Repercussions of dropping wings

[Feathers67]

Ladies and gents. First off, I want to thank you all for your service and for volunteering your time to impart wisdom and advice to the newer generation of Aviators.
My daughter initially wanted to enlist in the MC as a dog handler, or Navy as a corpsman. Since she had a biochemistry degree, I convinced her to go the officer route. The OSO had her go in as a flight contract since it was “easier” to get into OCS after having already graduated. Being a prior aviator as well, I admittedly pushed her towards that avenue..

Long story short, she’s been a helo pilot for a year, and is not enjoying her time. Being a mother, she says it’s putting a strain on her family. She’s good at her job, but just had no passion for aviation. I can tell she wishes she enlisted to chase after those two jobs. Cause of this and a few other factors, she’s considering dropping her wings. I don’t want her to do this, but I can’t help but feel a little responsible for putting her into this situation as a father. Can anyone expound on the repercussions of this? I’m conflicted as a prior aviator/military professional and a father.

I’m a former Army 47 guy, and don’t have a ton of experience in the Naval world, so I defer to you professionals.

 

[hlg6016]

I can understand what your feelings, I had to make the family or flying choice myself many years ago. I do miss the flying but the effort I have put in on the family front has payed off for me. She has to make her own choice but you gotta be dad and be there to support it. Good Luck.

 

[MGoBrew11]

The repercussions are basically she just won’t fly anymore. Don’t think anyone is going to fault her if it’s just not for her. If she is able to lat transfer to something like PAO or AMDO the Navy might keep her. Otherwise, she may get an ADSEP.

They may also make her fulfill her obligation in crappy non flying billets for aviators.

 

[wink]

Ladies and gents. First off, I want to thank you all for your service and for volunteering your time to impart wisdom and advice to the newer generation of Aviators.
My daughter initially wanted to enlist in the MC as a dog handler, or Navy as a corpsman. Since she had a biochemistry degree, I convinced her to go the officer route. The OSO had her go in as a flight contract since it was “easier” to get into OCS after having already graduated. Being a prior aviator as well, I admittedly pushed her towards that avenue..

Long story short, she’s been a helo pilot for a year, and is not enjoying her time. Being a mother, she says it’s putting a strain on her family. She’s good at her job, but just had no passion for aviation. I can tell she wishes she enlisted to chase after those two jobs. Cause of this and a few other factors, she’s considering dropping her wings. I don’t want her to do this, but I can’t help but feel a little responsible for putting her into this situation as a father. Can anyone expound on the repercussions of this? I’m conflicted as a prior aviator/military professional and a father.

I’m a former Army 47 guy, and don’t have a ton of experience in the Naval world, so I defer to you professionals.

Does she have any desire to stay in? It was many years ago, but had a NFO in my squadron drop his wings on the skippers desk. He was reassigned out of the squadron in days. He was given a 1XXX ( something less than a non-rated officer by your account) do nothing job. He was out of the Navy in less than a year. I would not be surprised if the same sort of thing happens today.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

The OP used the term OSO with is the term the USMC uses, so I am wondering is she in the USMC or USN.

 

[taxi1]

Cause of this and a few other factors, she’s considering dropping her wings.

Here’s the governing instruction. It’s definitely a one-way door...

https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Reference/MILPERSMAN/1000/1600Performance/1610-020.pdf?ver=tu9Yv9tXAN__Fd5JR8GPXA%3D%3D

 

[MIDNJAC]

If she wants to stay in, I'd think at least finishing her initial fleet tour would be a good move. Plenty of non-flying options for shore tours, and maybe she could start working a lateral move to some other non-URL community or just simply finish off her post-wings obligation doing something not involving flying. The options available would, I think, be much more palatable in that scenario. A couple guys in my first tour JOPA were FNAEBd, kept wings but were removed from flying, and their options at the time were: 1) deploy as an IA to Afghanistan, or 2) deploy as an IA to Iraq. Long way of saying I think she will have a little more say in her destiny if she sticks with it a couple more years. Though I understand the difficulties of being a parent, deployments, etc, and of course none of that is made easier if she hates flying to boot. Ultimately it's her decision anyway, that she will have to make for her own reasons.

 

[Odominable]

I'd offer that it definitely "gets better" after your first year or so in a tactical squadron. She's either flying 53s or H-1s; if it's the latter I can personally attest that being a boot really stinks (not to besmirch Big Iron, being a copilot isn't fun anywhere) but once you start gaining qualifications past Aircraft Commander in particular it really is an awesome place to work if your command / peer group is half decent. I had the most fun in my career by far in the latter half of my time at a gun squadron. Giving Xs is much more fun than getting them...

So that's part A - part B is that, as a Marine Officer, choosing to drop wings might ultimately put herself in a worse position WRT family availability - while as you know we work weird schedules in aviation, once I gained seniority I wouldn't trade my work/life balance with a grunt, for example, or especially some random assistant-to-the-S-whatever on a Bn / Reg / MEU staff. Not sure on whether or not they'd make her serve out her post-wings service obligation but frankly I'd put a fair amount of money on it (if she got career designated, which may have already happened based on her timeline).

I'm always inclined to stay the course; it sounds like she's just experiencing the normal misery associated with being a new guy anywhere. But the end result is worth it.

 

[Jim123]

If her heart is really really not in it and that's going to hold her back from being a good aviator in her squadron, then DOR-ing is an honorable thing to do (though not necessarily the only honorable thing).

But if she can stick it out for another two or three years, fly enough for what's required and contribute to the mission by being great at her ground jobs and pulling her weight overall, then that would also be an honorable thing to do.

@Feathers67 , I have a feeling you already know all this from your own mil aviation background and you're gut checking it by using some fellow aviators as a sounding board. Hopefully our thoughts are insightful and beneficial to your daughter's service to her country. She's not the first and she won't be the last to have these circumstances.

 

[wink]

I am reminded of something someone on AW said that may or may not have been his original thought, but it was the first I heard it. It may apply here.

"It doesn't get easier, you get better." If she sticks it out, she should recite that every morning like a mantra.

 

[Feathers67]

Thank you everyone that took the time to provide your insight. Deep down I felt the same sentiment, but battled with the father side of things. I reiterated what you folks have said here to her, and she ultimately decided to drop her wings since it sounds like she no longer had the passion for it nor was it enjoyable.

Not exactly what I hoped for, but it’s not my family or place to say. Not sure what will happen now, it seems like a possible move to another job. Thanks all

 

[Griz882]

I wish her well.

 

[wink]

Thank you everyone that took the time to provide your insight. Deep down I felt the same sentiment, but battled with the father side of things. I reiterated what you folks have said here to her, and she ultimately decided to drop her wings since it sounds like she no longer had the passion for it nor was it enjoyable.

Not exactly what I hoped for, but it’s not my family or place to say. Not sure what will happen now, it seems like a possible move to another job. Thanks all

If you think about it, come back sometime after things flesh out and let us know how things went for her. Knowing how the Navy is currently dealing with these things will be good info for use going forward.