STUPID questions about life as a Naval Flight Officer (NFO)

[Flugelman]

/threadjack, kinda/

Yes, I forgot the PI (deployed to NAS Sangley; they closed it mid-deployment so we went across the bay to NAS Cubi). Spend a month in the PI and you will REALLY appreciate living in the US.

I was on that deployment! What a clusterfvck... Wound up having to live on the Subic side and commute to Cubi side. Oh well, didn't have to go that far to the gate...

 

[Lacilouwho2]

P-3 Orion NFO

I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on my situation?
I graduate May 2010 with my BS degree and I am considering joining the Navy as an NFO. My husband is enlisted (E-5, 2nd Class Petty Officer) and he is an acoustic operator on P-3s. He has been in for 5 years and just re-enlisted for 6, so he's planning on making a career of it. We are currently station at the Naval Air Station on Marine Corps Base Hawaii and we are PCSing to NAS Jax sometime around June 2010, and will hopefully stay there for a while (at least 3 years). So my question is: Assuming Im qualified and pass everything I need to pass along the way, and I want to go in as an NFO and I choose P-3s, is it very likely that I will get my choice? I mean I know the needs of the Navy come first, but my husband said that since we are married and he is stationed in Jax, that they (usually) won't station me at say Whidbey or not give me P3s and put me on a strikefighter or seahawk or something like that?
Sorry if this is a confusing question or if I sound like I don't know what I'm talking about (I'm a civilian and don't really know much about how these things work or lingo or anything, yet). Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Brett327]

I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on my situation?
I graduate May 2010 with my BS degree and I am considering joining the Navy as an NFO. My husband is enlisted (E-5, 2nd Class Petty Officer) and he is an acoustic operator on P-3s. He has been in for 5 years and just re-enlisted for 6, so he's planning on making a career of it. We are currently station at the Naval Air Station on Marine Corps Base Hawaii and we are PCSing to NAS Jax sometime around June 2010, and will hopefully stay there for a while (at least 3 years). So my question is: Assuming Im qualified and pass everything I need to pass along the way, and I want to go in as an NFO and I choose P-3s, is it very likely that I will get my choice? I mean I know the needs of the Navy come first, but my husband said that since we are married and he is stationed in Jax, that they (usually) won't station me at say Whidbey or not give me P3s and put me on a strikefighter or seahawk or something like that?
Sorry if this is a confusing question or if I sound like I don't know what I'm talking about (I'm a civilian and don't really know much about how these things work or lingo or anything, yet). Any help would be appreciated.

While it's possible that you'll get P-3s, in the grand scheme, it's not likely, so I wouldn't plan on it. Also, spouse co-location for officers is very different from the enlisted folks, so even if you were to get P-3s, chances are good that you would be stationed in another location from him. Bottom line, dual military spouses tend to spend lots of time apart, so be prepared for that. Case in point, there is a female officer in my squadron who is married to another officer (USAF) and they haven't lived together for their entire marriage (~about 5 years).

Brett

 

[Lacilouwho2]

Ok thanks for the info!

 

[utak]

There was a female that I knew from Primary, she was prior enlisted and just completed OCS and married to another enlisted, her situation was pretty much yours as far as her desires went . . . she wanted P3s and she got them. And she did that by graduating top of her class, so she had her first pick of anything she wanted.

 

[CAVU]

... is it very likely that I will get my choice?

Thanks for thinking about serving and joining the ranks of naval aviation. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Glad you two are talking about this. Many things to consider.

Answer to your question - Is it likely? If you use the word "possible" instead of likely, then the answer is "yes, it is possible". "Likely" has so many variables and underpinnings that you can't control, that hazarding a guess builds false expectations (negative and positive).

It's a great question and I've seen a few dual military careers so far. I think you're going about it the right way. You've recognized the wickets to wings AND the RAG AND first squadron assignment. Lot's of planets need to line up. Just about guaranteed that your first 2-3 years will be at OCS/(AOCS?), Pensacola and the RAG.

