Air Contract, start in the Reserve?

[Waffler]

Hello all

Background: I'm currently at TBS with an active duty Air contract, I've been told that they're looking for SNAs to go directly to the reserve after flight school. I've never heard of this happening before, but I have until week eight to put in a request to switch.

So to any Naval Aviators out there, what are your thoughts? Based on your experience, is this a golden opportunity, or bad idea?

Thanks in advance

 

[FLGUY]

Hello all

Background: I'm currently at TBS with an active duty Air contract, I've been told that they're looking for SNAs to go directly to the reserve after flight school. I've never heard of this happening before, but I have until week eight to put in a request to switch.

So to any Naval Aviators out there, what are your thoughts? Based on your experience, is this a golden opportunity, or bad idea?

Thanks in advance

I’d say it totally depends on your aspirations, but holy cow does that seem like a good opportunity if you’re looking to get out after your minimum service requirement. That’s basically living the USAF guard/reserve life but in the Marines. If your goal is an active duty retirement and/or you want to make command one day, then maybe not. I don’t know much about the marine reserves, but if it’s anything like the Navy side then the chances of you getting a full retirement would be pretty low (based on what I’ve heard from reservists, I’m not one).

Active duty life can be hard sometimes, and there are a bunch of guys who would kill to be in your position. If you have a potential civilian career lined up, or think you could get one in a reasonable timeframe, then I’d say go for it man, and enjoy living a great life.

 

[Waffler]

I’d say it totally depends on your aspirations, but holy cow does that seem like a good opportunity if you’re looking to get out after your minimum service requirement. That’s basically living the USAF guard/reserve life but in the Marines. If your goal is an active duty retirement and/or you want to make command one day, then maybe not. I don’t know much about the marine reserves, but if it’s anything like the Navy side then the chances of you getting a full retirement would be pretty low (based on what I’ve heard from reservists, I’m not one).

Active duty life can be hard sometimes, and there are a bunch of guys who would kill to be in your position. If you have a potential civilian career lined up, or think you could get one in a reasonable timeframe, then I’d say go for it man, and enjoy living a great life.

I never planned on staying active past my initial commitment, but that could change within the next ten years. I'm pretty certain I can get a good civilian job, my degree is pretty applicable.

Thanks for the reply, it helps.

 

[Hotdogs]

Hello all

Background: I'm currently at TBS with an active duty Air contract, I've been told that they're looking for SNAs to go directly to the reserve after flight school. I've never heard of this happening before, but I have until week eight to put in a request to switch.

So to any Naval Aviators out there, what are your thoughts? Based on your experience, is this a golden opportunity, or bad idea?

Thanks in advance

Unless it came from MMOA and Reserve Affairs in message traffic - It’s most likely flight school rumors.

 

[Pakol]

Probably worth talking to your SPC and the AirO at TBS to get a little more clarification. Do they mean sliding to the Reserves for a while in PCola because there are hundreds of 2ndLts waiting to pick up API, or going direct to UC35s/C12s/773/452/etc.?


Maybe worth switching that avatar up too, just saying...

 

[Griz882]

Probably worth talking to your SPC and the AirO at TBS to get a little more clarification. Do they mean sliding to the Reserves for a while in PCola because there are hundreds of 2ndLts waiting to pick up API, or going direct to UC35s/C12s/773/452/etc.?


Maybe worth switching that avatar up too, just saying...

I had to do a double-take on the avatar as well. But it does say Luft...Waffle. Kind of like flying pancake. But, the imagine does make you think.

 

[Waffler]

I had to do a double-take on the avatar as well. But it does say Luft...Waffle. Kind of like flying pancake. But, the imagine does make you think.

It literally has a waffle in it...

 

[Griz882]

It literally has a waffle in it...

It does, and I am among those who don’t really let those things bother me but other people dine out on that kind of misunderstanding.

You do you.

 

[Waffler]

I'll change it later tonight.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I can't speak to this specific rumor, but I can say they did so something like this to some Navy cones in Advanced a few years back around 2005-06. As I heard it, they over-accessed the Jet pipeline and rather than just boot the 'excess' out (as happened during the '90's RIFs) CNATRA sent them direct to the VRs as FTS - mostly C-40s but a few to the Herk squadrons and I heard at least one went to VR-1. All of a sudden we started seeing JGs at the Norfolk O-Club wearing VR-56 patches. They said the deal was for them to do their OBLISERV as FTS, with the option to stay on as FTS or go SELRES after.

If what you're hearing isn't just student RUMINT and is something similar, I'd say take it. It was certainly a good deal for those dudes.

 

[Gatordev]

Disclaimer: This assumes any of the above rumor is true...

