1/C summer cruise options

[ajohn921]

Hey everyone,

I just got my dreamsheet for 1/C cruise preferences but I can't decide what to put for a preference for a few reasons. First and foremost, because I received a late PNS scholarship, I have never been on a cruise, so this summer will be my first summer training opportunity. I have always wanted aviation, but because aviation afloat is no longer offered, I am hesitant to pref aviation ashore because I've heard many find it to be a huge waste of time (for training purposes) outside of the one or two possible flights.

My main dilemma is I want to get something more valuable than beach time and actually learn something about the fleet before I commission, but I also dont want to hurt my chances of selecting as a SNA/SNFO. I was thinking of doing a Surface Nuke cruise on a CVN and hoping I could somehow follow the shooters, LSOs or a squadron, but my advisor told me that cruise types do make it into selection packages, thus an aviaiton cruise would help my package and a SWO-N could force me to interview for a nuke program.

Can anyone offer any advice on what kind of cruise I should preference so I can A) learn about the Navy outside of the NROTC bubble that I know, B) get exposure to the aviation community, but also ship operations, C) go underway and D) as a bonus, possibly get some flight time or see some foreign ports.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Deere1450]

I have always wanted aviation, but because aviation afloat is no longer offered, I am hesitant to pref aviation ashore because I've heard many find it to be a huge waste of time (for training purposes) outside of the one or two possible flights.

Who says aviation afloat is no longer offered? I just submitted my preference and I chose afloat...I hadn't heard that before.

Even if you did choose aviation ashore, it is better than being on a ship IMO. But since you haven't been on a cruise before, I can see where you are coming from.

I was on a cruiser for a couple of weeks this last summer for my 2/c cruise. Good learning experience. Its definately what you make of it. If you're a slacker and don't give a dump about the opportunity you have in front of you, it will suck. If you are truly interested in whats going on around you and ask questions, it'll be a blast.

But, I would NEVER EVER pass up an aviation cruise if I had the choice. Ashore or afloat. EVER.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Well, things may have changed since I was in NROTC, but I've gotta say that I've never heard the part about cruise choices factoring into service selections. Do what you think that you would like. You are going to see the fleet in some way, shape, or form regardless of what you do. Go aviation ashore, and yeah, you probably won't get the experience of living on the boat. Then again, you will probably get to fly in/fly a grey Navy aircraft, so that might be worth the rest of the time spent sitting around places like Lemoore, etc. I personally did my 2/c on the Kitty Hawk, flew there, and saw everything else there was to see on a CV, then did my 1/c in Lemoore w/ Super Hornets. Wouldn't have changed a thing in hindsight.......and I still run into my cruise sponsors/buddies at Tailhook to this day, as well as having gone through advanced jets in meridian with a good number of the dudes I did 1/c cruise with. Small world, and doing an aviation cruise probably makes more connections for yourself than you think. I did one of my last ACM flights in flight school with the same guy who took me up for a Rhino flight when I was a mid for example. Anyway, if you can go on a CVN, that is what I would recommend.....so much to see, you get to go underway probably, most likely will be able to fly if you are persistent regardless of what your cruise type is, and will get some firsthand experience with the troops down below, which is more important than you might think right now.

 

[C420sailor]

Take the aviation cruise, without a doubt. Mine was afloat, but my buddies who had ashore cruises actually got more flight time and infinitely more stick time.

 

[MAKE VAPES]

I knew that with a 3.2 in Aero and good eyes and ears that I would likelly get my choice of Aviation. Shit happens though, so I decided to do a NUKE 1/c cruise to test the waters. I learned more in the 40some days on USS Norfolk, earning my Sub pin (given off the COB's chest) and Diving Officer of the Watch qual (stood the watch during the TRANSLANT home scared as shit I was gonna screw something up). I gained mucho respect for the whole NUKE community.

I knew that if flight school didn't work out, I might be able to show my interview invitation and get a foot in the NUKE door. If I went NUKE, there was not way they were going to let me out to go fly jets.

At the Case 1 turnout at 7 miles post A-4 CQ '97, I pulled up in a right hand turn to put Oceana TACAN on the nose, looked down at the SUB heading out to sea under my right wing.... I knew I had made the right choice.

Do what you want, but doing an afloat cruise on a CVN is stupid. Our mids got no rides in the Tomcat, may have ridden in the 60 doing plane guard. They learned next to nothing, were minimally engaged, and in the end it provided no value added for any parties concerned (besides getting to play grounded subnugget fighter pilot/RIO). Go learn about plan B.

 

[unlandlocked]

I went on an EOD cruise and still was able to pick up SNA (my first choice), so I wouldn't stress too much about HAVING to get an aviation cruise.

