Carrier deployments

[Tycho_Brohe]

I have a question regarding the OP. During the first three years or so of sea duty, what do you do between deployments? Is that free time, or would there be training exercises or something during that time?
Just to clarify, asking about NA/NFO's in particular.

 

[scoolbubba]

I have a question regarding the OP. During the first three years or so of sea duty, what do you do between deployments? Is that free time, or would there be training exercises or something during that time?
Just to clarify, asking about NA/NFO's in particular.

Take vacations, mostly. Also, play a lot of greased up beach volleyball.

 

[squorch2]

Training flights. Ground jobs. Paperwork. Rediscovering family/friends.

 

[Aquonox]

I was curious about anyone's thoughts regarding the new deployment plans the Navy has for the carrier strike groups and air wings (1 workup period, 7 month deployment, 7 months at home, another 7 month deployment).

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...ore-frequently.html?comp=7000023317843&rank=2

On the one hand, you only do one workup period (for 2 deployments) and the deployments are supposedly going to be more predictable (no more surges). On the other hand, you deploy more often.

Thoughts?

 

[e6bflyer]

I was curious about anyone's thoughts regarding the new deployment plans the Navy has for the carrier strike groups and air wings (1 workup period, 7 month deployment, 7 months at home, another 7 month deployment).

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...ore-frequently.html?comp=7000023317843&rank=2

On the one hand, you only do one workup period (for 2 deployments) and the deployments are supposedly going to be more predictable (no more surges). On the other hand, you deploy more often.

Thoughts?

Oh, you mean the Lincoln plan?
It should do wonders for retention.

 

[Renegade One]

Take vacations, mostly. Also, play a lot of greased up shirtless, dog-tag beach volleyball.

FIFY.

 

[Renegade One]

The first Romeo squadron was also the first one made from scratch, which is what I was referring to with the "all the golden children show up at the same place" comment. That hurt a lot of people.

The first two F-14 Tomcat squadron bubbas can tell you chapter and verse how this shitty this can be. Nine…count 'em..NINE LCDR's per squadron….some of whom were the Coffee Mess Officers. One of them was my "opposite number" when I was a LTJG CMO in VF-111 and he asked me to pick up their wooden aircraft models in Cubi Point...

For every mission that a Super JO flies, that is one less mission (and expirience building oportunity) that a first tour LT gets to fly as either a HAC or a Copilot.
Contact time on real sub is at a premium, but every hour the Super JO gets is one less hour than a first tour LT gets. The result is your first tour LTs will have a little bit less expirience than they could when they go off to the FRS, WWS, or TRACOM.

Uh…why? Is the Copilot required to wear a blindfold and ear plugs? Honestly, isn't the whole thing about "contact time on a real sub" more about actually learning and internalizing the myriad things and tactics required? How much hard-dick/stiff-nipple "Do some of that pilot shit, Mav" stick and collective stuff is really involved? I'm guessing that being the "not in control" pilot hours are pretty sweet for those who pay attention to, and really want to understand, the mission. I've been wrong before...

 

[BusyBee604]

I was curious about anyone's thoughts regarding the new deployment plans the Navy has for the carrier strike groups and air wings (1 workup period, 7 month deployment, 7 months at home, another 7 month deployment).

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...ore-frequently.html?comp=7000023317843&rank=2

On the one hand, you only do one workup period (for 2 deployments) and the deployments are supposedly going to be more predictable (no more surges). On the other hand, you deploy more often.

Thoughts?

If they can stick to that 7 mo./7mo. off., while in a wartime situation (a bit better than Vietnam).

My personal experience:
RANGER (CVW-14) - 10 Dec. '65 to 6 Aug. '66 = ~8 mos.
~8 mo. turnaround
CONNIE (CVW-14) - 29 Apr. '67 to 4 Dec. '67 = ~7.5 mo

MIDWAY (CVW-5) - 16 Apr. '71 to 6 Nov. '71 = ~7 mos.
~6 mo. turnaround (departed 6 wks. early)
MIDWAY (CVW-5) - 21 Apr. '72 to 21Feb. '73 = 10 mos. (extended by Linebacker II)

Wartime deployments are hard to plan long range... always subject to sudden changes!
BzB

 

[pilot_man]

They try to sell this as better because it's going to be more predictable. What a bunch of horse shit. If you want to screw your people, then just tell them you're screwing them. Don't try to hide the pile of shit in some chocolate and tell me it's a cake. There is nothing predictable about the Navy. Something will happen to a reactor. A ship will take longer in the yards. And someone is going to have to cover their ass and now really get screwed.

 

[EODDave]

This will not help the retention problem the Navy has right now within the VFA community. Not sure how the other communities are doing, but VFA guys started bailing in larger numbers the last two years and its not getting better this year.

 

[Renegade One]

If you want to screw your people, then just tell them you're screwing them. Don't try to hide the pile of shit in some chocolate and tell me it's a cake.

I hope that's not exactly how you start out your talks with your folks. If so, we really need to work on our people skills.

