FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
No. Pilot numbers for OCS programs have been steady the past few years.
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USN Should I go Naval Aircrewman or a Submariner?
- Thread starter Alejandro Booher
- Start date
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- Tags
- aviation military navy submarines
No. Pilot numbers for OCS programs have been steady the past few years.
I was under the impression that most of the "what are my chances" threads are for getting an OCS package/ROTC scholarship, or getting into USNA, and not about people at USNA asking how to get Aviation, but I'll concede I haven't been a member of these forums for nearly as long as you have.
The Deputy CNO for Manpower gives the Academy a certain number of spots for pilot, SWO, NFO, subs, USMC, etc, and they must meet that target number. For 2018, for example, the Navy needs 228 pilots and 70 NFO's from USNA. However, the last career interest survey we took indicated only 199 people put pilot first, and 57 people put NFO first. So that means they'll need to find 29 more pilots and 13 more NFO's this fall in order to meet target. So they'll take from overmanned communities. How they go about picking who to switch has not historically been very transparent (at least to us). This goes for any community that has a shortfall.
There's not a pilot draft every year or anything. (usually just subs/nuke SWO). That's just how the numbers came out this year. I think what azguy said of the committment holds true for a lot of people I know that could fly but don't want to.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
I don't know how many they "draft" but over several years there were a few at the NROTC unit near my NRD, and I worked with a few on my last sea tour (I think only one was USNA). It very well could be that the numbers as low enough that it is statistically insignificant (unless you are that guy)
Having just spent part of a tour counseling SNA's that didn't want aviation but were talked/forced in to it... It's a new navy. There are "what are my chances" threads for OCS guys that know what they want. But I assume you already know that.
New navy? This discussion has been going on 20+ years. If memory serves me correctly, when the discussion came up 20 years ago, the sub community came out against it 20 years ago due to a bad past experience of a draft.
I also do not consider 'being talked into it' as being drafted.
Fact of the matter, we enter to serve and can be told what we are going to do based on the needs of the service.
But when a guy takes a NROTC scholarship or Academy slot, he agrees to serve 4 years. If he's forced into a pilot position based on the needs of the service, that's a hell of a lot longer obligation.
"Fine, I'm a SNA"
Day one of training; "I quit! DOR!"
That helps no one. Not the Navy or the individual.
Which is exactly why we don't draft.
Oh I don't know Pickle. This guy was a bubblehead ET and don't forget where he went!
(Sorry for the thread-jack, I just couldn't resist. Hughie was one kickass Sailor.)Attachments
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You would hope- and I'm pretty sure- that most of our young officers have the integrity to pursue excellence in the community and job they're sent to even if it's not their first choice.
These "drafts" probably happen almost every years in one community or another based on the varying needs of those communities and varying wishes of each new class of graduating Mids.
Likewise you would hope that the Navy, drafting the officer into a designator he or she did not want that has a significantly increased obligated service time, would have the integrity to waive that extra obligated service and only hold the individual to the 4 years they committed too when accepting the Navy's original offer.
Integrity is a two way street yet the Navy seems to forget that a lot.
If someone signs up for 4 years and is drafted into aviation against their wishes, they should not be required to serve 10-12 years.
Luckily they have an out as flying is voluntary. The Navy can order them to flight school but they can't make them learn to fly. The drafted SNA can just not volunteer and quit flight school at any time without the extra obligated time. I see no lack of integrity in that as the officer is still fulfilling the obligation he incurred when he signed on the dotted line.
In this case the Navy is significantly lacking integrity by trying to force a longer obligation against both the officer's will and contract.
Luckily they have an out as flying is voluntary. The Navy can order them to flight school but they can't make them learn to fly. The drafted SNA can just not volunteer and quit flight school at any time without the extra obligated time. I see no lack of integrity in that as the officer is still fulfilling the obligation he incurred when he signed on the dotted line.
In this case the Navy is significantly lacking integrity by trying to force a longer obligation against both the officer's will and contract.
Nowadays, it's common for guys who quit/attrite AFTER wings still will only serve their 4/5 year commitment if they're close to meeting that timeline. An Ensign may be retained, but if a senior O-2 or O-3 select isn't getting picked up for another designator, out they go.
What I find interesting is that the OP hasn't been seen for 13 days and there's 5 pages of discussion.