If you're not sure you can get SNA, when you fill out your service selection pref sheet type that thing out and write a few paragraphs about yourself and why you should get it. Most people in my class just put down a sentence of chicken scratch saying they took a few years of French and ran a half marathon. Don't do that.

As far as getting an afloat cruise, TALK TO YOUR LT IN CHARGE OF CRUISES. They don't throw your preference into a machine and wait for it to tell them your cruise. They get to see the available cruises as they come in and match up their mids with them. Go in and plead enough and I'd be surprised if he/she didn't put in the extra effort to grab your an aviation afloat cruise when one comes up.

Barring some terrible freak cruise, it is what you make of it. If you want to learn, you probably can.

Good luck

 

[ajohn921]

I'd be surprised if he/she didn't put in the extra effort to grab your an aviation afloat cruise when one comes up.

My dream sheet doesnt list aviation afloat for preferences, just conventional surface, submarine, nuclear surface, EOD, mini-BUDs and aviation ashore. Do they not list aviation afloat because billets are so limited or are they not listed this year because of budget cuts, deployment cycles, etc.

 

[NavAir42]

My .03: do what you want. Since getting to my fleet squadron we've had several groups of middies come through and their experience is really what they've made it. We've had a couple who hung around the squadron, asked questions, actually bothered to read the flight schedule, and flew a lot more than the ones who simply put all hope in the scheds writers and spent the rest of the time at the beach. If you go to a P-3 squadron you'll probably be able to be added on to most crew training flights. Every time I've had a middie on the plane with me I've made it a point to get him or her in the seat for a few minutes, at a minimum.

I spent my first class cruise flying in and flying -60B's in San Diego and had a blast. I spent a lot of time in the squadron and consequently flew more than the others who peaced out by 9AM. That's not to say I didn't kill more than my fair share of fish tacos and beers in PB. It's all what you make it.

I'm also a few years out of ROTC but I've never heard of what cruise you had as a 1/c affecting your service selection. Maybe it does now, but for some reason I doubt it.

 

[Wudgles]

Go learn about plan B.

+1; I did a 2/c sub cruise on the USS Nebraska (SSBN-739), and a 1/c surface cruise on the USS Howard (DDG 83). Was my 1/c cruise as fun as sitting on the beach drinking for five weeks? No. Did it give me a much broader view of the Navy by seeing the two communities I didn't go to? Yes. Am I glad things turned out the way they did? Absolutely. I've got a lot more respect for the Nuke and SWO communities now that I know more about them.

In the end, it's up to you. But, just to echo what everyone else said, your summer cruises don't count towards selection.

 

[Gator NFO]

I was the MIDN Coordinator on my last CVN. I found that a lot of MIDN that picked surface nuke only did it to be around naval aviation. I made an effort to swap running mates from nuke to aviator for those that told me their intentions. We had a pretty robust program, and all of our MIDN got a helo ride thanks to the air wing working with us.

 

[STARFlight145]

I had the opportunity to fly SH-60B's with HSL-43 this past summer for my 1/C. Was worried that us midshipmen would get little flight time, but they ended up putting me in the cockpit for every one of my 4 flights, and I left North Island with somewhere under 4 hours of stick time which I thought was incredible. Wouldn't have traded it for anything. I would tell ya to go do what you want ultimately want to do in the Navy. If you select aviation, you'll eventually learn plenty about being on the boat.

 

[Yardstick]

went to vrc-30 in sd last summer and had a blast. i got a ton of stick time too, which was a major plus.

 

[CommodoreMid]

I was the MIDN Coordinator on my last CVN. I found that a lot of MIDN that picked surface nuke only did it to be around naval aviation. I made an effort to swap running mates from nuke to aviator for those that told me their intentions. We had a pretty robust program, and all of our MIDN got a helo ride thanks to the air wing working with us.

That's what I did for my 2/c cruise. My cruise was so long we actually had 2 running mates, swapping departments mid way. I asked to be put with AIMD or Air Dept when we swapped since I knew I wanted to be an aviator, but they insisted I go down to reactor dept. At least it taught me going surface nuke would never be worth the nuke bonus unless they upped it to 6 or 7 figures for me.

 

[mid1510]

anymore word on if 1/c aviation cruises help in service assignment?

 

[MAKE VAPES]

The answer is NO (at least directly). I have no idea what the hell your middie "fitrep" does for you from your first class cruise... maybe some play in your class ranking. On that note, a great writeup from the CO of a nuclear submarine likely crushes one from a DH in a P-3 squadron (or the like)... Im sure folks in your ROTC unit know the difference. This is your first lesson in break-out in tough jobs if you choose to take the class. You will need this lesson for a career in a retractionary budget eon.