Three things to consider (sure there are more) and the goal is to inform you two a little bit more.
1. In the short term, you and the husband visit with the Fleet and Family Support Center and ask them about the things you all should consider as you prepare to go down this path. They should say something like, "Wow, wish more people thought like this because there are some things to consider".
2. Ask your husband if the CMC for his command has some time to visit with both of you about what you two are thinking about doing. My guess is that he has seen it too and can offer his thoughts.
3. In the long term, the time and place to let "the system" formally know what your desire is, is when you are in flight training and they ask you what your aircraft preferences are. Be honest and present it as a desire (vice requirement) that is secondary to serving as an NFO. More often than not, I've seen the system try to work it out BUT as you already know the needs of the service can seem to be without a conscience, but so is non-military life (and to a greater extent in my opinion).

Good luck, keep asking questions and please keep us posted on your journey!

 

[nittany03]

It's not a 100% chance you'll be stationed apart though. I was in VAQ-129 with a Prowler ECMO who is prior enlisted. He and his wife were PNs, and she still is. But they both got stationed at Whidbey. Don't know the details of how, just that it happened.

 

[smittyrunr]

My husband and I are dual military (both P-3 pilots). If you do well through flight school you certainly have a better chance of getting whatever you want. I wish I could say everyone is willing to help you out with specific family situations, but not everyone is.
Some things to keep in mind if you haven't talked about them already:
You'll be at OCS for 13 weeks (right?), then down to API in Pensacola, followed by primary and advanced flight training there. Someone currently in the syllabus can give you a better idea of how long all of that will take right now, but the Navy will not co-locate (move your husband where you are) while you are in a training syllabus.
If you do go P-3s, they SHOULD station you together (there is paperwork to submit to help make this happen), but you will not be in the same squadron and therefore will not deploy together or at the same time. In some cases one will leave for deployment a week before the other gets home- wave as you cross paths in the air and see you in a year honey.
All of this works reasonably well for your first tour, but Officers, it seems, move around a lot more than the enlisted aircrew- one or both of you will have to make some tough decisions about your future in the Navy that may mean either taking orders apart or sacrificing "good" orders to stay together.

Good Luck!

 

[MasterBates]

I knew a couple that was a HSL Pilot and VP NFO. They were able to get VP-Jax and HSL-Mayport as that was the only co-location possibility beside both being in Hawaii, which is a lot harder to work orders-wise.

 

[KilroyUSN]

Maritime Community as NFO

Hi, Sorry if this question has been asked and answered before, I searched and was not able to find the exact question I am looking for.

I am currently an E-6 Submariner Nuclear Electrician, putting a package together for STA-21.
I originally was looking to try to go Pilot, intending to try to get maritime community, which I was told from other Pilot's is farely easy to obtain as a Pilot (unless you get selected for helo).
However after doing a lot of research, being that I want to/ hope to, go to the maritime community, it seems that the NFO mission, is much more involving and a lot more of what I hope to one day become.
I do not know any NFO's however so I only know information from this website (which has been a TON of help) and a few other websites.
From what I gather, in the NFO field, while you are going through the pipeline, you are given the chance to apply to the maritime community.
I am assuming this means, more people apply then are selected.
I was just wondering if anyone could give me a rough guesstimate on how hard it is to get maritime community if that is what you want.
I understand there are a lot of billets in the maritime community for NFO's, however I do not know if, its one of those billets that EVERYONE puts in for.
Obviously I will be more than happy with whatever happens to me, the navy will put me where they need me, and anything will be a new exciting challange, however I am very much a family man, and very much enjoy the schedule of the maritime community (which is very similar to a boomer submarine) and even more so, I think it would be hilarious if after being a submarine, I became a submarine hunter.
I am just possing the question because I have to decide if I want to go NFO or Pilot. I am pretty sure I will still try for NFO either way, because I really do like the NFO mission, however I would love to have more info to make sure I am making the right decision.
Thank you in advance to anyone who gives me any insight.

