Flying attache? As an FAO? Can we do that if our designator changed?
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P-8 career advice -shore tours, sea tours, & more (oh my!)
- Thread starter SaturdaysR4theBuoys
- Start date
It's not really an MBA I was more spitballing. My bachelors is in civil engineering and that was the one thing I've been good at.
I'm open to anything, everyone has given great advice. Luckily I have some time to digest it. As wild of an idea as it is, I think I'm looking for something that allows me at least some sort of control (or illusion of it).
Yes, (pilots only) for up to 10 years after the designator change. There are a limited number of embassies with C-12s, but several of them are FAO billets.
No wouldn't that be the life! If the chances are good I'd definitely lean into it.
I keep hear you back tracking about flying. It sounds like you still would enjoy it if it just wasn't with VP. Not the first time I've heard that sentiment from people.
I wouldn't totally discount VTs. From what I keep seeing you write, it might scratch 80-90% of your wishlist and set you up better at your MSR. Yeah, I get it, the dating field isn't the greatest there, but you can travel to other places nearby to look for that. And believe it or not, once you're in your late 20's and beyond, the dating pool actually gets a little bigger in the Pensacola area.
And a lot of them still have all of their teeth!
Being out of the aircraft for several years will make it less likely to get picked up for VP SELRES, if this what you're talking about. It's not impossible, just unlikely since there will likely be other candidates that are not as removed.
Almost complete with DH here in HSC, so totally different ballgame... but not.
My JO's I assume are like you where they get a list each slate of like 50ish options (I assume the number of HSC/HSM/HM bubbas on any given slate +/- a few) and they have to rank literally every single one. From what I've seen, asking for things not listed on that slate is generally met with skepticism from PERS. Our front office also doesn't get clued in on how the JO's rank their slate, at least officially - the detailers claim to not show the front offices either (compared to when I was a JO, I had to turn in my preferences to my XO who in turn turned them into PERS for me).
My recommendations are that you do one of the following:
Scenario A:
1. Schedule a time to speak with your XO.
2. Tell the XO you will continue to do everything you can to continue to qualify and kick butt (and follow through on that).
3. ...But you aren't interested in a production tour and would like a tour that gets you to [location] if at all possible and if he could keep an eye out and advocate with the detailers you're looking to fill a billet overseas on your behalf.
Scenario B:
1. Pray that a tour like that shows up on your slate and rank it #1. Then pray no one else ranked it high.
Understand both come with the distinct possibility of being a Terminal O-3 (something you said you're ok with), of not working out in your favor, and unless you had some delays in flight school, will come with a Disassociated Tour on the back end.
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I can't speak for VP-69 or VP-62, but in the TSW world, I don't think a significantly non-current applicant would even get the time of day during ASB. I mean, they would have to be a really well known rockstar and BNR to overcome that hurdle. It would honestly be a red flag more often than not. But that is because there are very few VFA and VAQ aviators who reach that decision point without being current in something, so it might be apples to oranges comparison with VP, who might commonly be walking out of a shooter/ANAV/TAO/non-flying boat job.....so this might be more normal for the VP reserve selection boards.
That's interesting. It's pretty standard practice at my squadron to talk with XO and cc them on your email back to PERS with your slate. Maybe that's just something we do different
In MPRA the front offices get to weigh in on their opinions of where they think you should go. Their input goes on the form that gets submitted for the JOs.
This is not specific to MPRA.
I may not have explained well enough.
The front offices can and do 100% weigh in and write recommendation for the outgoing crop of JOs on each slate. However, what's different than in the past for HSC (and I assume HSM and HM too) is that:
1. We used to turn in our own preference sheet to the front office for them to review and send to PERS (in theory, able to change it) - JOPA now gets to see the slate and if they never want to talk it over with a DH or the front office, they don't have to. Our #1 did just that recently, although most JO's do ask for some guidance, particularly when they see tours they don't recognize.
2. the JO's now rank EVERY tour out there and are effectively "nomming" for each job on the slate, whereas it used to only be production, then whoever wasn't selected for production would nom for the remainder.
This has two positive effects for JOPA: they can play their cards tight with front offices that state they will rank based on where you want to go (ours have been fantastic in keeping that out of the equation as far as I can tell); and they get to see all the jobs on the slate so they don't have FOMO of "well, what if Whidbey SAR/UCSD ROTC/C-26's Sigonella/name a desirable or cool shore tour is on the non-production side?" and they also then can't argue with the detailers quite as much as I suspect my crop of folks did.
Sounds like you're done with Navy flying. I get that. If you're clear eyed about not making O4 and 20 with that desire, it's all good. I'd ignore everyone here suggesting you apply for random programs like FAO/Olmstead/TPS(??)/PEP/whatever or take VT orders to stay competitive. You might take an MP FITREP, but again, if you're clear eyed about having to go to the boat, get out, and use your GI Bill, so what?
On your shore tour, I don't know how VP is doing them now, but if you're opting out of the flying side, you should have more options as you're competing for things not many people want. Pilots are like crack babies and all we want is flying orders. Being different may open doors. Off the top of my head I know of NATO Allied MARCOM outside London, SNMG-1 and 2 in Europe, and STRIKEFORNATO in Lisbon. I'm sure there are others, but it's a small pool and might not have a bunch of spots for 13xx types (may be SWO/SUB/etc billets)
I'm guessing that's going to start with a conversation with the XO as @DanMa1156 mentioned, probably a year out from your PRD. Ideally you're seen as a contributor and they'll do what they can to help. Again, you might soak up an MP (FITREPs are about promotability as much as performance, and you're telling them you don't want to promote on the community's valued tours, right or wrong).
As far as the Reserves, if you have a pulse, they'll take you for non-flying. Plenty of NATO staffs that always need bodies. Just know you might have to mobilize (think 180/270/365 in someplace sandy) at some point. My first unit was actually support for NS Rota, so 2 weeks of "training" out there if I had stayed with them.
Oh I don't mind if it's VP SELRES or even a flying billet. I'm very much ok with some NATO staff tour or an odds and ends job. My plan is to live abroad after I get out so if I have to sever ties with Uncle Sam so be it. Even this week they pulled some not-so-cool stuff that's pushing me further away from the service.