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Uncle Fester

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are there any other platforms besides jets and helos to get stationed in Japan as a first tour/sea tour?

how about e-2 and c-2's platforms in japan? i noticed on wikipedia they are part of CAG-5, is it easy to get selected into one of these platforms and be stationed over there?

You'd have a fair chance of deploying to/through Japan as a west coast P-3 guy, but not being stationed there first tour.

They tend to send Pri A nuggets to CAG-5, since they don't do "workups" at least not as the CONUS air wings do. On average they send one nugget pilot and FO per FRS class to -125 (-115 came home to transition earlier this year). But not always. Dude in my rag class really wanted to go but they didn't have a billet for our class. Just whatever the Navy needs that month.
 

popeye123

Active Member
You'd have a fair chance of deploying to/through Japan as a west coast P-3 guy, but not being stationed there first tour.

They tend to send Pri A nuggets to CAG-5, since they don't do "workups" at least not as the CONUS air wings do. On average they send one nugget pilot and FO per FRS class to -125 (-115 came home to transition earlier this year). But not always. Dude in my rag class really wanted to go but they didn't have a billet for our class. Just whatever the Navy needs that month.
Im sorry im still new to the Navy, im not sure what a pri A nugget is, is that a guy with perfect grades from primary?

I really hope i get stationed in Japan for my first duty station, I guess I will go for Jets or Helos to increase my chances

I know its in the needs of the Navy but where do most people get stationed after completing their flight training with jets/helos? Or Greyhounds/hawkeyes?
 

Python

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pilot
Contributor
Im sorry im still new to the Navy, im not sure what a pri A nugget is, is that a guy with perfect grades from primary?

I really hope i get stationed in Japan for my first duty station, I guess I will go for Jets or Helos to increase my chances

I know its in the needs of the Navy but where do most people get stationed after completing their flight training with jets/helos? Or Greyhounds/hawkeyes?

There are E-2s stationed in Japan as well.

Pri-A means somebody in the Rag who's a decent performer that does extra traps during CQ. This is due to him being projected to be sent to a squadron at sea, or about to go to sea.

Most of your other answers can be found easily on google.
 

popeye123

Active Member
There are E-2s stationed in Japan as well.

Pri-A means somebody in the Rag who's a decent performer that does extra traps during CQ. This is due to him being projected to be sent to a squadron at sea, or about to go to sea.

Most of your other answers can be found easily on google.
Im still in Oharp btw so i havent even gotten to Pensacola haha i dont know what extra traps and CQ is lol, im sorry...

Alright i'll just keep searching google for more info, i have searched google before coming here to AW but their answers are so variable, i guess its because we can be stationed almost anywhere depending on the needs of the Navy at the time...

Im not too concern on what i fly to be honest, i just really want to be stationed in Japan because a lot of my friends are over there and i love the culture and atmosphere, so if there are any tips for me on how to increase my chances of get stationed there asap please let me know haha
 

sickboy

Well-Known Member
pilot
Im sorry im still new to the Navy, im not sure what a pri A nugget is, is that a guy with perfect grades from primary?

I really hope i get stationed in Japan for my first duty station, I guess I will go for Jets or Helos to increase my chances

I know its in the needs of the Navy but where do most people get stationed after completing their flight training with jets/helos? Or Greyhounds/hawkeyes?


Go for what you want to fly. I wanted Japan after flight school too but the Navy wanted me on the east coast.
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
Im still in Oharp btw so i havent even gotten to Pensacola haha i dont know what extra traps and CQ is lol, im sorry...

Alright i'll just keep searching google for more info, i have searched google before coming here to AW but their answers are so variable, i guess its because we can be stationed almost anywhere depending on the needs of the Navy at the time...

Im not too concern on what i fly to be honest, i just really want to be stationed in Japan because a lot of my friends are over there and i love the culture and atmosphere, so if there are any tips for me on how to increase my chances of get stationed there asap please let me know haha
okay i will say it haha. someone has to be the asshole lolo.....

basing what you fly on the chance to do a tour in japan with friends that may or may not be there in 3 years or more when you finally make it to your first squadron haha is really stupid lolo.

also joining becoming a navy pilot with an 10 to 12 year minimum time haha since the winging commitment doesn't start until after training lol without doing any basic research like what training is like or aircraft mission is pretty fucking stupid lolo. but then, you will absolutely love the culture and atmosphere of naval aviationso it really doesn't matter what you fly or if you would enjoy what you are doing...just like basic thing such as capitalizing appropriately, punctuation and sentence structure doesn't matter as long as you enjoy the people posting lol...haha...lol...
 
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FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
Im still in Oharp btw so i havent even gotten to Pensacola haha i dont know what extra traps and CQ is lol, im sorry...

Alright i'll just keep searching google for more info, i have searched google before coming here to AW but their answers are so variable, i guess its because we can be stationed almost anywhere depending on the needs of the Navy at the time...