-EM1(SS) Collver

 

[Uncle Fester]

First, welcome aboard.

I originally was looking to try to go Pilot, intending to try to get maritime community, which I was told from other Pilot's is farely easy to obtain as a Pilot (unless you get selected for helo)

Yes, it's fairly easy to select the community you want. Unless you're selected for something else. That does indeed cover all the possibilities.

...I was just wondering if anyone could give me a rough guesstimate on how hard it is to get maritime community if that is what you want...

Oooh, that sounds like a "what %?" question. Big no-no. Read the ROE here.

...however I am very much a family man, and very much enjoy the schedule of the maritime community (which is very similar to a boomer submarine)...

Wrong, wrong, wrong, and more wrong. Common misconception, but you're going to be on the road as much if not more as a VP guy than if you were a Tailhooker. If you want a regular schedule, stay with the boomers.

Spend some time perusing the threads here and here. There is much discussion of the pilot and NFO VP pipelines, and the VP Navy in general.

 

[ltedge46]

I'll second the welcome aboard.

As stated in numerous other places on this forum, the best way to get what you want is to work your ass off and perform in ground school and the aircraft. Add to that the rule of "needs of the navy" and you have about .01% control over where you will finally end up.

As long as you maintain your positive attitude of "just let me fly, I don't care what aircraft it is" you'll be happy with the final outcome. In the pipeline, you don't so much "apply" for a platform, you give them your choices. Which they will then turn upside down, re-order, add 1 new one and take 2 away and then shred and burn. And finally, you get told where you are going.

It may be true that as a VP'er you will be on the road as much as a tailhooker, but your life will be a smidge better. Think, workups on the boat vice JTFEX in the San Diego BOQ for 2 weeks. Also, 6 months at sea floating around the gulf vice 6 months at an Air Force base in Qatar or Japan. And we VP guys never forget to toss in the 6 months per diem qualifier.

There are pros and cons to every community and this is the right place to learn about them.

Good luck.

 

[picklesuit]

VP life is pretty good...there is a cycle to the deployment schedules, 6 months on a scheduled deployment, 6 months homecycle, 6 months as the duty/ready squadron (lots of time upgrading here) and 6 months on surge (lots of "mini-deployments/dets for 6-9 weeks at a time to augment other squadrons/missions) and then back to deployment again.

As far as NFO vs. Pilot, well there is no comparison, but I am a little biased...but while Nav life sucks, the Tacco has a really cool job, and you are pretty much fully integrated into the fight. The first thing someone asks when something goes wrong over the ocean is where is the nearest P-3? The guywho gets to dispense all of that cool info to the fleet is the Tacco/Nav.

Enough dispensing of the kool-aide, if/when you get into the pipeline don't concentrate on working toward one platform or the other. Concentrate on being the best in your class so you have the best opportunity to select what you want come that time. When you are flying T-6's be the best T-6 stud there is. When you are in T-39's be the best T-39 guy. That will open the most doors. Some guys (myself included) looked too far down the road and gaffed off some shit with the reasoning of "I don't need this, I'm going P-3's" (my excuse as to why I sucked horribly through Formation phase)

Work like you wat the space shuttle and then give yourself the opportunity to select the WarPig.

Pickle

 

[AJTranny]

Somthing else to be aware of: there are a lot of jet/E2 NFOs. There is a real possibility you will have to be toward the top of your class to select maritime. Obviously, this changes weekly but we had one P3 spot for 3 guys wanting it back in my class in 2004. I agree with earlier posts: work your butt off and be able to live with whatever you get.

 

[AJTranny]

BTW, being in the trunk of an F18 isn't a bad way to earn a paycheck if things don't go your way. Really, a win-win if you are looking at the NFO route. I have to say as an NFO-Pilot transition guy, if you enjoy flying, I'd recommend pilot.