O-4/DH Selection vs 2FOS

[Brett327]

Real talk - I'd have PERS-43Xs be open, honest, and forthright with JOs.

No trying to circumvent DODIs, proactive expectation setting for things in their control (detach between 24-36 months into shore tour, no lat xfer, etc etc, 1xFOS boat tour extensions, etc. ) - make it so folks trust the party line.

I know PERS is a favorite whipping boy, but you can't just dump your standard litany of grievances on top of this particular issue. PERS has many shortcomings, but on this particular issue (and to Pickle's point) there's not much PERS can do about SG compression.

FWIW, the folks I've dealt with at PERS 43E (VAQ and NAWDC) have absolutely been open, honest and forthright w/ the JOs I've been responsible for over the past 5 years - without exception. Granted, there are community differences, but it's weird that the same usual suspects (VP and RW) seem to be fucking each other over both with their bizarre Machiavellian FITREP norms... and with their business rules at PERS. So, it may be worth considering whether the problem you're describing is a PERS problem, or whether RW and VP communities just have some deeply ingrained cultural issues that are long overdue for reform, that bleed over to PERS.

It dawned on me, after writing the above paragraph, that this must account for the obvious disconnect that I've had with many of you over the past 15+ years about PERS. My experience with PERS, and I dare say the experience of most of my community, has been overwhelmingly a positive one. Like I said earlier - PERS has many shortcomings that I don't care to make excuses for... but a lot of this is on your communities in who they send to Millington, and the tone that your CDREs establish for how your placement and detailing folks treat you all.

 

[squorch2]

SG adjustment is largely out of PERS’ control, like you said - no hate there.

Like I said, being open, honest, and forthright about things within their control is a great place to start.

Totally concur about differences b/w TACAIR and RONA (rest of naval aviation).

 

[Gatordev]

It dawned on me, after writing the above paragraph, that this must account for the obvious disconnect that I've had with many of you over the past 15+ years about PERS. My experience with PERS, and I dare say the experience of most of my community, has been overwhelmingly a positive one. Like I said earlier - PERS has many shortcomings that I don't care to make excuses for... but a lot of this is on your communities in who they send to Millington, and the tone that your CDREs establish for how your placement and detailing folks treat you all.

This is me thinking out loud here, but I also wonder if it has to do with how RONA PERS has to fill "more" "crap" billets than TACAIR does, just out of sheer numbers. Yes, there's less-desirable billets for TACAIR, as well, but there's a smaller overall body of people, so there's less billets to fill.

Contrast that to VP and RW, and they have more bodies available, so they have more less-desirable billets to fill. The basis of my hypothesis? Because the same thing happens on the Reserve side. I watched the Reserve detailing process get more and more "secret" as people tried to work around getting the job they didn't want. Eventually the process seemed to be just detailing to billets without any real input (the NOSC CO being the main culprit) other than a wish list that seemed to only make the people filling it out feel like they had input.

Or to put it another way, if I have 10 people and 8 pieces of candy, most people are going to be happy with how the candy gets handed out. But if I have 20 people and only 8 pieces of candy, the candy process seems less "fair," and if communication isn't happening, more arbitrary.

 

[Pags]

This is me thinking out loud here, but I also wonder if it has to do with how RONA PERS has to fill "more" "crap" billets than TACAIR does, just out of sheer numbers. Yes, there's less-desirable billets for TACAIR, as well, but there's a smaller overall body of people, so there's less billets to fill.

Contrast that to VP and RW, and they have more bodies available, so they have more less-desirable billets to fill. The basis of my hypothesis? Because the same thing happens on the Reserve side. I watched the Reserve detailing process get more and more "secret" as people tried to work around getting the job they didn't want. Eventually the process seemed to be just detailing to billets without any real input (the NOSC CO being the main culprit) other than a wish list that seemed to only make the people filling it out feel like they had input.

Or to put it another way, if I have 10 people and 8 pieces of candy, most people are going to be happy with how the candy gets handed out. But if I have 20 people and only 8 pieces of candy, the candy process seems less "fair," and if communication isn't happening, more arbitrary.

I'm not sure there's a good way to make that communication "seem fair." Hard to tell people they're getting nothing when other people are getting something without angst.

 

[Gatordev]

I'm not sure there's a good way to make that communication "seem fair." Hard to tell people they're getting nothing when other people are getting something without angst.

Very true, but playing "I have a secret" is even worse, which I think is squorch's point.

 

[Pags]

Very true, but playing "I have a secret" is even worse, which I think is squorch's point.

Yeah, if there's not enough to go around then there's gonna be angst regardless. I'd agree that being up front with the fact there will be haves and have nots and by having a process that you follow to determine who the haves and have nots are (old.boy club is not a process).