I Need a Coastie to Interpret This....

[Boomhower]

I just got a resume from a guy here in town. Anytime I see military experience, I always take a closer look at it.

However, something seems a little fishy to me and I don't know if it's just my ignorance on Coast Guard matters or what. I've atttached the second page of the resume' and the thing that seems a little off to me is the "Naval Flight Training" for about a year, then the "Duty Pilot, C-130H" for two years. What's a Duty Pilot? How do you fly Hercs after, what I suppose is, only API? What am I missing here? This could be a normal career progression for a Coast Guard Aviator, but I just don't know.

I want to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, but I need someone to tell me what his career looks like from a Coastie's point of view. I've blacked out the other professional milestones to protect the innocent.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Gatordev]

In 2000, the Coasties weren't being held up and it was possible to get through flight school in a year if you didn't have any delays. I got through Primary in ~15 weeks, and that was not flying for a month due to a mishap in the squadron (not mine). I took about 15 months to get through total, but I got held up at HTs for quite a bit due to backlog.

 

[Brunes]

I'd believe it. A fast slot thru flight school. A two year first tour seems short to me tho....That's barely making it to A/C in helos. Not sure about Hercs.

 

[FlyBoyd]

...it was possible to get through flight school in a year if you didn't have any delays. I got through Primary in ~15 weeks...

I was a primary IP back then and we were getting guys through relatively quick.

I'll agree it does look odd though. 2000-2001 could be 12 months but more than likely is somewhere closer to 18 months. If he flies Hercs for the Coast Guard, he came through Corpus not just Pensacola. Also, I can't recall what, if any, FRS type training they do once they wing.

All that being said, it is hard to cram all that info into the limited space of a concise resume. A few questions would easily clear it up in an interview.

 

[phrogpilot73]

HercDriver is a Coastie C-130 pilot in Sacremento... He might even know the guy.

 

[Boomhower]

I'd believe it. A fast slot thru flight school. A two year first tour seems short to me tho....That's barely making it to A/C in helos. Not sure about Hercs.

The two year first tour seemed a little "off" to me, too. I also figured there'd be follow-on training after P'Cola. Dunno.

I'll let HercDriver take a look and see what he thinks. I'm not sure if we're even going to interview him since there isn't a position at the moment, this just popped up on my radar when I saw it.

 

[Gatordev]

The two year first tour seemed a little "off" to me, too. I also figured there'd be follow-on training after P'Cola. Dunno.

I'll let HercDriver take a look and see what he thinks. I'm not sure if we're even going to interview him since there isn't a position at the moment, this just popped up on my radar when I saw it.

The Coasties don't have the same sea/shore/sea tour thing we do in the Navy. When I was an IP, there were actually a shortage of CG IP's in Primary (and HTs) so they were just taking DCAs and keeping them there for another tour as an IP. Didn't cost anything to move them or train them.

Flyboyd makes a great point. Technically flight school for me was "2000-2001," but that was Jan 2000-May 2001.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Flyboyd makes a great point. Technically flight school for me was "2000-2001," but that was Jan 2000-May 2001.

So your 1 year, works out to 16 months... My two years (1999-2001) works out to 21 months (August 1999-April 2001). Damn fiscal years/contractor strikes...

 

[CoastieFlyer]

What looks kind of odd is his first unit tour length. 2001 through 2003 is a pretty short first tour. Even if he got to the unit in January 2001 and transfer at the normal summer rotation of 2003, that's only 2 1/2 years. CG aviators normally get 4 year orders to Sacramento. I'd be curious why he early transferred to Headquarters from a desirable unit like Sacramento....that's like transferring from heaven to hell!

I agree with FlyBoyd, it's nothing that can't be clarified with a couple of interview questions.

 

[Gatordev]

So your 1 year, works out to 16 months... My two years (1999-2001) works out to 21 months (August 1999-April 2001). Damn fiscal years/contractor strikes...

Completely off-topic, but...

The contractor strike was one of the best things that could have happened for me in Primary (besides my onwing). I got through all but one of the sim events in one weekend...in the plane. Couldn't make MIF when I went back through the sims in Intermediate, but made Primary a breeze.

 

[HercDriver]

I don't know him personally (I got here '09), so I can't speak to particulars. I will say that it is unusual for someone to be at their first aviation tour for less than 4 years, unless there were extenuating circumstances. These could include medical disqualification, special needs or humanitarian transfer (requirements to be elsewhere due to familial circumstances) and failure to progress in the aircraft. "Duty Pilot" is what most aviators are (or "Duty Standing Pilot") on their orders, as opposed to being in a special billet like Operations Officer, Executive Officer. He didn't have time to upgrade to Aircraft Commander (average is 36 months), so perhaps he just wanted to avoid putting "Copilot" or "First Pilot" on there, and just emphasize he was a pilot. Conjecture, of course.

Also, he definitely would have gone through Corpus; why he left it off is anyone's guess (to save space?).

 

[BusyBee604]

Conjecture, of course.

Boom, a lot of conjecture isn't going to solve your uneasiness. Probably simplest and best to request he amplify his military/flight experience. Not an unusual request in a vetting process.
BzB

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

I assume that Coasties get a DD214, why not ask for a copy?

 

[Boomhower]

I don't know him personally (I got here '09), so I can't speak to particulars. I will say that it is unusual for someone to be at their first aviation tour for less than 4 years, unless there were extenuating circumstances. These could include medical disqualification, special needs or humanitarian transfer (requirements to be elsewhere due to familial circumstances) and failure to progress in the aircraft. "Duty Pilot" is what most aviators are (or "Duty Standing Pilot") on their orders, as opposed to being in a special billet like Operations Officer, Executive Officer. He didn't have time to upgrade to Aircraft Commander (average is 36 months), so perhaps he just wanted to avoid putting "Copilot" or "First Pilot" on there, and just emphasize he was a pilot. Conjecture, of course.

Also, he definitely would have gone through Corpus; why he left it off is anyone's guess (to save space?).

Herc, Thanks for the reply and PM. You can disregard some of the questions that I had in the PM since you answered them here. I read that before I read this.

 

[ChunksJR]

Joining in on the pile a little late, but I started API in the first week of June 2001, winged July 2002...We got through pretty quick back in the day (minus 3 days of no flying after 9/11). Props, I've heard, were going just as fast, minus the requirement to PCS out of PCola area.

~d