15 year old, Wanting to become a US Navy pilot.

[Vasconcelos]

Yes yes, It might be to young to be thinking about this already, But hell, I'm curious to learn everything about the navy, I mean, I understand the fact that, Serving the navy doesn't only mean "I'm going to pilot 24/7" It means, "I will do whatever is required to be a good Seaman".
I'm currently 15, Going to Milpitas highschool, And I'm in NJROTC. I joined NJROTC about 3 weeks ago, And i'm on my sophomore year, And what i've been wanting to know is, What do i have to do AT THIS MOMENT, To prepare for officer training, and pilot training in the navy, I speak 2 languages, Portuguese and english, I dont know if that will help but, hell. I also understand that doing 3 full years of NJROTC can give me an opportunity to join the Navy as an E-3, and 2 years as an E-2.
I dont know if NJROTC will help or not, But what i really want to know, Is what i should be checking out, doing, or asking in order to become succesful enough to be a Navy pilot.

Aye.

Cadet Vasconcelos.

 

[Herc_Dude]

Your first priorities need to be getting good grades, keeping your nose clean, and reading through the many threads here on Air Warriors. You have found a very valuable resource in this website. Good luck to you.

 

[Dirty]

Vasco,

You show a lot of enthusiasm, keep it up! You'll need it throughout your journey if this is what you decide to do. Your priority should be focusing on doing well enough to get into college (with a scholarship if you can swing it). It does not have to be the Academy(s), or an ROTC scholarship either. There are Pilots/NFO's/SWO's and every kind of Officer who got a commission through OCS/NSI/BDCP. Do well, and keep your goal in mind (Don't forget to have a little fun too) If you have questions, type them in the search box (Like a couple of those acronyms I threw out) and you can read up on just about anything. Hopefully, you'll stick around long enough to use this resource to navigate your way to a cockpit someday... Good Luck

 

[xnvyflyer]

Cadet Vasconcelos. I'm guessing you have some outstanding parents? I concur with the above. Digest what you get here. These guys should be getting recruiting pay for what goes on in these forums. Much good info for the aspiring studs such as yourself.

Keep your grades up there. Take on leadership roles in school and community. Volunteer.

Sounds like you're already ahead of the game. Keep up the good work.

X.

 

[navy09]

Congrats for not sounding like a COMPLETE moron like most kids your age who post on here.

Get good grades, nail the SAT, stay active in JROTC, get involved in sports (varsity, if possible), and you'll have a good shot at picking up a NROTC scholarship or Academy appointment.

Also research other branches and professions. It seems like JROTC brainwashes kids to join their respective branch (and the military in general). There's nothing wrong with deciding that the Navy or the military aren't for you in a few years (you're probably going to grow up a lot between now and 18).

 

[Bolter]

Yes yes, It might be to young to be thinking about this already, But hell, I'm curious to learn everything about the navy, I mean, I understand the fact that, Serving the navy doesn't only mean "I'm going to pilot 24/7" It means, "I will do whatever is required to be a good Seaman".

At least he is starting to curse already, which means that he'll fit in just fine in the Blue/ Green Team. Good luck Cadet V. Go Marine Corps!

 

[nzachman]

Speaking to your question about JNROTC...

Don't do a program just because it looks good on a resume (but it doesn't seem you are one of those types), because it shows to your superiors. If you put your full heart into a program like JNROTC then it is worth it. If not, find another volunteer program to join.

But remember, nothing comes before grades...I learned this the hard way this summer and I am a senior in college. Don't start off on a bad foot in high school by getting bad grades because you are in too many activities and don't have time to study. Remember, if you don't have the grades, you are not going to fly.

Good Luck.

 

[SkywardET]

Here's what you can do at this exact moment: learn all of your options. Your enthusiasm is evident, and you are on the right path, but you need to learn all of the options available to you.

Let me dispell some confusion that I know I had when I was your age with regards to the Navy and the military in general. There are two basic career paths--officer and enlisted. Although enlisted members can be a part of the aircrew of some aircraft, only officers (Naval Aviators, to be exact), can fly for the Navy. Do not join the Navy as an E-2 or E-3 if your ultimate goal is to fly.

