A day in the life of an NFO

[hooyah199]

First of all, thanks to all the contributors out there who take the time to put out great information about the aviation world. Keep it up!! This has been a one-stop-shop for me in getting some awesome gouge.
My question is, what is a day in the life of an NFO at sea like? I understand that the you're in a constant state of qualing, but are you generally given ample time to study, sleep, pt? How many meetings are you required to attend in the course of a day (OPS Brief, Intel Brief, Special Evolutions, etc)? Are the staterooms decent? How about the chow? Does admin work such as evals, cond issues, and so forth eat up your "off" time?
Thanks

 

[Sabre170]

Also if anyone has a few pictures of what JO staterooms look like I would appreciate it if you could post them. And, do NFOs hold other billets like Admin Officer, Logisitics Officer, Safety, Ops, Intel, etc... or are NFOs the assistants?

 

[Thisguy]

Admin, Safety, OPS, and Maintenance are Department head jobs, meaning, O-4s have them. Intel is a billet for the intel officer attached to the squadron. Logistics officer, never heard that one. As a JO, you'll hold billets like Skeds O, PAO, Legal O, Pers O, ESO, Line Div O, AV/Arm Div O, Aircraft Div O, ADP O (computers). The list goes on. Basically, whether you're a pilot or NFO has very little bearing as to what ground job you'll hold.

I have a picture of the state room I was in last cruise, and it's way too small to be a normal stateroom, so I'll spare it. The common 2 man is probably about the size of a small college dorm room.

 

[wink]

Typical day at sea for a an aviator (that is pilot or NFO) on a CV is: Brief fly debrief, 3-6.0 hours depending on aircraft type and mission for the day. Sometimes you fly twice a day. Maybe 2-3 meetings a week for a typical JO for a total of about 4 hours in meetings/briefs per week. Dependiing on you ground job you will spend 30 minutes to 5 hours a day on it. Bottom line is you live at your place of business with no possible location you need to visit more than 15 minutes away. There is plenty of time in the day to fly, work eat and sleep. You simply read the flight sked and make your day around it. Show up when and where expected, make sure your troops are cared for and the day is yours. Generally the pace is very managable. If you are involved in an exercise, double pumped a day on the sked, mission planning team, evals due on the enlisted guys, NATOPS qual coming up, you will be very busy for that time. Otherwise it isn't too bad.

 

[wink]

BTW, I didn't address the typical day for a VP guy. Sleep 10 hours, breakfest 1.5 hours, Exchange run 2.0 hours, Navel gazing 2.5 hours, lunch 1.5 hours. Fly twice a week, typical mission profile: Sleep 3.0, meal 1.5, navel gazing 1.5, fly 1.5.

 

[hooyah199]

Roger that Wink, thanks. I know in the SWO world we have set daily briefs you are required to attend (3-4) regardless of your actual involvement. That's why I ask. Sound like you're only attending briefs/meetings you need to. (I wouldn't know how to act!)

 

[webmaster]

BTW, I didn't address the typical day for a VP guy. Sleep 10 hours, breakfest 1.5 hours, Exchange run 2.0 hours, Navel gazing 2.5 hours, lunch 1.5 hours. Fly twice a week, typical mission profile: Sleep 3.0, meal 1.5, navel gazing 1.5, fly 1.5.

Ah, such love, for the rest of you out there, this is called JEALOUSY.... and you have got it wrong, its more like, sleep 12 hours, wake up with a hangover and your 3P banging on the door to get you to go to sunday brunch, go chow down and make fun of the AF, go take a nap 1.5 hours (ie brunch induced coma), go play a round of golf (lose 6 golf balls, but whos counting), get a call from OPS wondering where (1) you are at and why didn't you tell the OPSO you were playing golf, he wanted to play too (2) are you ever going to return the ready van?, and oh by the way (3) you guys are getting launched since the scheduled crew is on their 7th hour of preflight and the plane is now fixed, but their crew day is busted for the mission. Drive on the wrong side of the road, and you all yell at the Nav for being such a dumbass, and go change into flight suits, grab some chow, pick up the Es, head out to the flight line. Brief 30 minutes from a TSC LT that reads in a monotone and obviously doesn't want to be there, while the MC rips the brief to shreds over the missing information. Got out and preflight for another 3 hours, and hopefully get off deck in time. Place the case of beer in the doppler well to chill. Fly for 10 -12 hours, of which 3-4 hours is spent in the rack contemplating how you are going to spend the per diem. Land and commence drinkex.

 

[Fly Navy]

Land and commence drinkex.

Drink-ex...hahahhaha

 

[wink]

Sorry my VP discription wasn't so accurate. I am on the outside looking in, of course. You know I think they audition those TSC guys to ensure they all talk in a monotone. It must be part of the job discription. That kind of delievery really is most effective when briefing at 0200, don't you think?

