Aviators/NFO here, why did you choose the Navy over the Air Force?

[papacarter]

I'm pretty new to this forum. On my first post, someone referred me to the search bar. So I tried finding all the info I can on this topic.

I wanted to be a pilot in the Navy, but the more I research, the more it seems that life in the Air Force is far better. I'm hearing stuff like the Air Force has better buildings and better locations (my family lives on Okinawa, Japan). Also, I heard that flying in the Navy would result in landing on an aircraft carrier, which means life underway. The only con I can find on the Air Force, is that promotion is harder.

I just want to make sure that I made the right decision before committing 10 years of my life.


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I'm currently half-way through my third year of college majoring in electrical engineering with a GPA of about 3.3. I want to go to OCS/OTS right after graduating.

 

[sickboy]

Navy let me use the FALANT.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Then join the Air Force.

Honestly, the Navy doesn’t need you and if you feel the USAF has better opportunities or better aligns with your goals, go for it.

 

[picklesuit]

The Air Force has nice accoutrements, but tends to attract insufferable douchebags who revel in bureaucracy and pedantry.

The Navy has rougher living, but we have more fun.
Our leadership has its own faults, but theirs are cheeky and fun, not cruel and tragic like the Chair Farce.

If you wanted to compare us like churches, we are the liquored up Catholic kids out back with cherry bombs blowing shit up in the crappy Philadelphia diocese; while they are the really nice, somewhat awkward, Mormon kids peddling (see what I did there?) their wares on the really nice Schwinn 21 speeds while hosted by the rich families from Stepford Wives...

Pickle

 

[Farva01]

This is the gold standard:

The piece is written by Bob Norris, a former Naval aviator who also did a 3 year exchange tour flying the F-15 Eagle. He is now an accomplished author of entertaining books about U.S. Naval Aviation including "Check Six" and "Fly-Off".

In response to a letter from an aspiring fighter pilot on which military academy to attend, Bob replied with the following:

22 December 2005

Young Man,

Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air Force Academies. Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and a fine way to serve your country. As you requested, I'd be happy to share some insight into which service would be the best choice. Each service has a distinctly different culture. You need to ask ourself "Which one am I more likely to thrive in?"

USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well run. Their training programs are terrific. All pilots are groomed to meet high standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft are top-notch and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent. Their enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best trained. The USAF is homogenous and macro. No matter where you go, you'll know what to expect, what is expected of you, and you'll be given the training & tools you need to meet those expectations. You will never be put in a situation over your head. Over a 20-year career, you will be home for most important family events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force pilot...so would your wife. Your Dad would want your sister to marry one.

Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black Shoes (surface warfare) and Bubble Heads (submariners). Furthermore, the Navy is split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East Coast). The Navy is heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home; it may be great, average, or awful. A squadron can go from one extreme to the other before you know it. You will spend months preparing for cruise and months on cruise. The quality of the aircraft varies directly with the availability of parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth; you'll be proud if you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from terrific to the troubled kid the judge made join the service. You will be given the opportunity to lead these people during your career; you will be humbled and get your hands dirty. The quality of your training will vary and sometimes you will be over your head. You will miss many important family events. There will be long stretches of tedious duty aboard ship. You will fly in very bad weather and/or at night and you will be scared many times. You will fly with legends in the Navy and they will kick your ass until you become a
lethal force. And some days - when the scheduling Gods have smiled upon you - your jet will catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea and you will be drop-jawed that someone would pay you to do it. The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore.

Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask...pack warm & good luck in Colorado.

Banzai

P.S.: Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits.

P.S.S. And oh yes, the Army pilot program, don't even think about it unless you got a pair bigger than basketballs. Those guys are completely crazy.

 

[mad dog]

...If you wanted to compare us like churches, we are the liquored up Catholic kids out back with cherry bombs blowing shit up in the crappy Philadelphia diocese; while they are the really nice, somewhat awkward, Mormon kids peddling (see what I did there?) their wares on the really nice Schwinn 21 speeds while hosted by the rich families from Stepford Wives...

Fucking hilarious...and fucking perfect!!!

 

[sevenhelmet]

I wondered how long it would be before someone posted that letter again. After 13 years in, it still holds true, in my experience.

