Had a guy PM about whether he should pick Meridian or Kingsville based on two factors. One, he had heard that it's "Wingsville vs. Mettridian." Second, he likes the outdoors.
1.) The attrition rates are fairly similar from what we've been told so far. In fact, (and this might be instructor bias), Kingsville has historically had a higher attrition rate out of the FRS... so maybe winging one person more but losing one person more in the FRS. And at that, they're very VERY low. Lower than what I saw at Primary or API. You really have to fuck up or DOR to get thrown out. Now, I'm not that far into the program so I can't comment on the reality of that statement...
2.) Can't really say what there is to do outdoors in Kingsville besides shoot boars, but there is quite a bit of hiking and tons of fishing/hunting in and around Meridian. So many deer that we've resorted to hitting them with our cars on the way in to work. Whoops. And there is quite a bit of decent hiking.
There is no night life in Meridian. Not even a dirty bird. There's a few shitty shitty shitty shitty (read shitty) bars, but not worth your time, besides seeing them once. For example, a bar called "Your Place;" you bring your own liquor and they provide the mixers... stellar. People usually just end up getting lit in the parking lot. You'll want to hang yourself while your in the pool waiting to class up because there isn't much to do, but once you start it won't matter and you won't care.
We have a mall, which Kingsville apparently doesn't. But Kingsville has Corpus fairly close. We have Jackson, which probably has the same stores as Corpus but doesn't have your friends till in primary going to Farrah's.
Kingsville is incredibly backed up right now. Guys who selected tailhook the same week are starting more than four months apart. I waited about 3 months before I classed up here in Meridian, friends in Kingsville are waiting around 6, almost 7. I would have joined a bird and jumped in an intake.
They're so back up in fact Kingsville is sending students up here to steal our sim time... bastardos.
Finally, the T-45 TRACOMS are spooling up like crazy. Apparently, in the past few years, they have only been operating and outputting at around 60% capacity. They've pulled a bunch of new instructors and are making them fly at least two if not three times a day now and are close to 100% capacity. Students have been told to expect to get through the entire program (assuming you go strike/fighter) in 52 WEEKS. Straight from the Commodore himself of TW-1. Now, how much bullshit that is, we don't know. But that 52 weeks includes 30% downtime for delays/weather/etc. And students are expected to fly/sim twice a day. What used to take a month to get through for BIs/RIs is actually taking guys a little under two weeks... no bull.
So. Just an update. If you have a better perspective/gouge, please jump in. Cheers.
1.) The attrition rates are fairly similar from what we've been told so far. In fact, (and this might be instructor bias), Kingsville has historically had a higher attrition rate out of the FRS... so maybe winging one person more but losing one person more in the FRS. And at that, they're very VERY low. Lower than what I saw at Primary or API. You really have to fuck up or DOR to get thrown out. Now, I'm not that far into the program so I can't comment on the reality of that statement...
2.) Can't really say what there is to do outdoors in Kingsville besides shoot boars, but there is quite a bit of hiking and tons of fishing/hunting in and around Meridian. So many deer that we've resorted to hitting them with our cars on the way in to work. Whoops. And there is quite a bit of decent hiking.
There is no night life in Meridian. Not even a dirty bird. There's a few shitty shitty shitty shitty (read shitty) bars, but not worth your time, besides seeing them once. For example, a bar called "Your Place;" you bring your own liquor and they provide the mixers... stellar. People usually just end up getting lit in the parking lot. You'll want to hang yourself while your in the pool waiting to class up because there isn't much to do, but once you start it won't matter and you won't care.
We have a mall, which Kingsville apparently doesn't. But Kingsville has Corpus fairly close. We have Jackson, which probably has the same stores as Corpus but doesn't have your friends till in primary going to Farrah's.
Kingsville is incredibly backed up right now. Guys who selected tailhook the same week are starting more than four months apart. I waited about 3 months before I classed up here in Meridian, friends in Kingsville are waiting around 6, almost 7. I would have joined a bird and jumped in an intake.
They're so back up in fact Kingsville is sending students up here to steal our sim time... bastardos.
Finally, the T-45 TRACOMS are spooling up like crazy. Apparently, in the past few years, they have only been operating and outputting at around 60% capacity. They've pulled a bunch of new instructors and are making them fly at least two if not three times a day now and are close to 100% capacity. Students have been told to expect to get through the entire program (assuming you go strike/fighter) in 52 WEEKS. Straight from the Commodore himself of TW-1. Now, how much bullshit that is, we don't know. But that 52 weeks includes 30% downtime for delays/weather/etc. And students are expected to fly/sim twice a day. What used to take a month to get through for BIs/RIs is actually taking guys a little under two weeks... no bull.
So. Just an update. If you have a better perspective/gouge, please jump in. Cheers.