As I heard it, they over-accessed the Jet pipeline and rather than just boot the 'excess' out (as happened during the '90's RIFs) CNATRA sent them direct to the VRs as FTS - mostly C-40s but a few to the Herk squadrons and I heard at least one went to VR-1.

It wasn't just jet guys, it was flight-school wide. Helo guys went to HCS and HSL, as well. Not sure if any went to HM.

It was certainly a good deal for those dudes.

Like always, it depends. On the helo side, they served their commitment out for one tour as FTS and then had the option to stay or go SELRES. But what does a mid-grade FTS LT look like on paper compared to their other FTS counterparts? Not good. By the time they're up for O4, as FTS, they haven't had the FTS check in the boxes that other community LTs may have had (SWO, HR, etc). They would have looked like fleet LTs, but FTS isn't really used to seeing that, so it could have been a gamble.

Experience was also a balancing act. For HSL, it wasn't as big a deal, but I ran into a HCS crew broken down in Abilene at one point and one of the pilots was a JG. I asked the HAC how that was working out and he said there were definitely teething problems, not because the JG(s) were bad pilots or bad people, they just hadn't had the experience that a normal pilot would have had by the time they came to a HCS squadron, given their mission set. Could they be trained? Absolutely, and HSC attempts to do this, but HSC isn't flying through downtown Iraq at night as a division with TF birds, either, so it isn't exactly an apples to apples comparison.

All of the HSL guys ended up getting out and staying SELRES for a while. But even after making O4, I think one may have actually stayed beyond that (and he may have left, as well...I lost track). The other part of the problem was the amount of effort needed to continue to participate wasn't going to match the lack of retirement points and lack of eventual retirement benefit, so IRR was a better option. It's one thing to start as a SELRES with 3650 points, it's another to start with half that.

If you just want to play USMC for a tour and then plan that you'll be asked to leave, then it may be a great deal, and maybe you'll get to stick around, but go in eyes open.

All that said, I have a feeling the reality of this rumor is similar to what the Navy used to do, where they'd commission ROTC guys, then send them to IRR for 6-12 months while flight school was backed up, then reactivate them when it was time to report to NPA. In reality it had nothing to do with the "real" Reserves.

 

[Uncle Fester]

@Gatordev That's interesting, I didn't know they got some helo cones too. I just knew about the VR guys. The 'traditional' VR bubbas at the time said much what you did; that there were teething problems because they weren't really set up to train and qualify nuggets out of the TRACOM (as opposed to experienced Fleet guys).

Having said all that and having re-read the OP's original post, I missed that he's still in TBS - I'm betting you're right, and this is binning dudes in the IRR to clear out TRACOM backlogs. I imagine the 'rona and the Gulf storms this summer clogged things up pretty good.

 

[Swanee]

When I was a sailing instructor at the marina on the Navy base in Norfolk, we were right next to HMM-774, a reserve Phrog squadron (they've since Ploptered up).

There were a couple of pilots, 1st Lt types, there who were fresh from the FRS.

This was in like 2004, well before I even intended on joining the military, much less the Marine Corps, so I have no idea what ever happened to them. So I suppose they may be the exception that proves the rule and MMOA has done it before.

The real question is if you want to be a company grade officer in a Marine Corps reserve squadron that is full of patch wearing O-4s and above. Fuck that. If you want a chill life, go Guard.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

All that said, I have a feeling the reality of this rumor is similar to what the Navy used to do, where they'd commission ROTC guys, then send them to IRR for 6-12 months while flight school was backed up, then reactivate them when it was time to report to NPA. In reality it had nothing to do with the "real" Reserves.

I get that they would do that to save money, but talk about a shitty deal for those guys, one of my last years in recruiting they did something similar to the guys graduating Army ROTC at several of the schools I covered as they were contacting us to see if they could apply for USN OCS, they realized they were over their numbers, several were sent drilling reserves, some were able to commission AD, and others were just outright told they had no commitment at all. The worst part is they were told mere weeks prior to graduation after all the college career fairs had come and gone.

 

[Pags]

@Gatordev That's interesting, I didn't know they got some helo cones too. I just knew about the VR guys. The 'traditional' VR bubbas at the time said much what you did; that there were teething problems because they weren't really set up to train and qualify nuggets out of the TRACOM (as opposed to experienced Fleet guys).

Having said all that and having re-read the OP's original post, I missed that he's still in TBS - I'm betting you're right, and this is binning dudes in the IRR to clear out TRACOM backlogs. I imagine the 'rona and the Gulf storms this summer clogged things up pretty good.

A good buddy of mine was one of the guys who went straight to VRs from Prop advanced. He's now the XO of VR-1 after having lived a blessed life flying C-9, 40, and 37s around the world. And for shore duty he was the 100yr anniversary planner and a legislative fellow.