FITREPS

[scoober78]

...but it was interesting because everyone before that (NROTC, tracom, VT's, etc) had always said "your ground job is the #1 priority".

Spoken like a bunch of P-3 guys...

Best way I've ever heard it described..."There are three aspects to your job as a JO: 1) Flying the plane and kicking ass in the air, 2) Your ground job including taking good care of your folks 3) Being a person that folks want to be around in the wardroom/bar/club/dining out etc...If you really want to succeed you need to be good in at least two."

 

[Pags]

but it was interesting because everyone before that (NROTC, tracom, VT's, etc) had always said "your ground job is the #1 priority".

As with most things in the fleet, you need to be good at it all. However, when you're an FNG your ground job SHOULD leave you ample time to focus on your airmanship/tactical progression. The ARO officer or the PAO billet shouldn't take you 12 hours a day. By the time The Man decides to make you whatever your community's cherry job is you'll already be an experienced aviator and will have time to spend on a ground job vice studying all the time.

 

[KBayDog]

Should I be the one to throw the "timing" variable into the great career equation?

(Nah, I wouldn't want anyone to think that, no matter how good you are at flying/ground job/IAs/GSAs/Sea Tours/Shore Tours/Star Tours/etc., sometimes there are still some things that are simply out of your control, so you should not sweat things too much...and simply focus on doing the best you can wherever you wind up. )

 

[squorch2]

The great irony of military aviation is that it's a group of very type A personalities with little control over their lives.

 

[MAKE VAPES]

Most entertaining to watch: Just after the moment an officer begins to BELIEVE the absolute bullshit in the writeup(s)... seems to me this happens right after the command screen board results come out (in any community).

Had to explain to our gonna-be SES that, what gets selected and promoted is the Navy's version of the 'best' of what is left... that there are unfortunatelly many infinetelly more talented leaders, pilots and general human beings working at SWA, Delta and FEDEX (and other places). Some of the blessed children couldn't touch em in any of the categories.

 

[IRfly]

As with most things in the fleet, you need to be good at it all. However, when you're an FNG your ground job SHOULD leave you ample time to focus on your airmanship/tactical progression. The ARO officer or the PAO billet shouldn't take you 12 hours a day. By the time The Man decides to make you whatever your community's cherry job is you'll already be an experienced aviator and will have time to spend on a ground job vice studying all the time.

Agreed. When I was NFO training I would tell my Navs that if you're not on or above the qualification curve, no one gives a sh!t how awesome you are at your ground job. On the other hand, if you're great in the plane and working hard and getting qualified ahead of schedule, that could very well earn you a mulligan if you screw something up on your ground job. (possible exception=legal officer )