OCS How to Pick Between Pilot or NFO?

[ActionJ117]

I originally was going to apply for pilot but decided to apply for NFO instead (not as uncommon as people tell you). Best decision of my life. Based on my experience in flight school I do believe I have the monkey skills and competency to become a decent pilot, but I realized quickly it’s not for me and I was glad I didn’t apply for it. I am happy being a nerd on a computer in the back of the plane and I respect my pilot friends for what they put themselves through to become good at what they do.

If the idea of being a mission commander and essentially playing a complicated high stakes RTS game for a living sounds appealing to you, then become a NFO. If you want a pretty view and don’t want to have to explain what an NFO does to everyone you meet, become a pilot.

Thanks for the response. You certainly make the job appealing with the RTS game comparison, and I'm glad many others find the role interesting as well and are happy with it when they're actually in the Navy. On another note, I think it's cool that pilots and NFOs are often interchangeably called "aviators." That reflects that both are critical.