Enlisted to Naval Aviator

[Sutton004]

Hi, I am currently in DEP as a nuke. I am ready to serve my country, but my main goal is to become an aviator. I have been told by many that it is a bad idea to enlist as a nuke. My plan is to apply to sta21 or if I get my degree straight to OCS.

So my questions are... If I enlist, would being a nuke make it easier or harder to get into the aviation side? and what job would look better on my application to either program for the aviator package?

 

[Uncle Fester]

Did you read any of the other threads on this topic? Your specific question has been asked and answered in depth before.

 

[Sutton004]

I searched around but didn't find it I'm sorry. Do you know what the thread name is?

 

[wlawr005]

Well, I agree with Fester. To answer your question in 75 words or less though:

If you are on the land and you go underwater are you a) closer to the air or b) farther away?

Being a Nuke is hard. You can apply to STA-21, but you're not going to be accepted if you are a crappy Nuke. Even then you might not be accepted as a pilot. If you want to be an officer, investigate other avenues to college like ROTC, Academy, etc.

 

[Sutton004]

Would an aircraft maintenance applicant be seen as more eligible because of the knowledge of the aircraft? or does it matter since they train you in everything you need to know? What I have gotten from everything I have read on here is that it is a lot about your performance in whatever job you choose and not so much the type of job it is.

 

[insanebikerboy]

What I have gotten from everything I have read on here is that it is a lot about your performance in whatever job you choose and not so much the type of job it is.

Yes.

I was a nuke, went to the Academy, now I'm a pilot. It's not easy but it can be done. That said, don't count it as guaranteed, I could have just as easily not gotten picked up and I'd still be enlisted. Good luck.

 

[Sutton004]

That is the same for anyone dreaming of being a pilot though right. No one can be sure of getting the slot right?

 

[insanebikerboy]

That is the same for anyone dreaming of being a pilot though right. No one can be sure of getting the slot right?

Of course. That's a given for everyone applying.

I can't speak for STA-21 but using USNA as an example, there are only about 100 slots available for Navy/Marine Corps applicants, compared to the 1100 or so slots available for regular kids that aren't enlisted. So, it may or may not be tougher depending on competition at the time of application.

For any route of applying to an officer program from the enlisted side the big question is are you ok with enlisting and staying enlisted? If so, then by all means go for it. I've seen quite a few guys since I've become an officer who had real solid packages not get picked up for STA-21. I just want to make sure you go in with your eyes wide open.

Don't let what I said deter you though, if it's what you want to do give it your 100% and the chips will fall where they may.

To answer the original question though, there's not a path that will make the selection better or more likely. As was hinted at, just being a nuke isn't enough, you have to rock the program. I highly doubt they would take a shitty nuke just because he's a nuke over a non-nuke who is a rockstar.

 

[Uncle Fester]

The short answer to your question is, if you want to be an officer, enlisting is a lousy way to go about it. Reason being, once the Navy has you, your hopes and aspirations are secondary to the needs of the service. It's not a matter of doing well, and if you do well, you get to go do what you want. You could be the most awesomest nuke ever, and put in for OCS with the enthusiastic blessing of your command, but if the Navy is short-handed in your rate, you will not get to go.

I had a couple of extremely shit-hot petty officers in my squadron put in for OCS to go be aviators. They were both very bright and squared-away and would have been great officers. However comma...they also had hard-to-get specialty training which the squadron couldn't lose (i.e., if we didn't have them, we couldn't deploy). CO had to send their packages up with a 'no' chop.

Every time a message hits the street announcing applicants are being sought for whatever, there's always a caveat section saying dudes in the following rates/NECC's/warfare areas are not eligible (SEALs and EOD, for example).

 

[wlawr005]

To add on for IBB, STA is only picking up around 75-100 people out of around 1100 per year.

 

[Brett327]

The short answer to your question is, if you want to be an officer, enlisting is a lousy way to go about it. Reason being, once the Navy has you, your hopes and aspirations are secondary to the needs of the service. It's not a matter of doing well, and if you do well, you get to go do what you want. You could be the most awesomest nuke ever, and put in for OCS with the enthusiastic blessing of your command, but if the Navy is short-handed in your rate, you will not get to go.

I had a couple of extremely shit-hot petty officers in my squadron put in for OCS to go be aviators. They were both very bright and squared-away and would have been great officers. However comma...they also had hard-to-get specialty training which the squadron couldn't lose (i.e., if we didn't have them, we couldn't deploy). CO had to send their packages up with a 'no' chop.

Every time a message hits the street announcing applicants are being sought for whatever, there's always a caveat section saying dudes in the following rates/NECC's/warfare areas are not eligible (SEALs and EOD, for example).

As a sidenote, that's interesting. I've never seen a CO get in the way of someone's officer package because of squadron manning issues. Kind of a short-sighted perspective. Also kind of a dick move, IMO. I know we're always whining about manning and our depth charts can get kind of thin, but no squadron is going to suffer that much by losing one or two guys.

What kind of shitstorm would erupt if a CO withheld a recommendation for advancement for a rock star who was up for Chief on the grounds that the command will likely lose that person if he pins it on? There would be a god damned congressional investigation.

 

[wlawr005]

Sometimes guys are in critical billets though. After I got picked up for STA 21 I had to deploy for three months because there weren't any qualified crewchiefs to take my place. I came back after 4 months and almost missed my class date.

 

[Brett327]

Sometimes guys are in critical billets though. After I got picked up for STA 21 I had to deploy for three months because there weren't any qualified crewchiefs to take my place. I came back after 4 months and almost missed my class date.

It's a specious argument though. What happens if one of those guys gets hurt? There are always ways to fill the gaps if necessary, or just being flexible on transfer dates, etc. Everything can be worked though the cognizant wing and/or NPC.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I don't claim to be an expert on the politics at the O-5+ level, but I got the impression that as far as the wing was concerned, replacing an unplanned loss (sick, crazy, popped positive) is one thing, but letting a guy go whom you can't deploy without is another. Can't speak to the decision-making process, but I can say that the CO in question was a straight shooter.

Anyway, I was speaking to the common misimpression that seems to come up with the "should I enlist to go to OCS?" posters, i.e., that going to OCS is just a matter of getting smiley faces on your evals and applying for it. The Navy has to agree to give you what you want.

 

[Brett327]

I don't claim to be an expert on the politics at the O-5+ level, but I got the impression that as far as the wing was concerned, replacing an unplanned loss (sick, crazy, popped positive) is one thing, but letting a guy go whom you can't deploy without is another. Can't speak to the decision-making process, but I can say that the CO in question was a straight shooter.

Anyway, I was speaking to the common misimpression that seems to come up with the "should I enlist to go to OCS?" posters, i.e., that going to OCS is just a matter of getting smiley faces on your evals and applying for it. The Navy has to agree to give you what you want.

Agreed, and I don't know the particulars in your case. In my experience (community?) I think the prevailing attitude would be that it's something that can be worked around and therefore would not be a factor in endorsing an officer package.