If your ultimate goal is to fly for the Navy, you will need a commission. In order to get a commission, you must get a bachelor's degree (with very few exceptions, all of which are neither available to you right now nor faster). So with that said, you need to set yourself up as best you can to get a college degree. If you ultimately decide to get a ROTC scholarship, you will be commissioned and obligated to serve for whatever period of time.

There are numerous paths to a commission once you have a bachelor's degree, if you don't decide to do ROTC, and you can explore those options in depth on this website and other resources.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Birdog8585]

Get good grades, play team sports, don't get caught up in high school drama, stay out of big trouble as a little trouble should be mandatory for kids your age, get off your ass and go outside and play, get involved, and never loose the enthusiasm to learn as much as you can about anything that you can - military related or not. Oh yeah, and if you like camping, hiking, explosives and guns, and don't mind getting sand in between your teeth then remember that the Marine Corps has aircraft too.

Semper Fi

 

[NavAir42]

All of the above gouge is good. Take it to heart and you should be fine, one way or another.

The other thing I can add: read. Try and find out everything you can about what you might be getting into. There are lots of good books out there about what the Navy and Marine Corps are doing in the world and can give you an idea of what life is like in the sea services. There's a thread or two on here that covers the topic in depth. Be careful though, there are more than few books that contain greater than their weight in horse crap.
Read the newspaper and have an idea of what's going on in the world. It can only help your development as a human and potential naval officer to know where places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Russia, Indonesia, and the Phillipines are and what's happening there.

You're off to a great start. Don't drop the ball and you may find yourself out with the fleet someday doing things you never imagined at 15.

 

[Schnugg]

Your priority list to be an SNFO/SNA

1. Very good grades
2. Extra curricular activities / civic involvement / leadership roles
3. Very good grades

Good luck

 

[Gatordev]

Moving this over to a more general topic area.

 

[NozeMan]

I'll address your question about NJROTC. I think being in the program is a great help, especially if you are successful. NJROTC offers many different leadership opportunities and will also show that you have some military bearing. Stay in the program, it definitely wont hurt you. In addition to getting good grades (like others have said, this cannot be overemphasized), do something to get/keep in shape. Playing a high school sport also looks great, don't worry about being a superstart.

Kudos for asking these intelligent questions at an early age. Keep at it!

Yes yes, It might be to young to be thinking about this already, But hell, I'm curious to learn everything about the navy, I mean, I understand the fact that, Serving the navy doesn't only mean "I'm going to pilot 24/7" It means, "I will do whatever is required to be a good Seaman".
I'm currently 15, Going to Milpitas highschool, And I'm in NJROTC. I joined NJROTC about 3 weeks ago, And i'm on my sophomore year, And what i've been wanting to know is, What do i have to do AT THIS MOMENT, To prepare for officer training, and pilot training in the navy, I speak 2 languages, Portuguese and english, I dont know if that will help but, hell. I also understand that doing 3 full years of NJROTC can give me an opportunity to join the Navy as an E-3, and 2 years as an E-2.
I dont know if NJROTC will help or not, But what i really want to know, Is what i should be checking out, doing, or asking in order to become succesful enough to be a Navy pilot.

Aye.

Cadet Vasconcelos.

 

[red_ryder]

IMO you are way too young to be thinking such heavy thoughts. Relax, and enjoy your youth while you still have it. Naval commissions carry a lot of responsibility, and you'll have plenty of time to do that later. Right now, just stay out of (serious) trouble, and keep your grades up.

You might even want to think about going to college and doing NROTC instead of going right in. I'm serious. There's a lot to be said for the real college experience.

 

[Ufoz8mycow]

Get good grades.

Go to college.

Get good grades again.

Have a little fun in your youth (but dont get arrested... trust me, you dont want to have to write a statement about the time you got arrested for a bar fight).

Evaluate whether or not you really want to serve your country.

Evaluate whether or not you really are willing to make some sacrifices.

Apply.