Could someone please go into a little more detail about the NFO side of the C2/E2 community?
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E-2/C-2 Life?
- Thread starter kappu411
- Start date
Could someone please go into a little more detail about the NFO side of the C2/E2 community?
Explain this career thing if you would. I agree there are more opportunities for an E-2 type but a COD guy can go on to command and O-6 if they get that opportunity. There are also COD guys who didn't get command but made O-5, taking them to 20. Both of those would encompass a 20 year career if so. Maybe I'm missing something
I'm vexed, please unvex me.MasterBates
Well-Known Member
I'm just hoping for LCDR to be able to make it to 20...
I'm right there with you. To be honest, at this point, I wouldn't mind staying O-4. When my current orders are up here, I have 3.5 years left to 20, maybe I can pick up another flying job at the wing to finish out the 20 as an O-4. Making O-5 means another sea tour, a non-flying sea tour, something I don't look forward to. Then again, O-5's can go overseas to a desk job for a sea tour.
To correct what I said above about long-term career, I meant if one wants the chance to compete for O-7, being a COD guy is not the way to go, unless you switch to E-2's. But having a 20 year career, making command, etc, is certainly doable as a COD driver.
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
I'm at 6.5 active now, be at 7.5-8 or so when I finish the RAG at VAW-120, and I have a 5 year add-on at the end of my re-treading which will take me to 13ish years, and a tad beyond DH/LCDR screen.
You wouldn't meet too many E-3 pilots, you know, with being in the Navy and all.
Not true, behold the new Navy E-3 and its pilots.
Bunk: I admitted that I have seen little, just passing on what was previously said. I defer to those with more experience.
Red: http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?p=214209#poststop
Red: http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?p=214209#poststop
I'm a true believer it absolutely depends on the squadron and the people that surround you in that squadron. Bunk and I have completely different experiences when it comes to CODs and deployments. Out of the East Coast you spend more time on the beach because of proximity to land vs. the West Coast. In the late 90s you had two different thoughts of how to run the squadron also. East Coast, very old school and work hard, play hard mentality, where it seemed talking with our brothers out West it was not exactly the same.
Yes, the aircraft are old and getting older so maintenance is going to be an issue. However, unlike other squadrons in the airwing we never took any time off because the Carrier schedule on the E.C. was pretty busy. I'm not sure if that is still the case but I suspect it might be. So, you could average 30hrs a month year round if you wanted. 360 hrs a year doesn't sound like a lot but you could get lucky and see deployments that would double that or volunteer for weekend missions while home and increase that number again.
If you really want to know the opinions of what will matter to the JO in the fleet read my first sentence. Ask some of the guys that are a year in front of you what the front office is like. Then talk with Bunk and he can give you some thoughts on who is coming down the line for the next round of xo/skippers. I still have friends in the community who will be back in the next few years as XOs; however it's been awhile since they started their DH tours. I'm sure many can attest that the JO you drank your ass off, keeping the professionals away while overseas may not be the same guy you know that shows up for his XO tour.
The other good thing about the VRC-40 is that when I was there we were NOT considered part of the airwing on my deployments. We reported directly to the Admiral which can be good or bad. Both of ours were good so we had the support of his Flagstaff for issues. Also, in Bahrain we were not held to the same rules as the airwing or other detachments that were visiting. I can still remember having the airwing boys drooling over the FAs that we had befriended while they were on the boat. Just one of the perks besides per diem.
Bunk has a lot more hours in the COD but if you wan the perspective of somebody that was in the community for 4 yrs and left I have only great memories that I will remember for awhile. The mission WAS and hopefully still IS FUN and beats being a bus driver for NFOs anyday.
Yes, the aircraft are old and getting older so maintenance is going to be an issue. However, unlike other squadrons in the airwing we never took any time off because the Carrier schedule on the E.C. was pretty busy. I'm not sure if that is still the case but I suspect it might be. So, you could average 30hrs a month year round if you wanted. 360 hrs a year doesn't sound like a lot but you could get lucky and see deployments that would double that or volunteer for weekend missions while home and increase that number again.
If you really want to know the opinions of what will matter to the JO in the fleet read my first sentence. Ask some of the guys that are a year in front of you what the front office is like. Then talk with Bunk and he can give you some thoughts on who is coming down the line for the next round of xo/skippers. I still have friends in the community who will be back in the next few years as XOs; however it's been awhile since they started their DH tours. I'm sure many can attest that the JO you drank your ass off, keeping the professionals away while overseas may not be the same guy you know that shows up for his XO tour.
The other good thing about the VRC-40 is that when I was there we were NOT considered part of the airwing on my deployments. We reported directly to the Admiral which can be good or bad. Both of ours were good so we had the support of his Flagstaff for issues. Also, in Bahrain we were not held to the same rules as the airwing or other detachments that were visiting. I can still remember having the airwing boys drooling over the FAs that we had befriended while they were on the boat. Just one of the perks besides per diem.
Bunk has a lot more hours in the COD but if you wan the perspective of somebody that was in the community for 4 yrs and left I have only great memories that I will remember for awhile. The mission WAS and hopefully still IS FUN and beats being a bus driver for NFOs anyday.
The option the community wants is the C-2B. A modern version of the C-2A, with the ability to air-to-air refule, defensive capabilities, air-to-air refueling, etc. My guess is if the Navy went with this, to cut down costs, all the extras that I just mentioned would get cut anyway. I still believe that the Navy will go with the V-22 being that the R&D is done and production aircraft are coming into service. From the prior briefs I've got, it will be less than going with a new production line of C-2B's.