Jeff,
First off, it's definately good that you're going to be telling your CO. However, you don't want to backdoor whoever your immediate supervisor is. So let him know that what your intentions are and why you want to go to flight school. The reason probably shouldn't be because you don't like what you're doing right now, regardless if that's the real reason or not. I don't know what type of command you're at, so it's hard to tell you to just go knock on the CO's door and talk to him. I'm on a cruiser and have no problem doing that. Your situation may be different. One thing you should note is your immediate supervisors response when you tell him/her. If he/she is supportive then all the better. But if they try to guide you down another path, watch out. They're not looking out for your best interest or your happiness.
As far as your letter of recommendation from your captain goes, don't sit around waiting for him to write it. That's not going to happen. You write it, and submit to him for his approval. He'll chop it and add or take away from what's already written. He'll approve it and then you take it to your admin office to be put on command letterhead and ultimately signed by the captain. My advice on this is that you hand walk it to each stage. The only person's box I would put it into is the CO's. That way you know exactly where it is and what the status is.
As far as when to inform your chain of command. I would do it as soon as possible so that maybe something can be indicated on your fitrep your potential to be a good aviator.
Your CO's letter of recommendation is by far one of the most (if not THE most) important parts of your package. Take your time writing it. Make it sound like you are God's gift to the Navy. But be truthfull to. The hard part is not making the truth turn into exageration.
When the CO's people get picked up for special programs (I would call this special) he comes out looking good too. So he should probably be supportive of your intentions. And right now, a major keyword throught the navy is retention. If he can help you get picked up for a pilot slot, then he's just helped the navy secure you for at least another 7 years.
Your CO and supervisor are probably going to want to "interview" you when you talk to them about this. So you need to make sure you think about some possible questions they may throw at you and be prepared with some good answers.
It's definately good your CO is an O-6. He may have some good connections to really hook you up. Either way, a good recommendation from an O-6 is not a bad thing to have.
Good luck, and if you have any more questions, send them.
And lately I have not been getting much sleep, but yes I am stationed in San Diego. The web page marks the time for Eastern time zone
--Steve
Edited by - Steve Wilkins on 05/19/2001 22:03:01
