an Aviation warfare community (Pilot/NFO). Reserve AEDOs can be direct commissioned; I know at least one.

To the OP, you don't have to be winged to fly on Navy test events. Most of the FTEs I've flown with are civilians with no official flight training, just egress and water survival for the relevant aircraft.

 

[IKE]

Are we talking about prior pilots? When you say wings are we talking about pilot wings and or NFO wings? I know AMDOs and ADEOs who were pilots and still wear their wings. That's not what I'm talking about. In regards to an AEDO, they have those who duties are full on Flight Engineers? Meaning they don't pilot the aircraft but fly on the aircraft in support of system functionally. Flight Test Engineers at Pax aren't flying the aircraft. Even on the Lockheed Side, our Flight Test Engineers ride along for functionality support.

Yeah, maybe we're talking circles around the FE v. FTE distinction.

 

[RDrunner33]

Hey everyone AMDO candidate here and I have a question for existing AMDOs what is the replacement for PQM certification in DAU. I am a federal employee and currently have Level II in LCL and Level I engineering certification also certified in engineering and Technical management in DAU. What can I do DAU wise to amp up my package for the board?

 

[IKE]

Hey everyone AMDO candidate here and I have a question for existing AMDOs what is the replacement for PQM certification in DAU. I am a federal employee and currently have Level II in LCL and Level I engineering certification also certified in engineering and Technical management in DAU. What can I do DAU wise to amp up my package for the board?

Go here
DAWIA B2B Resources
and find the relevant "Certification Crosswalk". I see one under LCL.

 

[BigTooona]

Hey everyone AMDO candidate here and I have a question for existing AMDOs what is the replacement for PQM certification in DAU. I am a federal employee and currently have Level II in LCL and Level I engineering certification also certified in engineering and Technical management in DAU. What can I do DAU wise to amp up my package for the board?

Also check out the community briefs: https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Porta...unity_Briefs.pdf?ver=Gy-LIemCrRLY9S5sl2LcTg==

Page 4-5 is the AMDO section; LCL, PQM and PM are listed as valued achievements for O5/O6 so I'd say any courses or certs in those fields would be good for your package. Good luck!

 

[Esim1315]

Also check out the community briefs: https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Boards/ReserveOfficer/FY25 ResPromotionBoardMaterials/FY-25_RC_LINE_Community_Briefs.pdf?ver=Gy-LIemCrRLY9S5sl2LcTg==

Page 4-5 is the AMDO section; LCL, PQM and PM are listed as valued achievements for O5/O6 so I'd say any courses or certs in those fields would be good for your package. Good luck!

So just for funsies, I'm gonna ask. If I have a dod civ career and have the ADPD Test and Eval Practitioner and the old Level 2 ETM certifications, would that help my package and my chances of getting selected for AEDO?

 

[IKE]

So just for funsies, I'm gonna ask. If I have a dod civ career and have the ADPD Test and Eval Practitioner and the old Level 2 ETM certifications, would that help my package and my chances of getting selected for AEDO?

I would suspect so. The AEDO community manager is responsible for more than just recruiting new AEDOs. In concert with the detailer(s), they also want to make sure there's a solid pool of people to screen for promotion and command. So already having some of the community-valued wickets complete means they'll have to worry less about you ... especially if you're more senior. It also shows the board you understand and are truly interested in the community.

Caveat: I've never been to a lat xfer board, but I have seen my share of people selected/not selected.

AEDO also seems to highly value a STEM MS or MBA. I've seen some stellar candidates not selected for AEDO, likely due to still being in process on their MS (and being senior/non-LT).

 

[Esim1315]

I would suspect so. The AEDO community manager is responsible for more than just recruiting new AEDOs. In concert with the detailer(s), they also want to make sure there's a solid pool of people to screen for promotion and command. So already having some of the community-valued wickets complete means they'll have to worry less about you ... especially if you're more senior. It also shows the board you understand and are truly interested in the community.

Caveat: I've never been to a lat xfer board, but I have seen my share of people selected/not selected.

AEDO also seems to highly value a STEM MS or MBA. I've seen some stellar candidates not selected for AEDO, likely due to still being in process on their MS (and being senior/non-LT).

Well I wouldn't be a lat xfer, I'm looking to commission but if AEDO doesn't work out I could always shoot for EDO and try the xfer later in my career

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

I would suspect so. The AEDO community manager is responsible for more than just recruiting new AEDOs. In concert with the detailer(s), they also want to make sure there's a solid pool of people to screen for promotion and command. So already having some of the community-valued wickets complete means they'll have to worry less about you ... especially if you're more senior. It also shows the board you understand and are truly interested in the community.

Caveat: I've never been to a lat xfer board, but I have seen my share of people selected/not selected.

AEDO also seems to highly value a STEM MS or MBA. I've seen some stellar candidates not selected for AEDO, likely due to still being in process on their MS (and being senior/non-LT).

OP is talking about reserve / direct commission AEDO which civilians can apply for,

 

[IKE]

OP is talking about reserve / direct commission AEDO which civilians can apply for,

I though they might be. I'm sure the answer is still yes. DAWIA quals are the same for civ/mil, and I'm sure we'd have a preference for commissioning an AEDO with some existing certs.

 

[BigTooona]

So just for funsies, I'm gonna ask. If I have a dod civ career and have the ADPD Test and Eval Practitioner and the old Level 2 ETM certifications, would that help my package and my chances of getting selected for AEDO?

Agree with Ike above, existing quals/certs will count and certainly wouldn't hurt your overall package. I'd also take particular note of his comment:

AEDO also seems to highly value a STEM MS or MBA

Highly agree with this, to be competitive you'll likely need a technical master's degree, not sure what your background is.

 

[Esim1315]

Agree with Ike above, existing quals/certs will count and certainly wouldn't hurt your overall package. I'd also take particular note of his comment:

Highly agree with this, to be competitive you'll likely need a technical master's degree, not sure what your background is.

Electrical Eng with experience with F-16s and ICBMs. And I just started my MEng at Naval Postgrad this week.

 

[BigTooona]

Electrical Eng with experience with F-16s and ICBMs. And I just started my MEng at Naval Postgrad this week.

Gotcha, yeah since you just started your master's don't be discouraged if you don't get selected this year and just keep at it. Pretty much all non-prior AEDOs selected have technical DoD civ experience and a completed master's degree tends to be a discriminator.

 

[Esim1315]

Good to know, I'm still working out health stuff/unfatting myself so I'm ok if it take me a min to get the degree done.