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Naval Aviations "One" Problem...
- Thread starter Empire16
- Start date
Oh hey, I was thinking I haven't seen you around in a bit.
I wouldn't have thought you'd make it to a primary spot with 500 or so hours. Then again after thinking about it, I'm pretty sure I had a Herc guy as a IP in those days with similar hours, although they couldn't have been the same guy.
I've always wondered why these didn't go out as guard/reserve mobilization orders. Plenty of folks were/are always looking for a set of AD orders to plus up their reserve retirement or even get them over the 20 year equivalent in points mark for an AD retirement. Even just a chance for 6 months to a year to go back on AD for a bit and take a break from the civilian world.
Seems like if the AD needed an extra guy that they didn't have they should dip into the reserve forces- after all, isn't that part of what the reserve forces are supposed to be for?
One would think so, but they’re still tagging people you wouldn’t expect for stuff like this. A buddy of mine left his first sea tour to be an FRS instructor and, upon checking in, they said “welcome aboard, you’ll be IA to Bahrain for 8 months.”
And they ask why there is a retention problem.
@Empire16 Take note of this:
@Meyerkord is your buddy going to stay in Naval Aviation after that tour?
He’ll still have a disassociated left on the plate. Not sure what his plans are post MSR
So he gets an out of cockpit and away from family IA nut punch that turns his 3 year FRS IP gig into a 2 year one (and that nut punch will leave him behind his peers in instructor quals and therefore ranked lower) , but he'll also still have to suck up a shitty boat tour that he probably doesn't want to do?
But hey, at least he has all this diversified experience that makes him a better officer 🙃
I met him and hung out a few times in my multiple stints on Parad-Isa. He got it bad and still wasn't anywhere as jaded as I would expect someone to be, and how many people here are.
He's gone now, and hopefully doing alright on his shore tour, but what a kick in the dick that was.
He’s one of my favorite people I’ve ever met. One of the nicest dudes you’ll ever come across by far. If anyone can turn a situation like that into a positive experience, it would be him.
During my HT tour, we had an officer jump on a grenade for an IA to a UN Peacekeeping Mission in Africa (blue helmet and everything, she had to go through Army courses for shooting, driving, etc.), but the deal she made with the detailer was "this time doesn't count against my shore tour," and made sure our CO and CDRE were well aware of that deal.
Fast forward to her return from Africa and surprise, surprise, gets the email from the detailer telling her she's up for her disassociated tour. "Not so fast, you made this promise."
"Sorry, that was my predecessor, pick a coast and type of boat."
A few emails from CO and higher ups fixed that relatively quickly and she did a lat txfer to the USCG and is still flying.
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FWIW, all of my experiences with PERS except one have been positive, and ironically, the only "bad" detailer I had was for my initial shore duty orders. With that said, I guess I've kind of accepted how the game gets played (cutting shore duty early, making boat tours last as long as possible), and never fought it, but I feel like the rest have been honest brokers with me.
On my current joint tour, I am going to ask to extend about three months so that my kids can, for the first time ever, finish a school year at the same school, but I know that will be a mega fight since they will want to pull me for O-5 sea duty if I don't make command.
3-year FRS IP tour? My friend my friend, you may not be aware that first shore tour orders are being issued for 24-30 months to ensure they have enough time remaining to MSR to be obligated into a disassociated tour.
Racketeering worthy of the Sopranos!
This is my favorite part. OK, Navy, that’s how you play the game? See ya around, I have a cool gig lined up in another service.
Good on the pilot.