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What do NFOs do after the Navy?

nacky5010

New Member
Is it common/likely to get a job for Lockheed Martin or Boeing, or do NFOs usually do something unrelated to their job in the military?
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Welcome to the private sector . . . where you can do whatever you can convince a hiring manager that you're able to do. At least unless/until you somehow BSed your way there. In which case goodbye, clean out your desk, wash, rinse, repeat.

Some people work for the military-industrial complex. Some get civilian ratings and work for the airlines. Some work in law enforcement. You name it. Me, I herd cats . . . I mean software developers for a living.
 

P3 F0

Well-Known Member
None
If you invest over 20, make O-5, are reasonably smart with your money while in, and live in a relatively LCOL place, you can retire altogether. I've seen it done.

I did not hit all those wickets, and am still working a second career as a Fed.
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
You might just as well have asked, what does a SWO do after the Navy, or a pilot that does not want to go on to the airlines, or a submariner. Like @nittany03 said, you can do just about whatever you can talk someone into letting you try. LCDR worked for me in the Reserves was a business development guy for (then) MacDouglas trying to sell F-18s to Poland after the Iron Curtin fell. Was he a F-18 pilot? No. Not even a TACAIR pilot of any flavor. Was he a F-14 RIO? Nope. Not even a TACAIR NFO of any variety. He was a Surface Warfare Officer who's last active duty assignment was...wait for it... as his ship's antisubmarine officer.

One buddy of mine was a NFO on EP-3s. Got a job offer to help develop an Army guided artillery shell for some big defense company. Don't be limited.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
To the OP: Usually people who ask these kinds of questions are asking it in the wrong way. You seem to be in a field where you’re unhappy, or unfulfilled, or you wouldn’t be considering a career change in your 30s. Implicit in your question is another one: What are my options if I also don’t like being an NFO. Before committing 10 years of your life to something you aren’t sure about, it’s time to do some introspection and figure out what you’re passionate about.

Many of the people who have made a career as military aviators are people who have been dreaming about flying airplanes since they were young. There’s no doubt that this business can be fun, rewarding, exciting, and all the other positive things you may have heard. It’s also a lot of work, there will be many, many personal sacrifices and it will take a toll on your family and other relationships. So, before you decide that this path is right for you, I would urge you to do some soul searching to make sure you’re doing this for the right reasons.

You’re asking about P-8 NFOs. You don’t get to choose what platform you fly. You should be asking about all the platforms NFOs fly, because you will, more than likely, end up in one of those.

This site is a tremendous resource. Do your homework and ask smart questions. Nobody here can tell you whether a career as an NFO is right for you.
 
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