API Report Dates

[Ace_Austin]

I'm being asked to "request" what time I wanna go through API. I realize thats the last thing the Navy will look at, but did anyone pick a time and wish they'd gone sooner/later? I want to get on with it and move forward. But on the flip side a little break might be in order. Recomendations or ideas anyone?

 

[BurghGuy]

I dunno, put what you want to put down. Chances are good you're probably going to wait in A-pool for a few months before you start API, unless things have changed in the past year. While I applaud your motivation, enjoy your time off, you won't get too much of it later.

 

[pennst8]

I wish I had gone earlier, Lower Alabama started to get on my nerves after six months.

 

[Heloanjin]

Don't waste time. If you have an opportunity to start immediately, then start right away. It will pay off in the long run.

 

[John Kane]

Take as much time as you can. An API expression, "Lower your handicap, Increase your bench." I think that from after OCS to RAG class up, I spent over a year waiting to class up and enjoyed every day of it! I highly recommend the same, API will be there, Primary will be there, Wings will be there.

 

[MasterBates]

If you spend too much time in pools, it can severely limit options down the road for you..

If I had spend 1+ year in pools, I never would have been able to pull off switching aircraft. Also, being able to extend for a good deal cruise (BALTOPS or the like) is a good thing, if you are checking into your fleet sqadron as a LT, you may not have the time to pull anything like that off..

Enjoy your time in the pool, but don't try to game it to stay there forever..

 

[mules83]

Personally, I had been waiting my whole life to get to this point so starting as soon as possible was the only thing I could think of. I put in for June (graduated in May) and waited for about 6 weeks in A pool.

 

[zippy]

As someone who was commissioned 10 months before API and over a year before they started primary... I would agree w/ the sentiment that its better to get the ball rolling early.

 

[Schnugg]

Get the earliest date you can.

 

[The Stinkster]

The earlier the better if you plan on being in for the long haul and have to figure in timing to hit your marks and make it to your DH tour on time without a lot of tour-length monkeybusiness in between. If you get yourself behind your yeargroup too far in terms of progression, and then other delays creep up on you, you can find yourself in a hole nad having to play catch-up. Not a good spot to be in. It would take a while to explain all of what I am getting at I guess, but I was in that situation (elected to start API after a comfy break), getting my wings took longer than I thought, got behind, shore IP tour went from 33 months to 23, and that was longer than they wanted to let me stay. If you are staying in, the navy will roll you early from shore duty in a lot of cases anyway, and the further behind you are the earlier that will be. There are a lot more factors that making starting earlier good career-wise as well, but that is one example.

 

[SnipeDude]

Apparently they're pushing NFOs right now!? ...Have priority for API. ...all might be required to report en masse after commissioning.

Any confirmation from the scene???

 

[a_m]

Apparently they're pushing NFOs right now!? ...Have priority for API. ...all might be required to report en masse after commissioning.

Any confirmation from the scene???

wow, if that's true, that's a complete reversal of the past year and a half. Of course, I heard a rumor about vt10 and vt4 expanding by about 40% more studs. Purely a rumor to me right now, though.

 

[Hursel110]

Apparently they're pushing NFOs right now!? ...Have priority for API. ...all might be required to report en masse after commissioning.

Any confirmation from the scene???

Here's your confirmation:
The current wait for NFO's is ~25-28 weeks.

 

[pennst8]

Apparently they're pushing NFOs right now!? ...Have priority for API. ...all might be required to report en masse after commissioning.

Any confirmation from the scene???

Total bullsh!t...

They're running out of pilots right now and there's a TON of NFOs waiting to start API. There are guys here right now who will not be classing up until July.

Although (because I am special) I waited around for a long time, there are SNAs starting at 7 weeks now. NFO wait is holding steady around 25.

 

[Tiltedsky]

I didn't mind being stashed at my ROTC unit for a few months after commissioning. It was nice to have a summer to play around. I was more than ready to get into training after three months but I ended up reporting to P-cola in November.

My time in A-pool was a different story. After about my second voluntold job I was ready to get into API. Some of those stash jobs really suck. Your A-pool experience will also very depending on what mischievous deeds your shipmates get into. If one guy does something stupid like.. I dunno, drives into a house, breaks his leg, confesses he/she does not have SDBs then it effects everyone in the pool and you might start having to muster several times a day and/or report for inspections.