• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

A Few general questions

Status
Not open for further replies.
N

Nathan

Registered User
I am starting OCS on July 8th. I was wondering what are my chances of staying in Pensacola after completing OCS while I am waiting to get picked up for API? The problem I am having is that my fiance, I know perfect timing, is a teacher and I don't want her to get a job teaching in Pensacola if the Navy is going to ship me somewhere else for a period of months before I start API. Do I have any say in where I go or stay before I start API? Also, how long should I expect to wait before I am classed up? What would you seasoned veterns advise me to do about my situation. Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated, with the exception of telling me what an idiot I am for getting engaged!! Thanks again.

Nathan T. Williams
 
E

Ed Williams

Registered User
FRom what I undrestand the chances of getting stashed in P-COla are reeally good. Pretty much everyone who wants to stay can. AS for API, I am going to OCS on 16 JUne. SOme people I have talked to that are comming from the Academy and they are not scheduled until Mid OCt. for API. With that in mind, I figure that I won't be starting up for a month or two past that. WIth you being a month after me, you may be waiting a while? Thats about all i know;.
ed
 
Steve Wilkins

Steve Wilkins

Teaching pigs to dance, one pig at a time.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Let's think about this in Navy terms. Nathan, the Navy isn't going to want to send you somewhere else if they can avoid it. If they were to send you TAD to someplace like Memphis, TN to work in Bupers for example, then they would have to pay you per diem and travel expenses. That can add up real fast. No, no, no, they would much rather have you stay right there in good old P-cola. And believe me, there are more than enough jobs to go around. If I were in your situation, and they made all the guys waiting for API to do a stash job, then I would talk to someone about possibly going to one of the Primary squadrons or helo squadrons over at Whiting. You'll make connections early on and all the instructors will know you (good or bad). Of course, Ensigns don't often have a choice in their stash duty assignment.

Good luck.
--Steve
 
K

Kyle McWhirter

Registered User
Some official word from the Academy...

A bunch of mids are scheduled to report either in September or mid October. I think we might be waiting quite a while.

A question for Steve...having an NFO designation, would I be in the same API class as with pilots. My orders say "duty under instruction (nfo only" and was wondering if that was different for some strange reason.
 
Steve Wilkins

Steve Wilkins

Teaching pigs to dance, one pig at a time.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
When I went through API (a tad over 2 years ago now), we had NFO's and Marines right along with us. I don't see why the Navy would change that. It worked pretty good as far as I was concerned. API was really weird in that there were basically 4 cliques within each class. You had your OCS dudes, your academy grads, the marines, and then the prior enlisted guys. It pretty much stayed that way for maybe a week or two. But then something happens and everyone starts coming together as a class. Everyone helping everyone out. The Marines were a little stingy with the gouge at first. Just have to be nice too them and include 'em in your barbecues, etc and then they start releasing a wealth of gouge. Ok, so this doesn't really answer your question. So as far as I know, they still put pilots and the non flying officers into the same classes.

Best of luck
--Steve
 
Frumby

Frumby

Super *********
pilot
Super Moderator
Nathan,
Your first couple of years are going to be turbulent in regards to where your going to be stationed, live etc. It is incredibly hard on a young wife, especially an ambitious one who has to drop everything she's worked for to follow you. (Does it sound like I'm speaking from experience). My advice would be to send her back to school to work on a Masters or work on the application process for DODS schools. At least that will help her to have a job regardless of where you'll be stationed. Trust me, your situation is never set in stone. I have many friends that are married to teachers. Many times they had to leave their wives to behind while they take orders to someplace else. When the school year ends, then the spouse will join them. Difficult but not impossible. Semper Fi! Frumby

Attack Pilot
Major USMC
 
Steve Wilkins

Steve Wilkins

Teaching pigs to dance, one pig at a time.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Nathan, I would seriously think twice before you leave your wife (to be) be behind. It doesn't really matter what line of work she's in. You're not only going to need her, you'll want her with you as well to provide much necessary emotional support. As I stated in my journal, the stress level I experienced in flight school was pretty close to what I experienced while going through nuclear power school. And just a side note here...the guys in power school that were married and had their wife to go home to at night, always performed better. There's no coincidence to that.

