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Nontraditional start career advice

OscarMyers

Well-Known Member
None
I really appreciate all the great advice you guys provided. On a side note is anyone familiar with or a member of The Golden Eagles they asked us for some MIDN volunteers for their reunion in April. I'm trying like hell to be on that volunteer list.
 

BusyBee604

St. Francis/Hugh Hefner Combo!
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
On a side note is anyone familiar with or a member of The Golden Eagles they asked us for some MIDN volunteers for their reunion in April. I'm trying like hell to be on that volunteer list.

OM, have you called the Golden Eagles office to find out the procedure for getting on the volunteer list?
My former CO in VA-146 (1966-'67), is a Ret. VADM and a Golden Eagle. If you need a recommendation, send me an e-mail to bzb604@cox.net with a short personal background & statement saying why you wish to volunteer. If volunteer criteria is complete, I'll forward to him.:)
BzB (MAS-ERAU Phoeniz '89)
 

robav8r

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
I understand I'm in a different boat then the majority of my soon to be peers, but regardless this is who i will be competing with for advancement.

Yes & no. I can tell you unequivocably that the reason I made it through flight school (I had 18 years prior time) was because of following the advice of those that went before me. I joined a study group with two, TACAIR NFO's who were much smarter than me and I never talked about or referenced my prior time. Flight school has been "working" for a very long time and they have the recipe pretty well refined. Study your ass off, be a good human being and exercise leadership when the situation warrants, the rest will take care of itself . . . . .
 

EM1toNFO

Killing insurgents with my 'messages'!!
None
I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel here at SNFO primary. I was commissioned at 30 (with 12 years in) and turned 31 just 3 weeks later. I can confirm what everyone has said thus far. You have to stand a watch or two that is utterly retarded. You have to learn to enjoy your huge slice of humble pie and "play" the, I'm just a dumb ENS game. You absolutely must group study with those who are at least 4-5 years younger than you. The instructors typically do think that you should "know better" when either you or another student in your class says or asks a totally stupid question. Just stick with your classmates and they'll stick with you. And finally, remember that this is a training command and that the "real" Navy isn't this way.
 

robav8r

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
. . . You have to learn to enjoy your huge slice of humble pie and "play" the, I'm just a dumb ENS game.

You are absolutely missing the point! Just because you were a "prior" doesn't mean your new status as an Ensign is stupid or somehow is beneath you based on what you did before. Learn to be a good "Ensign" not based on how smart you think you were in your enlisted days, but rather what knowledge, skills & abilities are now required as a Naval Officer.
 

hotmetal

on target
I have seen prior E's with a lot of time under their belt struggle. As was stated above, you will be older than most others. Resist the notion you are different/better and make sure to intergrate yourself into your class/squadron. [...]

People tend to study with people similar to them... [...] You might be one-of-a-kind in some situations and if you try to go it alone, you might not make it through. CNATRA has a term for students like this (you) but I forget the label. Something like "high risk group" or the like. Since you are different than the standard widget you tend to hang out on the fringes of your new peer group and never really fit in. Most students that don't fit in struggle to do well. CNATRA has loads of data to support this theory and I have personally seen it happen.


Other than additional uniform bling, you're no different than any other ensign in the Tracom, and it will make no difference in your career. [...] Shed the idea that you're different right now. Prior enlisted was one of the 'perfect storm' risk factors we looked for in students. They often tended to treat the program like "just another Navy bullshit school," didn't study enough, wouldn't do group study, etc and so on.

You reset your salty meter when you became an O. Accept it and get your head into Dumb Ensign Mode.

Damn. I am prior, married and have children, and I definitely feel strange socializing with my younger peer group, so I generally don't. Having had an instructor and a few priors explain the risk factors of this behavior has really opened my eyes--especially the bit about just another Navy BS school. I'm not saying that I believed flight school would be a cake walk, but after you've been indoctrinated in the Navy for awhile, you tend to expect things to be a certain way. Can someone please create a thread and sticky this? This advise is invaluable for people like me.

Edit: A sticky in the API/ Primary forum may be best.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I am prior, married and have children, and I definitely feel strange socializing with my younger peer group
Why? Just be one of the guys, go out for beers, have them over for BBQ/football/etc. These are the things you're going to be expected to do as a JO in your fleet squadron, so you might as well start now. I've always enjoyed it - keeps you young. :D

Brett
 

hotmetal

on target
Why? Just be one of the guys, go out for beers, have them over for BBQ/football/etc. These are the things you're going to be expected to do as a JO in your fleet squadron, so you might as well start now. I've always enjoyed it - keeps you young. :D

Brett

You're probably right, and the older we all get, the less obvious the age difference becomes in the long run anyway.
 

robav8r

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
Damn. I am prior, married and have children, and I definitely feel strange socializing with my younger peer group, so I generally don't.

So it's OK to alienate the younger JO's because you consider yourself more "seasoned" wrt the Navy? What do you think will happen when the time comes to put your total and complete trust in your "younger" squadron mates or, they have to put their trust in you? You are an equal member of a very special family, embrace them . . .
 

hotmetal

on target
So it's OK to alienate the younger JO's because you consider yourself more "seasoned" wrt the Navy? What do you think will happen when the time comes to put your total and complete trust in your "younger" squadron mates or, they have to put their trust in you? You are an equal member of a very special family, embrace them . . .

I think you're jumping the gun a bit. Younger, as in age/ maturity, is the main factor for me. I'm about as green as ensigns get, I'm still waiting for orders to leave my school. You might be able to understand then why I would find it harder to fit into the 20-21 year old crowd of people lurking around the college... It has nothing to do with trust. People like what they are familiar with, and I just will have to work on relating to my peers a little more than your standard ensign will. However, knowing that prior to flight school will make a big difference, and that is what I was trying to stress--that's what I am thankful for.
 
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