Who pins the wings at winging Ceremony? Wife or Dad?

[Beans]

I had my wife do it, and (amongst other defiances of my parents' will) the parentals were not cool w/ it. My logic was that my wife would be my partner throughout all* of what would come, good or bad, because of those wings, so she ought to put them on. Yes, my parents helped me get there, but I had left home 6 years prior, so I was my own man in my mind.

* Per our personal beliefs, we were planning to be successful in that regard, and not hedging our bets for failure.

 

[xj220]

Well there's your first problem, being married (can't waste a perfect opportunity at a marriage joke). In all seriousness, my dad pinned mine. He works in the aviation industry and was one of my biggest supporters and inspirations for becoming a pilot so it meant a lot to the both of us. Ultimately, it's up to the "wingee" as it's a culmination of their hard work and dedication and is really "their" time. Everyone else should enjoy the ceremony for what it is and be happy for those getting their wings as it's a huge accomplishment and a major career milestone.

 

[statesman]

Wife. Parents are always supportive (they should be) but your wife/husband is your present and future.
(My .02 cents)

When the Gold Wings are going on your chest, then do what you want.



Which would be my advice to the OP.

Assuming you're a SNA wife, if you get pissed about who the Winger chooses you should consider getting over yourself. There are already way too many Navy wives in this world who think they earned a commission and a set or wings. You might have been a little neglected during flight school, but you weren't in that 105 degree cockpit with an IP impatiently waiting for your retarded ass to get the engine online and the AC on. You werent the one who after 12 flights took a $1 million airplane out by yourself, and you wont be the one landing that 65k pound piece of iron on a boat, or the 150k warliner on 8000' of runway after flying for 10 hours.

If he chooses the bum down the street to pin his wings he has that right, and you should sit, smile, be proud, and fuck the shit out of him later that night.

But thats just what I think.

 

[helolumpy]

At least in the Navy, most promotions are usually just the wife and maybe kids. (Unlike some Air Force promotions, where it seems they flew in their entire families; it was like a retirement ceremony with all the family involved)

Since the wife is usually the one pinning on the new rank, giving Dad the winging is a fair trade-off. Especially since the Aviator in question should be promoted at least once or twice more in his career, if not many times more.

As Dennis Miller is fond of saying "that's just my opinion, I may be wrong".

 

[e6bflyer]

When the Gold Wings are going on your chest, then do what you want.



Which would be my advice to the OP.

Assuming you're a SNA wife, if you get pissed about who the Winger chooses you should consider getting over yourself. There are already way too many Navy wives in this world who think they earned a commission and a set or wings. You might have been a little neglected during flight school, but you weren't in that 105 degree cockpit with an IP impatiently waiting for your retarded ass to get the engine online and the AC on. You werent the one who after 12 flights took a $1 million airplane out by yourself, and you wont be the one landing that 65k pound piece of iron on a boat, or the 150k warliner on 8000' of runway after flying for 10 hours.

If he chooses the bum down the street to pin his wings he has that right, and you should sit, smile, be proud, and fuck the shit out of him later that night.

But thats just what I think.

I am weeping right now. Sometimes the truth is so beautiful and yet so painful to hear.

 

[statesman]

I am weeping right now. Sometimes the truth is so beautiful and yet so painful to hear.

I have to say... I love the awesome juxtaposition of the O-3 reply (mine) and the O-5 reply (Lumpy).

Same basic message, very different words.

 

[BusyBee604]

I have to say... I love the awesome juxtaposition of the O-3 reply (mine) and the O-5 reply (Lumpy).

Same basic message, very different words.

You both have an awesome command of the language, just different styles, ("Diamond-in-the-rough" JOPA vs "lobotomized" SuperHinge)!
BzB

 

[Catmando]

Mother, father, wife, girlfriend, or whatever. Relax. Be happy. It is your winging, not theirs.

Keep calm and carry on.

Whoever does it, just be thankful you don’t end up getting this smiley, happy guy as I did (I have no idea who he was.) I was a geographical orphan at my winging. Worse, my old college sweetheart had just dumped me (seriously).
So the Wing brought in this 'friendly' and 'happy' unknown dude to pin them on:

 

[BusyBee604]

Whoever does it, just be thankful you don’t end up getting this smiley, happy guy as I did (I have no idea who he was.) I was a geographical orphan at my winging. Worse, my old college sweetheart had just dumped me (seriously).
So the Wing brought in this UNfriendly and UNhappy unknown dude to pin them on:

View attachment 12802

FIFY,
That dude really looked pi*#ed off, tight shoes? When my parents couldn't make it to my winging, due to last minute illness, a fellow NAVCAD offered the service of his Mom. "Twas a hot July day in Beeville, we were decked out in SDKs (which no longer authorized, I hear)? It all went well, and replacement Mom got to initiate two awesome nuggets into the fraternity!
BzB

 

[helolumpy]

I have to say... I love the awesome juxtaposition of the O-3 reply (mine) and the O-5 reply (Lumpy).

Same basic message, very different words.

Like when Super-hinge has to respond to city hall after JOPA-man answers the noise complaint email with brutal honesty....

Sometime a little tact may go a long way in smoothing ruffled feathers.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Mother, father, wife, girlfriend, or whatever. Relax. Be happy. It is your winging, not theirs.

Keep calm and carry on.

Whoever does it, just be thankful you don’t end up getting this smiley, happy guy as I did (I have no idea who he was.) I was a geographical orphan at my winging. Worse, my old college sweetheart had just dumped me (seriously).
So the Wing brought in this 'friendly' and 'happy' unknown dude to pin them on:

View attachment 12802

Did you hate all your VT IP's so much that this was a better option?

 

[blackbart22]

Back in the day (1960) there was a winging every Friday at Corpus. It was not unusual for brand new ensigns (former Navcads) to have their wings pinned on by their very pregnant "sister-in-law, Mrs Smith".

 

[phrogdriver]

Both can do it.

If you want one, I'd pick your dad. To put a dreary spin on it, it's one of the last "rite of passage" events in your life he'll get to directly participate in.

Your wife will have many more (hopefully).

If the circle of life works as usually advertised your dad will die before you and you before your wife. Give dad something big he shares with you as a present. Your wife will share kids, kids' weddings, grandchildren, etc.

 

[Catmando]

Did you hate all your VT IP's so much that this was a better option?

No, my IPs were great... even though one was a Marine.
However I must have scared them so badly that they all had bailed before my winging, apparently hoping for a much safer airline job.

 

[MIDNJAC]

No, my IPs were great... even though one was a Marine.
However I must have scared them so badly that they all had bailed before my winging, apparently hoping for a much safer airline job.

Fair enough. I will admit that my top 5 IP's from flight school/FRS list includes 3 Marines, one Brit, and one extraordinarily eccentric and profane Navy guy