@picklesuit , I've never heard that one before. Shack.

 

[Austin-Powers]

Fucking hilarious...and fucking perfect!!!

New Signature

 

[Austin-Powers]

Which movie is better, Iron Eagle or Top Gun?

 

[Uncle Fester]

Which movie is better, Iron Eagle or Top Gun?

Speaking of awkward kids...

 

[Austin-Powers]

Speaking of awkward kids...

Who you calling awkward kid? You're the one who plays D&D

 

[Swanee]

The only con I can find on the Air Force, is that promotion is harder.

Say what now? You do realize that AFPC came out and said that they will have a 100% promotion rate to O-4 for the very long foreseeable future, right? Meanwhile the Navy and Marine Corps are passing pilots over left and right....

 

[croakerfish]

My brother is an F-16 pilot, and when I saw him over Christmas for the first time in a few years (we both did overseas tours) we talked about our respective experiences out in the real world. He went to a squadron in Germany, went TDY everywhere imaginable for exercises with allied air forces, and went to the desert to spend some time fucking up bad guys.
His experience with Navy/USMC jet pilots led him to conclude that they are tactically behind the state-of-the-art, if you will. He felt that Air Force jet guys had a way more relevant and demanding path to becoming a mission/strike lead than Navy guys. I was like, well obviously, you guys have waaaay more resources and far fewer competing demands. No Air Force pilot is in charge of a shop full of enlisted who look to him for the leadership they need to get their jobs done. They have collateral duties but nothing like us. So yeah, they probably spend more time training than we do.
On the other hand, people are running for the exits like the place is on fire. Go read flyingsquadron.com and see just how angsty and miserable they all seem. It's been like that since I was trying to get in back in 2010/2011. Our worst squadron has better morale than their average/good unit. When AF guys go to VT-3 they rave about how great Navy flying is and they dread going back when their tour is up.
Pick your poison I guess.

 

[sevenhelmet]

Being a guest/exchange player in a unit of a particular service is different than being from that service itself.

Still, I'd say the USAF culture is (on the whole) a lot worse off than the Navy culture. The USAF issues seem to mainly stem from a disconnect between their leadership and the operational-level guys. That disconnect exists in the Navy too, but its effect is somewhat limited by the increased autonomy afforded to operational leadership within the Navy, at least relative to the USAF.

That's my two-bit Sunday afternoon analysis. Now, it's time for a beer.

 

[DanMa1156]

My brother is an F-16 pilot, and when I saw him over Christmas for the first time in a few years (we both did overseas tours) we talked about our respective experiences out in the real world. He went to a squadron in Germany, went TDY everywhere imaginable for exercises with allied air forces, and went to the desert to spend some time fucking up bad guys.
His experience with Navy/USMC jet pilots led him to conclude that they are tactically behind the state-of-the-art, if you will. He felt that Air Force jet guys had a way more relevant and demanding path to becoming a mission/strike lead than Navy guys. I was like, well obviously, you guys have waaaay more resources and far fewer competing demands. No Air Force pilot is in charge of a shop full of enlisted who look to him for the leadership they need to get their jobs done. They have collateral duties but nothing like us. So yeah, they probably spend more time training than we do.
On the other hand, people are running for the exits like the place is on fire. Go read flyingsquadron.com and see just how angsty and miserable they all seem. It's been like that since I was trying to get in back in 2010/2011. Our worst squadron has better morale than their average/good unit. When AF guys go to VT-3 they rave about how great Navy flying is and they dread going back when their tour is up.
Pick your poison I guess.

And outside of a few select communities, think about how much time Naval Aviators have to spend behind the boat. I guarantee that past initial training in a particular airframe, there probably isn't much time spent on just "landing practice," whereas, we have routine days set aside specifically for staying current and proficient behind the boat, whether it's a Rhino on the CVN, or a Helo going to a DDG - hell - the helo's even have Multi and Single Spot ship quals they need to maintain. I imagine the only similarity we have with "landing practice" is I bet the USAF helo's have a currency on their Degraded Visual Environment landings like we do. While not a "competing" interest in the name of pure flying, it certainly takes time away from tactical proficiency. There's only so much time and so many resources, and, as a service, we have to dedicate some of that time to landing on the boat.