Platform locations/Going westcoast

[incubus852]

I'm about to start primary here in just a short while. I can't say how stoked i am to have even gotten into flight school and made it this far. what i've realized as far as selecting goes, I don't care what i get for the most part, as long as it flies. Everything has it's advantages and I don't think I've met an aviator bitter because of their platform (same can't be said for SWOs...).

My question pertains to going west coast...

Regardless of platform, do I have a good shot at ending up out there?

I know the following
E2s - Pt. Mugu
C2s - San Diego
60s - San Diego
Hornets - Lemoore
P3s - Whidbey (?)

If there are any E2/C2 guys out there, I'd like to talk a bit about those communities.

 

[scoober78]

hey guys,

i'm about to start primary here in just a short while. i can't say how stoked i am to have even gotten into flight school and made it this far. what i've realized as far as selecting goes, i don't care what i get for the most part, as long as it flies.

my question pertains to going westcoast...

regardless of platform, do i have a good shot at ending up out there?

I know the following
E2s - pt mugu
C2s - san diego
60s - san diego
hornets - lemoore
P3s - whidbey (?)

I'd say 50/50!

Yes, there are P-3's at Whidbey both in VP (straight stick P-3's) and VQ varieties. There are also EA-6B's at Whidbey which sometime in the future will become Shockers aka...Growlers. Plenty of opportunities for West Coast tours...but like anything in the military, there are no sure things. It usually pays to be a winner, so study hard, do well. Good luck.

Good luck. Enjoy flight school.

 

[incubus852]

I'd say 50/50!

I was just asking for that... I thought it might be lopsided because more squadrons on one coast versus the other? Any truth to that?

And how can you select for prowlers/ future growlers right now?

 

[scoober78]

I was just asking for that... I thought it might be lopsided because more squadrons on one coast versus the other? Any truth to that?

And how can you select for prowlers/ future growlers right now?

There might be truth there...I'll defer to someone else there.

Finish primary with a 50 or higher NSS, put tailhook on your sheet and be fortunate enough to be selected for it. Perform well at Advanced, select (or be selected?) for jets (vice E2C2) then select Prowlers? Jet guys? My hearsay understanding is that if you make the jet cut, Prowlers are not a popular choice, but again...hearsay from a prop guy.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

"What percentage get west coast???"

This will be looming around the forums for a while.

 

[Pcola04/30]

For the COD side of the house....lately (last year and a half) west coast COD slots have been few and far between. Since there are only two C-2 squadrons in the CONUS you would think it would be pretty damn close to 50/50. Even taking into account guys rolling to shore tours at different times and all that jazz, it is hard to logically answer why the COD slots seem to tilt toward the east coast. Not that it really suprises me, but odd none the less.

 

[BACONATOR]

Listen man. I am in the EXACT same boat as you (albeit slightly farther ahead). I am from Socal and WANT to get a california (read: socal) duty station, almost to the point of being more important to me than airframe selection. My preference is first E2/C2 and then F/A-18, so we are pretty much in the same boat.

My suggestion is pick an airframe, and just go with it. You WON'T have a huge say into where you end up, and even when you do, it will be in the toward the end of flight training (RAG or just before?), so don't sweat it at this point. There is a LOT more ahead of both of us before duty station selection becomes an issue.

 

[ArkhamAsylum]

On the green side of the house (in helos, anyway), they allow us to do a coast-over-platform type of selection. Is this not the case elsewhere?

 

[incubus852]

so i assume that after you put your choices in for tailhook, maritime, helos or tacamo for advanced, you then at the end of advanced put your choices in for where you want to go with said platform... right? except for helos, as said above?

 

[SemperGumbi]

I would call Lemoore west, not west coast.

 

[insanebikerboy]

so i assume that after you put your choices in for tailhook, maritime, helos or tacamo for advanced, you then at the end of advanced put your choices in for where you want to go with said platform... right? except for helos, as said above?

You're gonna select your pipeline first, then after you finish advanced and get your wings, your location. It wouldn't be wise picking a pipeline purely based on possible duty locations as you may never actually get to that duty station.

That said, most every platform has squadrons on both coasts, except -53's, and some overseas stations.

 

[insanebikerboy]

I would call Lemoore west, not west coast.

Yeah, Lemoore's what, at least 2-3 hours from the nearest beach?

 

[FLYTPAY]

Finish primary with a 50 or higher NSS, put tailhook on your sheet and be fortunate enough to be selected for it. Perform well at Advanced, select (or be selected?) for jets (vice E2C2) then select Prowlers? Jet guys? My hearsay understanding is that if you make the jet cut, Prowlers are not a popular choice, but again...hearsay from a prop guy.

Aim a bit higher than 50, remember half the people should technically be above 50 and half below...pardon my voodoo math, engineering majors......A guy who wanted Prowlers out of Meridian this month got Charlie model Hornets so there are people who want Prowlers.

 

[Harrier Dude]

Remember, the coast you get is only for your first set of orders. Nothing is set in stone past that. Plus, orders have changed at the RAG before, so beware getting too comfy with where you're going. Be prepared for the opposite.

What airframe you get is fairly well set in stone from the beginning. Choose wisely.

 

[mb1k]

And how can you select for prowlers/ future growlers right now?

Do well, get tail hook NSS, cross your fingers for a "good" selection week, and be "top hook" at the boat during CQs and you'll most likely get Prowlers whether you want to or not.

Or not, see above post. Weeks are fickle...

Something disheartening though, I talked to a disgruntled LTJG on the crew bus in Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB) that hated life because he was "top hook", commodore's list, 70-something NSS and got Prowler's. Prowler's the more challenging to get aboard the boat between the two. The disheartening part was that this stoonod couldn't find one good thing about his job, profession, platform, community, etc. He felt so entitled that he should've gotten Hornets. I should've just told him outright to get over it, move on. But I didn't.