This is the TL/DR of this thread. Sage advice.For the love of god don't become a SuppO to in hopes of a better of quality of life.
This is the TL/DR of this thread. Sage advice.For the love of god don't become a SuppO to in hopes of a better of quality of life.
For meeting someone, get involved in activities outside the military bubble.For those of you who established families while in naval aviation or while your S/O was in the naval aviation, what did you find helped you succeed in doing so?
20+ years goes by pretty fast too, before you know it you have a mortgage, car payments, kids in private school (that are smarter than you are), all while wondering how time went by so fast but realizing you have had an amazing journey to get to this point.10 years goes by faster than you think and it’s an experience I’d never change.
Put it this way: there are bitter dudes in the community here and there, sure...I'm sure right now there's some guy handing out towels at a clothing-optional pool in Monaco who's bitching about his work-life balance...but I have never, ever met a single aviator who wished he was a Chop instead.You guys are definitely right in that I am getting ahead of myself in terms of starting a family and finding someone to settle down with, as I am single right now. I might even be a little jaded having gone through a breakup recently and talking to a current navy pilot who is frustrated with establishing his personal life in the Navy.
I am extremely lucky to be in the position I am in and as some of you mentioned I do have a bit cold feet. I hope that is normal. I was so committed to SNA when I applied and was selected and for the past year I've been waiting, but as the date approaches I can't help but worry about how I will handle the lifestyle transition. After all, I only have heard/read accounts of the naval aviation lifestyle and never been through it firsthand. I'm just nervous about a 10 year commitment that I am sort of going into blind.
Dude.I know I will probably receive a lot of backlash for this but I must ask this so I can make sure I make the right decision for my life.
I was selected for SNA in May 2022 and recently received an OCS date (13Aug2023). As that date draws near, I have really questioned if becoming a naval aviator is right for me. This has come after much thought and conversations with current and past naval aviators. One thing I know for sure is that I want to serve my country as Naval Officer and I would be honored to earn such a title. However, when I think about my other goals in life, such as being there for my family and one day building a family of my own, I can't help but question if I can make the commitment of 10+ years in the Navy and its challenging lifestyle. From everything I have read and heard, Supply Corps would be a better fit for me and the 4 year commitment seems much more digestible.
Can I push back my Aug OCS date so that I can apply for the next Supply board without giving up my spot as an SNA? If I do apply for Supply, will the board hold it against me that I originally applied for SNA?
I am so very grateful to have the opportunity to enter naval aviation, as I've always wanted to be a pilot, but I feel like I'd be risking my other life goals.
If you go P-8’s deployments aren’t tied to ships, you’ll be able to FaceTime your family every night, and as a bonus avoid Norfolk. In the same amount of time the previous person mentioned it would take to just get wings (all CONUS btw) you would have done multiple deployments as a SUPPO.Dude.
PLEASE take the opportunity and go to OCS. PLEASE. I know you want to be a naval aviator deep down, just by reading this. Don't sacrifice your dream for the possibility that achieving that dream could be difficult at times. I know I'm a random person on the internet, but trust me when I say I know SO many people that have done 10 years as an aviator and have a great family life. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. You have cold feet. Supply is not going to be a better(or newly as fulfilling) life for you over the next four years.
2.5 years flight school+FRS(doable with family life, but you likely won't even have to worry about that)
3 years sea tour(2-3 deployments)
3 years shore(VERY doable with family life)
remaining 1.5 years disassociated(one deployment)
You're looking at 3 eight month deployments in 10 years. The probalitly that you have a wife and kids during more than one of those deployments is EXTREMELY low. Would you give up your dream career because you didn't want to go on ONE deployment whilst having a wife and kids? The answer is unequivocally no.
Also don't believe the advice that "if you're doubting it now, you won't make it". That is not good advice, due respect to anyone who said that. Nobody on this form knows what goes on inside your head, and don't let them tell you they do. Go to OCS, become a freaking Naval Aviator, and prove them wrong.
I'm 20 years old. In ROTC. I don't have a lot of life experience, but when I went to college my girlfriend was trying to convince me that the Naval Aviation commitment would be too hard on us. She had me prepared to DOR. I broke up with her by the end of my first semester. The point is, if I did what you are considering doing(giving up the dream), it would have been the biggest regret of my life.
You will find the right person and build a family just fine.
Imagine you do go supply. 4 and dive. Don't get married until 30. Don't have a kid until 33. Would've been out of the Navy by the time you would've got out as a pilot. You would be regretting that for the rest of your life all the way until you are on your death bed. I promise.
It might be hard, but take the risk and be the person that you wanted to be when you applied. I promise you can do it.
Live your dream man. Please.
I know I will probably receive a lot of backlash for this but I must ask this so I can make sure I make the right decision for my life.
I was selected for SNA in May 2022 and recently received an OCS date (13Aug2023). As that date draws near, I have really questioned if becoming a naval aviator is right for me. This has come after much thought and conversations with current and past naval aviators. One thing I know for sure is that I want to serve my country as Naval Officer and I would be honored to earn such a title. However, when I think about my other goals in life, such as being there for my family and one day building a family of my own, I can't help but question if I can make the commitment of 10+ years in the Navy and its challenging lifestyle. From everything I have read and heard, Supply Corps would be a better fit for me and the 4 year commitment seems much more digestible.
Can I push back my Aug OCS date so that I can apply for the next Supply board without giving up my spot as an SNA? If I do apply for Supply, will the board hold it against me that I originally applied for SNA?
I am so very grateful to have the opportunity to enter naval aviation, as I've always wanted to be a pilot, but I feel like I'd be risking my other life goals.
Mileage varies. I deployed four times totaling about 21 months over 10 years, and various exercises and detachments on the home cycle took me from home about another 3 months total. I still wouldn't consider that excessive, but some may feel differently. I'm sure many have deployed more/for longer.Even as a helo pilot, in my first 10 years of service (my min commitment) I was only deployed for 10.5 months total, split between two deployments.
I remember at a meeting with the CO of my training squadron, and he looked at me and asks what my plans were. I said that I was thinking of heading down to the beach for the weekend for a volleyball tournament, and hoped to not get sunburned as it was painful to put on all the flight gear when burned. Much later I realized I was answering a different question than what he was asking.For those of you who established families while in naval aviation or while your S/O was in the naval aviation, what did you find helped you succeed in doing so?
Like the joke, death or bunga.For the love of god don't become a SuppO to in hopes of a better of quality of life.
There are 200 million women in this country, and one US Navy. Think about it.If I read between the lines I would say the reason you are even having these incredibly stupid thoughts is because of your break up. I had a good friend that was kicking ass in flight school but DOR ‘d because he thought it would get his ex back.
There are 200 million women in this country, and one US Navy. Think about it.