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Should I stay or should I go? Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love HSC.

Python

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
I didn’t know HSC did all those things lowfiler mentioned. Since that wasn’t well known, does that mean we just don’t know when HSC does those things, or are those missions overwhelmingly exceptions? Would it be safe to say 70% (50%? 90%?) of HSC JOs will do nothing on deployment besides starboard D, vertrep, and logistics? What would the number be? Or am I missing something. Pardon my ignorance, this actually has been a pretty enlightening thread from someone outside the community.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Obviously never a HSC guy, but from what I heard from HSM deployment briefs (the real ones, not the 10,000 pounds of baked chicken briefs) is a decent amount of inner defense zone work. Just because no one is shooting doesn't mean their presence isn't valuable. Plus some AR, which isn't any more exciting than back when it was called "SSC."
 

CUBUFFS4134

Tellin’ it like it is.
pilot
Contributor
Those circles, the ones that aren't SAR or LOG, need to be a lot smaller. Most of them will not be visible to the naked eye.

With that, I'll jump in. @Brett327, you stating the problems, solutions, and missions executed by my community has about as much credibility as when you stated that you teach pilots how to fly and trap on the boat. I'm happy to have a legitimate discussion with individuals such as @Python1287 who genuinely owns that he doesn't know that much about HSC and would like to learn. To this point, you are the only one that I have seen from other communities, specifically VFA and VAQ that sells as having a clue about what we do. The typical HSC JO, whether CVW or expeditionary will spend the overwhelming majority of his time doing PMC and SAR/MEDEVAC. This is especially true of CVW squadrons. And yet, they are a valuable asset for FAC/FIAC if the mission arises, as well as other ASUW areas and overwater SOF/PR. But even when shown multiple examples of instances where we have executed missions outside of that, you call it the "laughably aspirational state of HSC" and those missions aren't visible to the naked eye. @lowflier03, DT, and the boys did great things in Irbil. I don't give two shits what you think about the video on youtube.

On two deployments, I executed ASUW, NTISR, and operational overwater SOF support. From a training standpoint, I have supported CAG (not the Navy Air Wing Commander), MARSOC, DEVGRU and others. I understand that I won't be their first call and maybe not at all. But its a blast to support their training and the flights are a great time. That being said, I agree with you that I mostly flew trash and ass. And I'm ok with that. I love the mission. I have voiced that we should minimize the overland training, especially DA and CAS. We train to it so heavily in my opinion due to the multitude of overland ranges, and lack of overwater ranges that can meet the mission expectations. The overwater piece is trained to as much as we can support not for the fact that we are doing it now, but having a base line knowledge of how to do it when the SHTF. I don't claim to be the TF. Or the RQS community. If I wanted to fly black helicopters, I would have taken the IST I was offered. One of my former FRS students just did.

I agree with @fc2spyguy that we don't get nearly the NCEA that would make us proficient. But I will appreciate knowing my way around the weapons systems if I ever need them. KD can speak to what -85 is doing in the PI, which from what I understand is incredible. Thankfully guys with that experience now sit in HSC front offices.

Remind me again, how many air-to-air kills does the VAQ community have in the last 20 years. I'll wait, and yet you spend page upon page arguing with a VFA TO about the need to train to the mission. Last I checked, VFA has one. I am happy to stand corrected if my knowledge is off base. I find is great the attention that HSC gets on this site, but we aren't even close to the only community that trains to missions we haven't done much of operationally. It appears that your definition of mission execution is rounds leaving the aircraft. So therefore I ask, how many subs has HSM and VP sunk? How many mines has HM neutralized? Going back to Korea, Navy helicopters have primarily been PMC/SAR. Yet, numerous conflicts have led these squadrons to fly missions well outside of what they were expected to perform.