Three paths avail:
1. Be part of the problem…tell everyone who works for you how much your/their life sucks and how it will probably suck worse. You'll be their hero. 360 Degree assessments are important.
2. Be part of the solution…articulate reality as best you know it and promise to keep your folks informed as well as you are kept informed. You will be less popular…you may be viewed as "part of the machine". 360 degree assessments may suffer…in one hemisphere.
3. Be a Leader…"Okay, we've been served a shit sandwich for the next [X] months. Skipper doesn't control that, and, as you know, he's as frustrated as any of us…but WE can control what we do with it. What can we do in that time to prep and be ready for life after this? Let's go around the room…Chief?"

Now, before any of you wade in and say "Thanks, Captain Obvious, for telling us how to do our jobs…", let me just say that I can only comment on what actually gets posted here.

Apropos of nothing whatsoever, we had a very nice "gathering of the Clan" at last night's San Diego Tailhook Ready Room" gathering…former CNAFs on down to Senior Enlisted…and some of us huddled around a cool adult beverage and AGREED…we'd never experienced anything like you guys and gals are going through before…even during the post-Vietnam drawdowns nor during the budgetary limitations of "The Carter Years". SO…yeah…it's new. Mostly the "new" seems to do with "home based"…but the "deployed stuff" (or preps for same) is nothing new.

Don't envy your position. But this forum had led me to believe we've picked, over the last decade or so, "the best of the best". All we can ask is that you prove us right...

 

[exNavyOffRec]

That deployment schedule will work, if they plan on refueling these carriers earlier, I can tell you first hand how skewed the EFPH chart was on the Lincoln after her 10 month, and if it wasn't for the extra time in the yards a short time later it wouldn't have been fixed.

 

[helolumpy]

We're presently riding all our platforms hard and putting them away wet. This will only lead to less maintenance availabilities for our ships.
The 6 month deployment every 24 months worked well for 40 years, if it ain't broke, then lets try to find a stupid way to make it less effective!

 

[helolumpy]

Uh…why? Is the Copilot required to wear a blindfold and ear plugs? Honestly, isn't the whole thing about "contact time on a real sub" more about actually learning and internalizing the myriad things and tactics required? How much hard-dick/stiff-nipple "Do some of that pilot shit, Mav" stick and collective stuff is really involved? I'm guessing that being the "not in control" pilot hours are pretty sweet for those who pay attention to, and really want to understand, the mission. I've been wrong before...

This debate started as should helo squadrons have a Super JO in the squadron or a position on the CAG staff ( we are not getting both)
The decision was that it was better to get our pilots experience on a staff learning something new vice being in a squadron again.
On the flying side a CAG staffer will fly a bit less than a regular member of the squadron. So by having someone who has a good level of experience in the aircraft being available to fly, he's not getting the same number of hours as a LT in the squadron. That means there is MORE flight time available for those LTs in the squadron to build their experience levels. Learning your mission requires time in the cockpit, so by getting those first tour HACs as much time as possible, you're making them better before they got to the RAG, NSAWC, WWS or CNATRA to train the future.

That's my point. We need a large number of experienced pilots not a small cadre of "pros from Dover that some advocate for.

 

[pilot_man]

I hope that's not exactly how you start out your talks with your folks. If so, we really need to work on our people skills.

Three paths avail:
1. Be part of the problem…tell everyone who works for you how much your/their life sucks and how it will probably suck worse. You'll be their hero. 360 Degree assessments are important.
2. Be part of the solution…articulate reality as best you know it and promise to keep your folks informed as well as you are kept informed. You will be less popular…you may be viewed as "part of the machine". 360 degree assessments may suffer…in one hemisphere.
3. Be a Leader…"Okay, we've been served a shit sandwich for the next [X] months. Skipper doesn't control that, and, as you know, he's as frustrated as any of us…but WE can control what we do with it. What can we do in that time to prep and be ready for life after this? Let's go around the room…Chief?"

Now, before any of you wade in and say "Thanks, Captain Obvious, for telling us how to do our jobs…", let me just say that I can only comment on what actually gets posted here.

Apropos of nothing whatsoever, we had a very nice "gathering of the Clan" at last night's San Diego Tailhook Ready Room" gathering…former CNAFs on down to Senior Enlisted…and some of us huddled around a cool adult beverage and AGREED…we'd never experienced anything like you guys and gals are going through before…even during the post-Vietnam drawdowns nor during the budgetary limitations of "The Carter Years". SO…yeah…it's new. Mostly the "new" seems to do with "home based"…but the "deployed stuff" (or preps for same) is nothing new.

Don't envy your position. But this forum had led me to believe we've picked, over the last decade or so, "the best of the best". All we can ask is that you prove us right...

My parents don't read this board and I thought this was a website for WARFIGHTERS and Navy warfighters at that.

Once again I think you missed what I was saying in my post, so let me be explicitly clear with you. I LIKE GOING TO SEA. I LIKE BEING ON THE BOAT. I LIKE FLYING TOP OF THE LINE FIGHTERS OFF THE FRONT END OF SOVEREIGN US STEEL. I have no problem going to sea for 6 or 7 months, being home for the same, and then going right back out. I actually enjoy it.
What I do have a problem with is the bullshit. I do have a problem with leadership not being upfront with their people. Telling us that this new plan is "better" because it will be more predictable is a crock of shit.
If the deployment schedule needs to change then change it. Don't try to act like it's going to be better for us though. In doing so, leadership hasn't fit any of your 3 choices. Nowhere in your leadership paths is "lie and tell your troops that this will be good for them, when we all know it won't be."