Career In San Diego

[taxexperts31582]

I'm a MIDN 2/C service selecting soon- choosing between SWO and aviation. I am from San Diego and have lots of family there, so my main reason for considering SWO is that I could guarantee SD for my first and second tours. If I select aviation, I'm wondering how ward it is to get back to a squadron in San Diego. I believe it's only Helo's right now? Would it be tough competition to get back there? While I do think flying would be great, location is more important to me than job. Just don't know how hard it would be to get back to SD for my first tour. Then, would it be tough to stay there for production and disassociated tours? Essentially, can I do my MSR all in San Diego? Or is that going to be really really hard? Does having family there help me at all? I'm willing to sacrifice platform for location on my dream sheets. Thanks!

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

I'm a MIDN 2/C service selecting soon- choosing between SWO and aviation. I am from San Diego and have lots of family there, so my main reason for considering SWO is that I could guarantee SD for my first and second tours. If I select aviation, I'm wondering how ward it is to get back to a squadron in San Diego. I believe it's only Helo's right now? Would it be tough competition to get back there? While I do think flying would be great, location is more important to me than job. Just don't know how hard it would be to get back to SD for my first tour. Then, would it be tough to stay there for production and disassociated tours? Essentially, can I do my MSR all in San Diego? Or is that going to be really really hard? Does having family there help me at all? I'm willing to sacrifice platform for location on my dream sheets. Thanks!

There’s a lot of factors inside your control and out that will impact getting orders to San Diego.

Choose an officer designator that you would enjoy doing. I would rather be a pilot in Norfolk than a SWO in San Diego.

All your other questions about aviation, use the search function here and talk to your aviation or SWO advisor to learn more. I think you’re old enough to know how to use your resources.

 

[croakerfish]

A lot of people stay in a fleet concentration area for multiple tours but vastly more have to PCS often. This is true regardless of platform or designator. The whining I’ve heard…moving sucks no question but if it’s a deal breaker run far away from the military.
I would strongly discourage you from choosing a designator based on schemes to stay in San Diego. There is a pile of people a mile high scheming for San Diego and it’s ultimately a roll of the dice.

 

[TF7325]

I would also choose a pilot or nfo slot over a swo position regardless of location. Granted I'm a little biased, but I think my swo buddies would agree that aviators have a much better lifestyle. To each his own though.

 

[Gonzo08]

I would strongly discourage you from choosing a designator based on schemes to stay in San Diego. There is a pile of people a mile high scheming for San Diego and it’s ultimately a roll of the dice.

My $0.02, but I'd also advise you to give some consideration to the idea that living outside the regional/familial bubble you've been encapsulated in for most of your life might be enlightening for any number of reasons.

 

[MGoBrew11]

I did San Diego to my MSR. It’s possible but not the routine. It’s a combination of luck, timing, performance and priorities. I probably could have done yet another tour there had I wanted, but decided to move on for a number of reasons.

 

[croakerfish]

My $0.02, but I'd also advise you to give some consideration to the idea that living outside the regional/familial bubble you've been encapsulated in for most of your life might be enlightening for any number of reasons.

Definitely agree with this too. The best thing you can do to expand your horizons is go overseas for a tour.

 

[kmac]

I love San Diego. I’m from SoCal. I was stationed there twice and still have family there. I also had a SWO friend from church there in San Diego. Her advice:
“Nobody is looking out for each other.
A lot of people are becoming selfish.
Go Aviation, go... whatever. Go anything but SWO!”

Not for one second when I was stationed elsewhere did I think “I’d rather be a SWO in San Diego.”

 

[ea6bflyr]

It doesn’t matter where you are stationed. You’ll be on sea duty for your first tour, and you’ll be gone more than you will be “home”. Like others have said, choose a designator you are excited about.

 

[PMPT]

go fly dude. the only truly trash navy station for pilots is Lemoore, but the upside of that is that you get to fly a super hornet.

go fly. idk why people think norfolk is bad. its not san diego, but it beats the shit out of the some of the "beautiful" places my beloved Marine Corps will send you.

plus, if you go helos, you have a good chance of getting north island and living the fucking dream (aside from being a helo bubba, of course )

 

[Gatordev]

getting north island and living the fucking dream

Sitting on 4th Street for an hour trying to get over the bridge. It's somebody's dream, anyway.

 

[gparks1989]

I'm a MIDN 2/C service selecting soon- choosing between SWO and aviation. I am from San Diego and have lots of family there, so my main reason for considering SWO is that I could guarantee SD for my first and second tours. If I select aviation, I'm wondering how ward it is to get back to a squadron in San Diego. I believe it's only Helo's right now? Would it be tough competition to get back there? While I do think flying would be great, location is more important to me than job. Just don't know how hard it would be to get back to SD for my first tour. Then, would it be tough to stay there for production and disassociated tours? Essentially, can I do my MSR all in San Diego? Or is that going to be really really hard? Does having family there help me at all? I'm willing to sacrifice platform for location on my dream sheets. Thanks!

Guarantee you getting orders to SD? That mentality (unless there is a rule I'm unaware of) sounds like a guarantee to get assigned to some shithole ship in the yards in Norfolk. Murphy's law and all of that.

For what it's worth, I'd rather be a pilot or NFO stationed in Lemoore (a truly god forsaken place) than be a SWO (a truly god forsaken career) in SD. Leave the nest baby bird and go aviation.

 

[insanebikerboy]

Sitting on 4th Street for an hour trying to get over the bridge. It's somebody's dream, anyway.

Motorcycles for the win. The one thing California definitely has going for it is lane splitting. Never get stuck in traffic, plus riding in SoCal rocks.

 

[taxexperts31582]

Guarantee you getting orders to SD? That mentality (unless there is a rule I'm unaware of) sounds like a guarantee to get assigned to some shithole ship in the yards in Norfolk. Murphy's law and all of that.

For what it's worth, I'd rather be a pilot or NFO stationed in Lemoore (a truly god forsaken place) than be a SWO (a truly god forsaken career) in SD. Leave the nest baby bird and go aviation.

Out of NROTC, SWO selectees get to pick their first ship type and homeport based on a ship list. So it would guarantee first tour in SD.

 

[gparks1989]

Out of NROTC, SWO selectees get to pick their first ship type and homeport based on a ship list. So it would guarantee first tour in SD.

The ship and home port have to be available, no? What if it’s not? And what if you end up underway for 10 months of your first tour?

Regardless, being a SWO looks highly unpleasant. I cannot emphasize this enough, aviation is so much better than SWO.

As a general rule, the military guarantees very few things in life so I’d be cautious relying on that word.