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Winging next month. Any suggestions on what to select?

kejo

Well-Known Member
pilot
There's no easy way to answer this question. You could get your first choice, be super happy with it, then get to a squadron full of jackasses and hate life. On the other hand, you could get one of your last choices (like me!) and wind up in a squadron with great people (for the most part) and come out of it with some stellar experiences.

The only recommendation I give students (and this is coming from an HSL guy) is to shoot for the newer platforms, particularly the 60R if you like the HSL/HSM mission.

A common misconception of HSM is that it's all CRUDES...there are and will be more carrier (CV) based squadrons in addition to the traditional expeditionary. If you're in one of those, you'll likely spend your time split between the carrier and the small boys, so you'll get to see the best (and worst) of both worlds. Most of those squadrons purposefully split time between the two for their H2Ps to give them the experience.
 

ChunksJR

Retired.
pilot
Contributor
I'm not really sure what you're saying here. Are you saying that because there are fewer aviators (and "YOU" aren't going to be the only one as a JO), you have more duty? If so, not true at all. There's no duty on a small boy other than shore patrol, and even that might be hit and miss, depending on the det, OIC and ship. Even then, SP is one day and you spend it out and about with everyone else, you just can't drink.

Compare that to ODO or SDO or whatever you call it on a carrier, and it's much less duty. I'm guessing HSC is similar to HSM in the duty thing while deployed, minus the SP (again, a guess).

Yeah, I kinda went off on a disassoc. tour idea too...either way...I, personally, will continue to avoid being cornered by shoes as much as possible. I know 1-2 guys that actually enjoyed being on a small boy for their disassoc tour and about 50/50 as a JO in HSL land detted to the CRUDESFRG.

As for HSL communities that I have heard accolades from: HSL-37 (Barbour's PT), HSL-51 (Atsugi, JPN). I've never heard anyone NOT enjoy those tours. Thanks for the re-rack Dev.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Yeah, I kinda went off on a disassoc. tour idea too...either way...I, personally, will continue to avoid being cornered by shoes as much as possible. I know 1-2 guys that actually enjoyed being on a small boy for their disassoc tour and about 50/50 as a JO in HSL land detted to the CRUDESFRG.

As for HSL communities that I have heard accolades from: HSL-37 (Barbour's PT), HSL-51 (Atsugi, JPN). I've never heard anyone NOT enjoy those tours. Thanks for the re-rack Dev.

Yeah, I'm not saying HSL/M is the end all be all or that it's better (or worse) than HSC, just pointing out a misconception some may have. I haven't experienced carrier life underway, but my time on and around the carrier confirms, for me, that I prefer small(er) ship life, be it CRUDES or AOx.

By the way, -37 is at Kaneohe, not Barbor's. They moved over ten years ago. But yeah, I loved living there, even if the squadron wasn't always the best place to be.
 

helolumpy

Apprentice School Principal
pilot
Contributor
Yeah, I kinda went off on a disassoc. tour idea too...either way...I, personally, will continue to avoid being cornered by shoes as much as possible. I know 1-2 guys that actually enjoyed being on a small boy for their disassoc tour and about 50/50 as a JO in HSL land detted to the CRUDESFRG.

As for HSL communities that I have heard accolades from: HSL-37 (Barbour's PT), HSL-51 (Atsugi, JPN). I've never heard anyone NOT enjoy those tours. Thanks for the re-rack Dev.

I've done 4 carrier deployments. 1 deployment on a USNS and 2 months on a CG for a SHAREM-Ex. Each has it's own benefits and issues.
The carrier is the center of Power projection and Naval Aviation. I loved being part of the Airwing. I had better connectivity than on the CG. The Wardroom was open 22 hours a day which was great.

The Cruiser was great because I wasn't pressured to get off the deck exactly on time because I wasn't going to screw up the cycle if I was 5 minutes late. Shoes own the CG, so you have to play by their rules. No bags In the wardroom, food only available during short windows. Much smaller gym too.

The MSC Ship was great. I had my own stateroom, head and a POTS line in my room. Drawback was I really feel like I was in the Navy. Food was actually worse than any ship I was on with the exception of the JFK.

Cruiser was better for port calls since I wasn't with 5,000 of my favorite people!