Im not too concern on what i fly to be honest, i just really want to be stationed in Japan because a lot of my friends are over there and i love the culture and atmosphere, so if there are any tips for me on how to increase my chances of get stationed there asap please let me know haha

You need a standdown on proper grammar before you should start flight school.
 

popeye123

Active Member
okay i will say it haha. someone has to be the asshole lolo.....

basing what you fly on the chance to do a tour in japan with friends that may or may not be there in 3 years or more when you finally make it to your first squadron haha is really stupid lolo.

also joining becoming a navy pilot with an 10 to 12 year minimum time haha since the winging commitment doesn't start until after training lol without doing any basic research like what training is like or aircraft mission is pretty fucking stupid lolo. but then, you will absolutely love the culture and atmosphere of naval aviationso it really doesn't matter what you fly or if you would enjoy what you are doing...just like basic thing such as capitalizing appropriately, punctuation and sentence structure doesn't matter as long as you enjoy the people posting lol...haha...lol...

i understand your point, you want me to select a platform based it's long run but my hopes on where to be stationed is also a bit of a influential factor when choosing a platform. which is why i'm on here, hoping to find out a little more information to help weight-in on some decisions...

i think there is a misunderstanding in my previous post as well, i do take into consideration on what the lifstyle/training will be like for each platform too.. it's just that i was curious on which platform had a good chance of going to Japan after flight school lol
 
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Uncle Fester

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Your interest in requesting a platform based on locale isn't wrong in itself, but you're going about it bass-ackwards. The short, non-scientific answer to your question: there's 10 Fleet VAW squadrons, a typical RAG class sends one dude to each squadron, so you have very roughly 10% chance of going to CAG Five out of -120. But of course that's not taking into account anything else, and there are always other factors, not least 'needs of the Navy'. And as others have said, dream-sheeting a community because of a small chance to go somewhere for three years out of a career is poor beadwork.

Instead, look at where you're most likely to be homeported in each community and use that as one factor in your thinking. VFA gets you several years in Fresno or Virginia Beach. VAQ, you're guaranteed the misty coolness of the PacNorWest. Going E-2s, 90% chance of being in Norfolk or Ventura County. You get the idea. When you finally get flight-side, talk to instructors from the different communities about what life's like, including but not limited to QOL when you're home.

A tour in Japan at some point in your career is certainly doable, whether as a nugget or DH, or a Boat tour, or some staff, no matter what community you go to. Everyone I've known who's done a Japan tour enjoyed it, personally and professionally. More often than not, though, they have to draft guys to go, so being eager and willing to jump on an FDNF billet should the opportunity arise is a good thing. File "I'd like to do a tour in Japan at some point" away in your headspace, concentrate on getting through the program in P'cola, and look at probabilities vice possibilities.
 

Huffs09

Member
None
I once spoke to a P3 pilot CDR who had managed to stay in Hawaii for 10 years without PCSing. This surprised me as I know the Navy usually tries to move people around after every tour. Is this still possible? I imagine that some platforms are more conducive to staying in one place than others. Could a VP type nowadays conceivably stay in the Jacksonville/Mayport area for his entire career? Could a helo pilot do the same in San Diego or Norfolk? I'm not sure that's something I would want, but I could see it being desirable down the line for people with families who may not want to move their spouses/children every 3 to 4 years.
 

BACONATOR

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pilot
Contributor
I once spoke to a P3 pilot CDR who had managed to stay in Hawaii for 10 years without PCSing. This surprised me as I know the Navy usually tries to move people around after every tour. Is this still possible? I imagine that some platforms are more conducive to staying in one place than others. Could a VP type nowadays conceivably stay in the Jacksonville/Mayport area for his entire career? Could a helo pilot do the same in San Diego or Norfolk? I'm not sure that's something I would want, but I could see it being desirable down the line for people with families who may not want to move their spouses/children every 3 to 4 years.

Yes, it's possible. Perhaps even somewhat common, but probably the minority of pilots' paths. As an example, in theory, you can go to your first JO tour to a squadron in San Diego, go to your first shore tour as a RAG IP in San Diego down the flight line, then go to a boat tour in San Diego and come back to a San Diego Squadron as a DH. Or if you're a SWTI, do a super JO tour in a San Diego squadron, etc etc. I'm sure you can do the same thing in Hawaii in P-3s. Squadron, wing staff, boat/super JO, DH tour. Like I said, aligning the chicken bones with your detailer to constantly pick SD or HI orders is probably very slim (especially those locations), but it is technically possible. It's REALLY easy if you're TACAMO, to stay in OK. I know tons of guys who went to Vance for pilot training (some both primary and advanced), then Tinker for JO/IP tour, then back to Vance as an IP.... talk about a land-locked Navy life.
 

Uncle Fester

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I once spoke to a P3 pilot CDR who had managed to stay in Hawaii for 10 years without PCSing. This surprised me as I know the Navy usually tries to move people around after every tour. Is this still possible? I imagine that some platforms are more conducive to staying in one place than others. Could a VP type nowadays conceivably stay in the Jacksonville/Mayport area for his entire career? Could a helo pilot do the same in San Diego or Norfolk? I'm not sure that's something I would want, but I could see it being desirable down the line for people with families who may not want to move their spouses/children every 3 to 4 years.

Homesteading in the Navy does happen, but usually not if you want to stay on any kind of a careerist track. It depends on your community, timing, and a lot of things breaking your way. If you're an E-2 or F-18 guy, for example, it'd be theoretically possible to stay in the Hampton Roads area for an entire career. Also, when the Navy's flush with PCS money, they like to move people around, just on principle. When they're not, they encourage guys to stay in the same area. And especially if you're trying to stay competitive, you go where the detailer needs you to go, not where you'd prefer to stay for the sake of the camp followers.

Short answer: it's not something you can opt into, but guys pull it off for a few years.
 
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