Finally, I agree that people in my community walk around in the two piece bullshit, IR velcro patches, and camo helmet covers like they work for JSOC. I'm not one of them. I am realistic when it comes to what big Navy expects of me, especially CAG. Next time I deploy, I will happily VERTREP your ordnance and fly your broken/sick to the beach. At this point, I have .7 hours in the D thank god! But the aperture of our capabilities and exposure of them is getting better. Just had a visit with 2nd Fleet and without being asked, raved about HSC and HSM. What I hope, based on your obvious success is that when you are CAG, or another major command position you put your misconceptions aside. You continuously state "based on your experience," which is likely around CVW HSC squadrons turning circles around the boat. HSC CVW squadrons bring much more to the table, and there is another half to the community that does great things.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
With that, I'll jump in
Say what you want, but the people who actually do all the stuff your community fantasizes about, generally agree with me. By your standard, since you have zero experience landing a jet on the boat, then you're not allowed to have an opinion on that topic either. You can't have it both ways. :D
 

Sonog

Well-Known Member
pilot
With the myriad mission sets HSC guys try to do, I'm wondering how much flight time a JO in a CVW HSC squadron is getting each month. During maintenance phase, workups, and deployment? Is there enough flight time to go around that would ever come close to being enough to yield proficiency (or basic safety) in all those missions? CVW HSC squadrons have, what, 30 pilots?

Not so much a lack of hours, but other nuances of readiness and the culture of CVW HSC squadrons being top heavy on the quals leads to it not being that necessary to qualify more than a couple of JOs in overland. Getting your overland quals in CVW HSC is a good deal for you, mostly.
 

CUBUFFS4134

Tellin’ it like it is.
pilot
Contributor
Say what you want, but the people who actually do all the stuff your community fantasizes about, generally agree with me. By your standard, since you have zero experience landing a jet on the boat, then you're not allowed to have an opinion on that topic either. You can't have it both ways. :D

Like every other thread you’re involved in, you’re missing it. Of every thing I stated, you pick out my statement of the ridiculousness of a FO teaching pilots how to fly, or which I am one. To all pilots with FOs riding along, did they at any point teach you how to fly the plane? I seem to remember that getting many laughs from those of us with one anchor. Trapping on the boat was one part of the statement, of which you’re correct I have zero knowledge.

But back to the point of this thread, I don’t fantasize about doing the missions in the chart. We’re doing them, simply not nearly as much as our core missions of PMC and SAR. But like so often on the site, your mind is made up and arguing with you is pointless.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Like every other thread you’re involved in, you’re missing it. Of every thing I stated, you pick out my statement of the ridiculousness of a FO teaching pilots how to fly, or which I am one. To all pilots with FOs riding along, did they at any point teach you how to fly the plane? I seem to remember that getting many laughs from those of us with one anchor. Trapping on the boat was one part of the statement, of which you’re correct I have zero knowledge.

But back to the point of this thread, I don’t fantasize about doing the missions in the chart. We’re doing them, simply not nearly as much as our core missions of PMC and SAR. But like so often on the site, your mind is made up and arguing with you is pointless.
You're diverting from the real issue being discussed, which is your community, not me or mine. You don't have to value my opinion, but it's awfully similar to those in RW whose opinion you should be valuing.
 

scoolbubba

Brett327 gargles ballsacks
pilot
Contributor
Say what you want, but the people who actually do all the stuff your community fantasizes about, generally agree with me. By your standard, since you have zero experience landing a jet on the boat, then you're not allowed to have an opinion on that topic either. You can't have it both ways. :D


Your helmet bag has the same amount of experience landing on the boat as you do.
 

MGoBrew11

Well-Known Member
pilot
HSM won't be sinking any subs until WWIII, but that's not exactly the point. The community tracks/hunts for real subs all the time (operationally and in training), so they're executing the mission they (community leadership) advertise routinely.

I wasn't stoked about selecting HSM because it sounds a very un-sexy mission. To this day, ASW is definitely not my favorite but some of my peers absolutely love it. I did, however, expect to do a lot of it when I selected HSM.

Again, I think the difference between JO job satisfaction in HSM v HSC is simply expectations going in vs. reality at the end of your tour. Obviously there are lots of HSC guys that love what they do, as they should.

Most of your points are well taken.
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
You're diverting from the real issue being discussed, which is your community, not me or mine. You don't have to value my opinion, but it's awfully similar to those in RW whose opinion you should be valuing. but I'm never wrong.
FIFY
 

scoolbubba

Brett327 gargles ballsacks
pilot
Contributor
So does yours.

I'll say this for VPenis NFOs, despit their numerous faults, at least they don't pretend like they are critical to getting the airplane safely back on the ground when in reality they're just less gas on the plane in the pattern. They also don't pretend to have SME level understand of their colleagues' jobs in other communities by virtue of getting an Admiral his coffee.

I guess they understand where their wheelhouse is.
 
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