From what I understand of your post, kids are not a factor and therefore, stability should not be much of a concern. And yes, I too am speaking from experience. For two years after my commissioning in '98, I had to leave my fiance behind for flight school, SWOS, deployment, etc. Sure we saw each other a week here, a week there with several months in between. But that's no way to have a relationship, especially a married one. The only reason she stayed behind was to finish her Master's degree. Had she of already graduated with it, she would have been right along with me every step of the way. That's what we would have wanted.

In the end, who give's damn about a job? If she's wants to stay in education, she can teach part time, do tutor sessions for homeschool parents, etc. It's your time together that's going to be important and you're going to need it going through flight school. As difficult as your first couple years will be, it is pretty amazing what young wives can toughen out.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not discounting your fiance's career goals. However, I'm sure she understands what you guys are getting into by you electing to be a pilot. Remember too, that there will be a time when things settle down a bit and you'll be living in the same place for three, maybe more years. Now, that may not be stability in a civilian's eye, but it isn't bad for a family in the Navy.

Good luck in whatever the two of you decide.

--Steve



Edited by - Steve Wilkins on 05/06/2001 12:42:21
 
Frumby

Frumby

Super *********
pilot
Super Moderator
Actually I should have said just "DODS." Department of Defense Schools. They pay very well, generally more then the civilian populus and they work with the military spouse. Semper Fi! Frumby

Attack Pilot
Major USMC
 
N

Nathan

Registered User
Just wanted to thank all those whom responded, escpecially Frumby and Steve Wilkins. Ya'll have no idea how nice it is for people like myself, who no very little about the Navy, to have a place to go to ask all those questions that the recruitor never seems to have the answers to. Thanks again for ya'lls time.

Nathan T. Williams
 
E

Ed Williams

Registered User
Nathan, were you in an ACES Class in mid January? I'm in the same situation. I've been dating a girl for a while and I i'm not sure how things are going to work out when i'm off in the NAvy and going through flight school. There are times when I think i would want her there, but there are times when I think maybe not. It is a tough decision to make. By the way, she also is graduating with a degree in education. SHe wants to come, but I...I'm just confused.
ed
 
U

unfUSN

Registered User
It sounds like there are a few of us bringing extra bagage(just kidding) to P-cola with us. My fiance has been bugging me about what the job situation will be for her in P-cola. She has two degree's, but wants to go back and get a masters. She was hoping to geta teaching position at a HS or Middle school near by...

ATP
 
Steve Wilkins

Steve Wilkins

Teaching pigs to dance, one pig at a time.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Sounds like you guys already have a wives club in the making.

--Steve
 
D

Dave Shutter

Registered User
Hey Steve, off topic here, but hey, topics here always end up that way!

Went to a relative of my girlfriends b-day party at a Zoo at the Jersey shore this weekend and a senior citizen was handing out flyers at the gate. Lo and behold on his Navy ball-cap was the embroidering for CG-50, USS VALLEY FORGE

I said I knew someone (sort of) who was on that ship as it's gunnery oficer. He was a civilian contractor who worked on the ship when it was commisioned 15 (or 16?) years ago, His name was Rogers and he worked on the fire control system.

Small world

D
 
Steve Wilkins

Steve Wilkins

Teaching pigs to dance, one pig at a time.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Yep, small world it is. I've run into quite a few people I used to be stationed with at one time or another. I've even run across guys I went through bootcamp with. Now that's a weird one. They see me as a commissioned officer, but they're like, I know you, but who the hell are you? Then we go through the whole naval history thing. OK, where were you stationed and at what time. Yes, it tends to joggle the brain a bit. But a small navy it is.

By the way, I don't know Mr. Rogers. Any idea what fire control system he worked on? We have several.

--Steve
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top