 

[UncleFester]

Typical flying day for E-2 bubbas:
1000: Roll out of the rack
1005-1030: Wander the boat looking for a working shower with hot water
1030-1040: Give up, stand under the cold water drip until someone bangs on the stall and tells you to "take a navy shower"
1050: Go looking for people to eat lunch
1100-1130: Lunch. Chicken again. Debate the quality of the dog.
1145: Wander up to the ready room. Send email to girlfriend long enough to keep her from throwing your $hit out on the curb. Try to pay your bills online.
1200: Give up on the internet connection. What's one more week on the Visa?
1205: Cornered by CICO and sent to "make the rounds"
1205-1230: Try to extract info from catatonic enlisted watchstanders, knowing it'll all change by brief time anyway.
1230: Give CICO info from your rounds. CICO tells you it's all changed and we have a completely different mission now. But that will change by brief time anyway.
1245-1345: "Mission planning". Make mission notes so you can scribble them out during the brief.
1345: Check email again. Girlfriend says she got $100 for your CD collection and spent it on shoes. Should have sent a longer email.
1400: Mass brief on TV from CVIC: "THE PLAN". It's changed again.
1415: Crew brief: "The Plan". Get airborne and improvise.
1430: NFO huddle: "the plan". We'll check in with Red Crown and find out what's going on. Changes are in flux, so stand by.
1445-1530: Meditate in Ready Room chair. Relish stiffarming the Hinges, as you're "in your bubble" and they can't task you. Suckers.
1530: Realize you were supposed to walk ten minutes ago. Grab the 30-lb bag of crypto, refs, pistols, ammo, blood chits. Sign it all out from sleeping SDO.
1540: Paraloft. The riggers have all your gear out for inspection. Stand around awkwardly while the rest of the crew waits for you.
1550: To the roof! Get to the plane without being killed, dodging exhaust, fuel lines, bomb racks, hooks, chains, and sleep-deprived 19-year-old petty officers driving tractors like they're auditioning for "Maximum Overdrive II"
1600-1620: Preflight. Stand around while a dozen ATs and AEs troubleshoot your mighty, dripping warbird. Kick them out so you can get the system turned on. Bring them back in when you realize you can't turn anything on until they finish.
1630: "On the flight deck, start up the early goes. Start 'em up!"
1640-1700: Engines cranked up, fume while the handlers forget you're an early launch and get caught behind the Hornet conga line.
1700: "Lookin' forward, lookin' aft, touchin' the deck, pushin' the button, we're outta here!" WHOOOOM! The best part of the flight over, commence The Mission.
1700-2100: The Mission. Four hours in a dark room staring at a computer screen. Try not to dwell on the fact that you should have listened to your cousin and sold insurance with him. Keep the fighters out of restricted airspace. Resist telling AW to kiss your ass. Know that you saved at least three guys' careers tonight.
2100: Established in Marshal. Expect manual push. Oh, crap. Settle in for the Hummer Dance.
2100-2130: Drone around in Marshal. Try to ignore the two cokes you had during the flight pressing on your bladder - you know as soon as you unstrap and go aft to the relief tube, you'll get pushed.
2130: "601 commencing" Hallelujiah!
2140: Taking a trap in the back of an E-2: the ultimate act of faith in another human being's skills.
2150: "Screw it, we'll debrief at Rats"
2200: Email: VISA now owns your car. Should have paid that bill.
2230: Midrats. Double cheese slider that would get most diners closed by the Health Dept, but that's what makes it sooooo good. At least two fighter guys say "thanks for the good work tonight," which translates as, "you saved my ass, guy."
2300-0200: HALO.
0230: In the rack. Another great Naval Air Day.

Typical nonflying day:
1200: Roll out of the rack, go to lunch
1200-1630: Nap, play HALO, nap, dodge the hinges.
1700: Dinner
1800: Sneak into the ready room to check email, simulate concern for ground job
1830-2100: HALO, JOPA roll 'em ("'Super Troopers' again?")
2100-2300: Pre-rats nap
2300: Rats
* If you sleep 12 hours a day, cruise is only 3 months long!

 

[VetteMuscle427]

hahaha, that is great! Anyone have a day in the life of a SWO?

 

[UncleFester]

Oh, I can tell you that:
0600: Wake up.
0630: Officer's Call.
Remaining 24 hours: swift kick in nuts. Repeat.

 

[FlyingDoc]

Sounds like a blast!

 

[MNU-OCS]

Is that seriously the typical day of an NFO, where all you do is relax, eat, then go fly? Does that only apply to the Navy? Is it the same for the Marine Corps NFO's.

 

[DairyCreamer]

Bah! What's up with these Air Force planes in avatars around here, nooooo!