FY2018 O-4 Board

[Jim123]

I dunno... it used to be that NFOs and non-pointy noser pilots (6-7 year winging commitments) communicated their "pick me" by volunteering for a dissociated tour at their MSR- or communicating their "don't pick me" by simply getting out. All that normally went down months or longer before the O-4 board.

Big Navy manpower is who created the policy of making all pilots' initial service commitment go right into the promotion board time. I get it that there are billets that need to be filled- and figuring out those billets is manpower's puzzle to figure out. Now, if somebody not submitting a "don't pick me" letter makes the difference of somebody else not getting promoted, in my mind the blame for the deserving somebody not getting promoted lies square with naval aviation senior leadership. As the cliché goes, it's why they get paid the big bucks.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Why? The Bavy doesn’t tell you ahead of time their not going to pick you....

Why burn bridges? Something last minute changes and you might still need that Navy paycheck.

Big Navy has no loyalty to the individual so why should the individual be loyal (i.e. give a heads up) to Big Navy?

Agree with you and with Jim. I submitted my "don't pick me" email right after I got selected for OP-DH, in order to prevent chaos in the slate process. In hindsight, it might have not been the wrong move to submit a don't pick me letter for DH board, but in reality, they are just going to pull someone else up and slate them when that happens, prior to orders being cut and service members lives/plans being changed at the last minute. At least that was my mentality. Sending a don't pick letter to the stat board? Seems very short sighted to me, since many people might want to go Reserves or Guard, and that continued promotability (or lack thereof) is not lost on them.....ie burning bridges that you don't have to. As an example, I'm sure AFPC will totally understand the response of "well I was FOSx1 for O-4, but I asked for it so it doesn't count" Cue grass isn't greener discussion at your discretion.

A once great, and still great leader, once told me (with this topic in mind).......you earned that FITREP/promotion/etc based on your performance. Just because you decide you want to do something else later, doesn't mean that someone else should receive it instead, while you are downgraded based on future aspirations. Discuss

 

[Python]

Agree with @HAL Pilot and @MIDNJAC . I still retain the ability to stay in if something drastic occurs and I change my mind prior to dropping my letter. Additionally, carrying the promotion into the Guard Reserves will be nice.

 

[Brett327]

I dunno... it used to be that NFOs and non-pointy noser pilots (6-7 year winging commitments) communicated their "pick me" by volunteering for a dissociated tour at their MSR- or communicating their "don't pick me" by simply getting out. All that normally went down months or longer before the O-4 board.

Big Navy manpower is who created the policy of making all pilots' initial service commitment go right into the promotion board time. I get it that there are billets that need to be filled- and figuring out those billets is manpower's puzzle to figure out. Now, if somebody not submitting a "don't pick me" letter makes the difference of somebody else not getting promoted, in my mind the blame for the deserving somebody not getting promoted lies square with naval aviation senior leadership. As the cliché goes, it's why they get paid the big bucks.

Don’t disagree, but those are separate issues. The only people they’re hurting are their shipmates and they’re not “sending a message” to big navy by not doing so.

 

[AUtiger]

I for one picked up O-4 this board and dropped my letter the week after the board met. I got picked up for a flying SelRes gig and wasn’t willing to risk losing that over getting picked above zone because my timing was terrible on round one. I don’t feel bad doing that intentionally.

 

[Brett327]

I hadn’t considered folks going reserves. You folks are in the clear.

 

[SlickAg]

I think there's two separate things guys are talking about: DPM letters for the O-4 board and DPM letters for the ADHSB.

It's better to pick up O-4 on active duty than lose thousands of dollars by remaining an O-3 while actively drilling.

As far as the DH board, I don't see a problem. PERS 43 himself just said the only communities hurting for DH are VFA and VAQ 1310. And that the only community that doesn't have the selectivity he desires is VFA. Despite the fact that they turned down some folks who wanted it because they weren't qualified.

The Navy made their bed, and now they have to lie in it. I think the quote is something like: failure to plan on your part doesn't constitute a crisis on my part. Big Navy doesn't care about you, why do them any favors?

 

[fc2spyguy]

I dunno. If you’re leaving anyway, that could help someone who wants to stay get promoted.

They should make it on their own merits, not attrition.

 

[wlawr005]

They should make it on their own merits, not attrition.

Yep. Our timing based promotion system has all but guaranteed that merit is the very last quality looked for during promotion.

Timing and needs of the Navy (in that order) dictate whether someone even gets an opportunity to slate competitively. Merit is much further down the list.

 

[Mos]

Did you submit a don’t pick me letter to the board?

The board convened before I decided, so no.

 

[insanebikerboy]

I think anyone who submits a don't pick me to a statutory board is making a bad choice. I've known guys who have gotten out, had no intention of reserves, and then later decide to affiliate with a reserve unit. It'd be a tough sell to any squadron that the FOS was because they asked for it and are actually suitable for promotion.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

I think anyone who submits a don't pick me to a statutory board is making a bad choice. I've known guys who have gotten out, had no intention of reserves, and then later decide to affiliate with a reserve unit. It'd be a tough sell to any squadron that the FOS was because they asked for it and are actually suitable for promotion.

Are there reserve units that care? They can look to see if you have adverse stuff in your record, and plenty of people get passed twice then immediately get promoted in the reserves, myself included.

In my case, my winging commitment went to March 2018 and getting passed twice took me to July 2017. Submitting a “don’t pick me” letter would have just cost me $70,000 while simultaneously limiting my future options.

 

[insanebikerboy]

Are there reserve units that care? They can look to see if you have adverse stuff in your record, and plenty of people get passed twice then immediately get promoted in the reserves, myself included.

In my case, my winging commitment went to March 2018 and getting passed twice took me to July 2017. Submitting a “don’t pick me” letter would have just cost me $70,000 while simultaneously limiting my future options.

There are, especially if you wanted to go to a different service as being passed over may require a waiver.

 

[picklesuit]

Much like poker, you always pay to see the flop. I don’t know why someone would make such an important decision without all of the facts in front of them. Why decide to leave the Navy without knowing EXACTLY what you may be leaving behind?

Planning to depart knowing you will put on O-4 and potentially look at three deployments versus knowing you will FOSx2 and get a nice severance, versus a “don’t pick me” and no severance are three very different COA’s.

It’s rare you have any control over your career in this line of work, but to hand what control over out of some misguided politeness to your “shipmate” is just fucking stupid.

I’d never tell one of my LT’s to volunteer that information before they were actually willing to pull the handle and get out. Play your cards close to the vest, leave ALL of your options open.

Pickle

 

[Python]

Much like poker, you always pay to see the flop. I don’t know why someone would make such an important decision without all of the facts in front of them. Why decide to leave the Navy without knowing EXACTLY what you may be leaving behind?

Planning to depart knowing you will put on O-4 and potentially look at three deployments versus knowing you will FOSx2 and get a nice severance, versus a “don’t pick me” and no severance are three very different COA’s.

It’s rare you have any control over your career in this line of work, but to hand what control over out of some misguided politeness to your “shipmate” is just fucking stupid.

I’d never tell one of my LT’s to volunteer that information before they were actually willing to pull the handle and get out. Play your cards close to the vest, leave ALL of your options open.

Pickle

Perfect