Making O5 in the reserves

[electric_warrior]

Two basic questions on reserve O5 (aviation community):

1. Do you get unlimited looks for O5? Or is it like O4 where you get 2 looks and then you're done? And if so, do your odds of promotion drastically decrease with each look?

2. If promoted to O4 late due to Interservice transfer, 2xFOS, etc, are you still up for O5 with everyone else in your original yeargroup? Or is your O5 board shifted to a later time IOT give you a certain minimum years to break out as an O4?

Appreciate any insight into this!

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Two basic questions on reserve O5 (aviation community):

1. Do you get unlimited looks for O5? Or is it like O4 where you get 2 looks and then you're done? And if so, do your odds of promotion drastically decrease with each look?

2. If promoted to O4 late due to Interservice transfer, 2xFOS, etc, are you still up for O5 with everyone else in your original yeargroup? Or is your O5 board shifted to a later time IOT give you a certain minimum years to break out as an O4?

Appreciate any insight into this!

TLDR: Find yourself a senior 13X5 mentor.

Longer answer, dig into the SECNAVINST and the reserve officer promotion page on MyNavy HR where you can find your answers.

You’ve been in long enough to know (or should know) how promotions work.

 

[SynixMan]

Two basic questions on reserve O5 (aviation community):

1. Do you get unlimited looks for O5? Or is it like O4 where you get 2 looks and then you're done? And if so, do your odds of promotion drastically decrease with each look?

2. If promoted to O4 late due to Interservice transfer, 2xFOS, etc, are you still up for O5 with everyone else in your original yeargroup? Or is your O5 board shifted to a later time IOT give you a certain minimum years to break out as an O4?

Appreciate any insight into this!

Be careful what you wish for. Making O5 is potentially a worse deal since you'll be forced to get an over-grade waiver to stay flying, go to an APPLY billet as a CO/OIC and be on the hook for some of your travel, or join a large staff.

 

[Flash]

1. Do you get unlimited looks for O5? Or is it like O4 where you get 2 looks and then you're done? And if so, do your odds of promotion drastically decrease with each look?

You get unlimited looks, I know folks who got promoted on their 5th, 7th and 10th looks. Chances to promote seem to diminish a bit as you go on but enough seem to get promoted that there still seems to be a decent chance.

2. If promoted to O4 late due to Interservice transfer, 2xFOS, etc, are you still up for O5 with everyone else in your original yeargroup? Or is your O5 board shifted to a later time IOT give you a certain minimum years to break out as an O4?

That I don't know the answer to, I would talk to more senior folks who hopefully know. One thing to be aware of, it is a bit hit and miss in the reserves on what senior folks know since their experience often isn't as universal or broad as it is on the active side. CO's or former CO's are your best bet, folks who have served on promotion boards are even better.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Was the 2xFOS prior to your IST and O4 promotion? Or are you talking 2xFOS for O5, now in a different service?

 

[sevenhelmet]

be on the hook for some of your travel

You know, I have never understood why this is the case for any reservists, regardless of rank. I'm not spending MY OWN MONEY to play the Navy's career fuck-fuck games. It's patently absurd.

 

[SynixMan]

You know, I have never understood why this is the case for any reservists, regardless of rank. I'm not spending MY OWN MONEY to play the Navy's career fuck-fuck games. It's patently absurd.

My string of (by choice) P FITREPS hopefully ensures my tenure at a terminal O4 in a relatively good deal reserve job. The prestige of three big stripes and a little more scratch isn't worth the asspain. Watching a previous unit CO get burned out commuting from PCola to Great Lakes on his own dime was eye opening.

 

[sevenhelmet]

My string of (by choice) P FITREPS hopefully ensures my tenure at a terminal O4 in a relatively good deal reserve job. The prestige of three big stripes and a little more scratch isn't worth the asspain. Watching a previous unit CO get burned out commuting from PCola to Great Lakes on his own dime was eye opening.

Yep. I’d be right there with you but for a single seat VFA DH tour that basically guaranteed I’d make O-5.

But when you join the VTU, all the fuck-fuck games are over. 😎

 

[snake020]

Also will confirm you get unlimited looks, but if you're consistently failing to select, there's probably something in your record that needs to change.

I had a former CO that was kept failing to select for O-6 after 10+ years as a O-5, but once he finished that CO gig he selected.

But when you join the VTU, all the fuck-fuck games are over. 😎

And that is finally why I joined the VTU. Beats wasting time traveling, spending hours during the week doing unpaid admin and fire drills and being out of pocket.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

It is interesting reading this thread after the conversation I had with a fellow VFW member who is in the reserves (not aviation). He was planning to retire later this year and was recently selected for O-5 after many looks. When he met the CO and XO at drill weekend he told them he was surprised he was selected, he told me they both told him that they were surprised too. It appears people in the VFW that know him are also surprised he made it.