Career Timeline/Service committment?

[kacraven]

Alright so i've been searching for this for a while - didn't really find anything conclusive:
So the general Navy career model after wings is this correct?
FRS -- 1st Sea Tour -- 1st Shore tour -- Disassociated etc ...
Say I decide to get out after my 8 years - where in there would it fall? After the shore tour? Sometime during the disassociated sea tour? Basically the only thing holding me back is this: Going to sea at 25 = fun, going to sea at 30 = not fun (probably be married/kids by then) I want to fly helo's if it makes any difference. Thanks!

 

[e6bflyer]

Alright so i've been searching for this for a while - didn't really find anything conclusive:
So the general Navy career model after wings is this correct?
FRS -- 1st Sea Tour -- 1st Shore tour -- Disassociated etc ...
Say I decide to get out after my 8 years - where in there would it fall? After the shore tour? Sometime during the disassociated sea tour? Basically the only thing holding me back is this: Going to sea at 25 = fun, going to sea at 30 = not fun (probably be married/kids by then) I want to fly helo's if it makes any difference. Thanks!

8 years = probably a year to year and a half left after your first shore tour. Right now the choices are orders to the boat or IA/GSA. I am sure there are some scammers out there who are getting flying orders, but I don't know them. If you don't want to go to sea, you are getting into the wrong business. Even I avoided it for 7 years, and look at me now.

 

[Flying Low]

Age makes no difference. I turn 37 this year and I'm headed to my disassociated next month. Your timing will depend on your platform for the length of the FRS. Here is a break down for helos (Your mileage may vary).
FRS - 6 to 7 months
1st sea 36 months
1st shore 33 months
Dis 24 months

The detailer can roll you early or late I think 2-3 months either side of your PRD as needed to line up better for your relief as to not gap a billet. There is a pretty graph on the NPC site. I will try to find the link.

Found it. This is great info on career progress.
http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyre...53-70D1B9C1DC0A/0/HELO_career_information.pps

If the link does not work then it is on this page on the right side under links. It is called career information. http://www.npc.navy.mil/Officer/Aviation/Detailers/HelicopterAssignments/

 

[picklesuit]

Alright so i've been searching for this for a while - didn't really find anything conclusive:
So the general Navy career model after wings is this correct?
FRS -- 1st Sea Tour -- 1st Shore tour -- Disassociated etc ...
Say I decide to get out after my 8 years - where in there would it fall? After the shore tour? Sometime during the disassociated sea tour? Basically the only thing holding me back is this: Going to sea at 25 = fun, going to sea at 30 = not fun (probably be married/kids by then) I want to fly helo's if it makes any difference. Thanks!

So only young single guys go to sea? If you don't want to go to a boat, join the Air Force...

Oh, and Go Cyclones!

 

[Flying Low]

Going to sea at 35 to get away from wife and kids = Uber Fun!!

 

[jfulginiti]

Yeah dude.... deployments don't get less fun because you're married and/or have kids. It may make it slightly harder to leave and coming home is more to look forward too. But you may decide you don't want to be married or have kids right away. Don't make a decision based on something that MIGHT happen.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I get what you're saying - my outlook on the Navy and going back to the Boat has changed a lot since I got married, and especially now that I have a kid. But you've really got to pursue what's interesting and satisfying to you based on how things are now, not how they might be in the future. You've got this one window in your life to do something like Fly Navy...do you want to be hocking life insurance or used cars at age 35 and saying, "I thought about being a Navy pilot, but decided not to in case I have kids someday"?

 

[SteveG75]

I am 41 and wish I could go back to sea and fly for one last tour (TACRON on an LHA does not count). Retiring in 16 months (mandatory) and haven't flown in almost 5 years.

Lance Armstrong: Well, I guess if a person never quit when the going got tough, they wouldn't anything to regret for the rest of their life. But good luck to you Peter. I'm sure this decision won't haunt you forever.

 

[P3 F0]

I am 41 and wish I could go back to sea and fly for one last tour (TACRON on an LHA does not count). Retiring in 16 months (mandatory) and haven't flown in almost 5 years.

Does that TACRON tour come with any hops? Tell me you at least got a few good deals on something. That may be my twilight tour, so I want something to look forward to.

 

[SteveG75]

Does that TACRON tour come with any hops? Tell me you at least got a few good deals on something. That may be my twilight tour, so I want something to look forward to.

Nope, TACRON functions as the AREC (Air Resource Element Coordinator) for the PHIBRON. The only Navy assets are MH-60S on the big deck and SH-60B on the small boys. Everything else is green. UH/AH-1, CH-53E, CH-46/MV-22, and AV-8B. You will probably get a pax ride at some point but other than that.

The good side is that you only embark on the ship for workups and cruise. We also did Hurricane Ike disaster relief. On shore, we work 0800-1500 with lots of PT, gun shoots, etc. Overall, it is probably the best of the non-flying sea tours.