The MSC ship didn't get the MWR tours set up like a carrier does. But odds are you'll be able to find more people who share your interests on a carrier. On the CVN I was never lacking for dive buddies. On the MSC ship I was the only diver...

Long story short, everything has strengths and weaknesses. Since you'll probably end up in shiny new helos, I would recommend you put a location and let the chips fall where they may. (it's not like 35+year old Sea Kinghts are an option like they were for me).

Just remeber Your career is what YOU make of it. Every unit, aircraft and mission has parts that suck. But, if you embrace the challenges you are presented you may find any aircraft as the most rewarding thing you could possible imagine.

What ever you get will end up being The best kept secret in Naval Aviation. I hope you have as much fun as I and many others on this site have had.
 

illinijoe05

Nachos
pilot
I'm going to put the plug in for HM...
Dont want to go to the boat? No prob. I had 3 weeks of sea time on my JO tour (hitching a ride to and from Thailand...well worth it). You WILL NOT do a 6 month boat deployment.
Want to go interesting places? In my time at HM-14 here is a brief list of the places J.O.s were flying...Japan, Okinawa, Thailand, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Haiti, Korea, Bahrain, Papa New Guiniea, Palau, Solomons ( I think), Vietnam, Singapore, British Columbia, Hawaii....the list goes on.
Want a tight knit group of pals? 18-20 JOs in an HM squadron (Not huge like HSC/HSM not tiny like HSC CVN).
Can I make any money? If you go HM-14 you will deploy at least once (usually twice) to korea making $70 a day per diem for 6 months. Hm-15 is bahrain at $120 a day.
Wanna splode shit? Ok no hellfire but we do have the ramp mounted GAU-21 which is pretty fun to shoot. Also two window mounted 50 cals.
But I dont want to tow all the time....I logged approimatly 100 hours of tow. The other 700 were doing other stuff.
Want good shore duty orders? The helo placement officer is ALWAYS an HM pilot, and they take care of HM pilots.
To sum it up. I didnt ask for HM, but it damn sure was the best deal I never asked for.
 

jt71582

How do you fly a Clipper?
pilot
Contributor
^ can't really argue with that. And "splode shit" made me laugh. :)

How are those '53s holding up though? Are they the P3's of the Helo world, always broken? (honest question...I don't know much about your side of things)
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
Each community has their "hollywood" missions that everyone wants to do and then they have their "actual" missions that will you will spend most of your time doing.

HSC - Hollywood: SOF, ASUW, PR; Actual: Ass and Trash, Starboard D
HSM - Hollywood: ASW, ASUW; Actual: SSC
HM - Hollywood: flying a monster helo; Actual: ground turns
 

Jim123

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998
pilot
Each community has their "hollywood" missions that everyone wants to do and then they have their "actual" missions that will you will spend most of your time doing.

HSC - Hollywood: SOF, ASUW, PR; Actual: Ass and Trash, Starboard D
HSM - Hollywood: ASW, ASUW; Actual: SSC
HM - Hollywood: flying a monster helo; Actual: ground turns

HT- Hollywood: N/A; Actual: getting thousands of flight hours :D
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
What are JO's leaving with after their first sea tour? I can speak for HM: ~1000 - 1100.
It seems like most HM guys I know got fewer hours than that, but I only have a few data points. A few years ago ~1k+/-100 was par for HSC(exp).
 

MasterBates

Well-Known Member
I did 42 in months in HSL-42 from 2003-2007, and left with 706 60B hours, and about 20 60F/60H/60R hours from fam/good deals.

Last two years of the tour, we were under pretty bad FLM flight hour restrictions though.
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
Each community has their "hollywood" missions that everyone wants to do and then they have their "actual" missions that will you will spend most of your time doing.

HSC - Hollywood: SOF, ASUW, PR; Actual: Ass and Trash, Starboard D
HSM - Hollywood: ASW, ASUW; Actual: SSC
HM - Hollywood: flying a monster helo; Actual: ground turns

Every time I hear an HSC guy say what he does, the first one of the 20-odd missions he lists is "carrying SEALs."

Granted, my perspective is slightly different from Marineland, but I've seen HSC pick up more Harrier pilots out of the water than I've seen them carry SEALs.
 
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