NFO vs. AMDO Please help

[callen398]

I am a Nuke MM1(SS) preparing to apply to OCS. I still have about a year left on my degree, so I have a little bit of time yet. I am struggling trying to decide between SNFO or AMDO. I know this is an NFO forum, but I was hoping someone could help give some insight on the two communities. My biggest concern is career outlook outside the Navy.

What potential jobs exist for NFOs in the civilian sector?

Same question for AMDO?

How is the promotion outlook for both?

How soon should I start my interviews, flight physical, and testing for my application?

 

[P3 F0]

Jobs to which you can transfer your specific NFO training: 0 (that I know of...I suppose I could list NOAA, but I don't consider that civilian in the traditional sense). Jobs to which you can transfer your general military/aviation/general intel knowledge from boarding, etc: various. There's room in the contracting and inside-the-beltway communities for retired military officers. I'm guessing those opportunities decrease along with your time in service (i.e., punch out after your initial obligation, and you'll have a tougher time finding employment using your military background as leverage). Those jobs also decrease the farther you get from the beltway and other mainstream contracting areas.

Most of the people I know that have retired are working only tangentially, at best, with their military background, and not at all with their NFO background.

Don't worry about promotion. It's a fair question, and there must be a general percentage breakout for the two communities, but I'm guessing they're pretty similar, and I'd highly recommend going with whatever job sounds more enjoyable to you.

I'm not sure how many AMDO guys we have on this board, but I'll be interested to hear from them. I'm guessing the job opportunities on the outside are better for them.

 

[Boomhower]

Your mileage may vary from my following post so take what I say with a block of salt:

The AMDO's in my squadron that weren't either prior Chiefs, Senior Chiefs, or Warrant Officers were miserable.

Let me explain: First, they were (all three) terrible human beings and terrible officers. I'm willing to give the community the benefit of the doubt that we just happened to get 3 shitty ones in a row as we had bad luck.

Two of them came to us as ENS/JG's and never really fit in. Sure, they are officers in the squadron, but they were always kind of spectators since they didn't have wings on their chest. I think this would have been somewhat true even if they had been normal people. The third one was an O-4 and that guy was a total shitbag. He ended up fucking the help and he was gone soon after.

The two JG's were basically doing the same job that an aviator could do, except they didn't get to go flying. With that, when deployed, the AMDO ends up standing a shit load of watches since the aviators all have to fly. I don't want to say that they are second class citizens in the squadron, but...well...maybe I am.

With all that said, we had one AMDO that was a former Senior Chief that I would take a bullet for. He was a great American, great officer, great leader. And, since he was a former Chief, he didn't have to stand watches.

I'd go NFO, but I'm biased.

 

[Thisguy]

Two of them came to us as ENS/JG's and never really fit in. Sure, they are officers in the squadron, but they were always kind of spectators since they didn't have wings on their chest.

The two JG's were basically doing the same job that an aviator could do, except they didn't get to go flying. I don't want to say that they are second class citizens in the squadron, but...well...maybe I am.

100% agree. I was said second class citizen, and that was a primary reason I lat xferred.

With all that said, we had one AMDO that was a former Senior Chief that I would take a bullet for. He was a great American, great officer, great leader. And, since he was a former Chief, he didn't have to stand watches.

The bold part is such a horse-shit policy some squadrons use. In my mind, standing duty is part of being a JO whether you're a prior chief or not.

 

[Boomhower]

The bold part is such a horse-shit policy some squadrons use. In my mind, standing duty is part of being a JO whether you're a prior chief or not.

I kind of agree with you in a broad sense, but this guy was better served by manning the maintenance desk all day instead of answering the phones.

I guess the line of thinking behind that is that by the time a guy has made it to Senior Chief, he has done his time at a watch desk. I could certainly see how the other AMDO's would be pissed, though.

 

[Thisguy]

I kind of agree with you in a broad sense, but this guy was better served by manning the maintenance desk all day instead of answering the phones.

No argument there. However, in a carrier squadron where the JOs stand shitty duty like Boat O and participate in "Room Wars" I think it's bullcrap when an LDO ENS gets four straight days of liberty and has his stateroom reserved.

No doubt the MMCO is a busy job, but the double standard is glaring when a JO job change happens and the LDO moves to the MCO job (my former job), and then has no duty? Trust me, the Aviators were a little pissed too when there were less bodies on the watch bill.

 

[Uncle Fester]

It's the Navy Way: Chiefs jealously guard their privileges. Including the privilege of continuing to jealously guard their privileges when they become O's. Can you fight them on it? Sure, if you're the type who enjoys pushing rope.

 

[The Chief]

It's the Navy Way: ....

LoL

 

[Van]

Meh...to me it depends on the LDO's attitude but I generally don't see a problem with them being left off some of the watches. Most LDO AMDOs I've known have probably spent more time standing a crappy watch than an average "regular" JO has time in service. As long as they aren't being jerks about it I think they've earned a bit of leeway.

 

[Thisguy]

I am a Nuke MM1(SS) preparing to apply to OCS. I still have about a year left on my degree, so I have a little bit of time yet. I am struggling trying to decide between SNFO or AMDO. I know this is an NFO forum, but I was hoping someone could help give some insight on the two communities. My biggest concern is career outlook outside the Navy.

To get back to the original topic: I would worry about if you're going to enjoy your job while you're in the Navy as opposed to worrying about your opportunities on the outside.

Honestly, unless you're deadset on a career in Aviation Maintenance Management when you get out, AMDO has no edge on NFO.

It's what YOU want to do.

 

[Boomhower]

Meh...to me it depends on the LDO's attitude but I generally don't see a problem with them being left of some of the watches. Most LDO AMDOs I've known have probably spent more time standing a crappy watch than an average "regular" JO has time in service. As long as they aren't being jerks about it I think they've earned a bit of leeway.

^^This

To get back to the original topic: I would worry about if you're going to enjoy your job while you're in the Navy as opposed to worrying about your opportunities on the outside.

Honestly, unless you're deadset on a career in Aviation Maintenance Management when you get out, AMDO has no edge on NFO.

It's what YOU want to do. .

^^^And This.