Stupid Questions about Naval Aviation (Part 3)

[MIDNJAC]

1) When exactly does BAH pay start? I thought I heard/read at one point that we'd get it at OCS, but NavyCS says "Housing allowance is payable when government quarters are not provided or when temporarily residing in barracks." Since they have BOQ at Newport (and presumably at Pensacola after that for API), when do you start receiving BAH as an SNA/NFO?

2) I've heard about a dream sheet where we list what platform we'd like, and if our grades are good enough in flight school we just might get it. When would we fill out this dream sheet, and what other stuff can you put on it? (I imagine for one thing, where we'd like to be stationed, platform-dependent of course.)

1. I never got BAH until I was commissioned. I was an NROTC guy, so somewhat different deal, but I'd expect that you won't get it at OCS.

2. There are various points in flight school where you get to put in a "dream sheet". The first one is at the end of primary, where you get to request follow on orders to one of the various advanced training pipelines.....ie jets/tailhook, helos, P-3's, or E-6's (these being choices for Navy guys specifically). Grades, needs of the Navy, and your desires all factor in here. I can't speak to anything other than tailhook, as that is what I did, but from there, I went through intermediate jets. After that, they pulled a few folks for E2's or C2's, and the rest of us continued into advanced/strike training. At the end of that, you got to fill out another "dream sheet" which was basically what RAG you wanted to go to. Hornets East/West/Miramar, Rhinos East/West, Prowlers or Growlers. This seemed to be a lot less based on grades, and mostly what the Navy needed, at least in my personal experience. From there, you get winged and go to the RAG. Once you finish the RAG, you once again have a chance to kind of sort of ask for a fleet assignment......for the Navy guys in my RAG class, it was basically "do you want Lemoore or Oceana?" Beyond that was pretty much a crap shoot, and almost entirely dependent on what squadrons needed dudes, and whether you were PRI-A or not. Anyway, probably not worth worrying about right now. It used to drive my then girlfriend/now wife crazy when all I could tell her (during primary) was....."well I might end up basically anywhere". Then once I was in T-45's, it was "well I might be in Lemoore, Oceana, or Japan". Then in the RAG, I could say "it's going to be Lemoore or Oceana"......and finally, a couple weeks after I finished the RAG, the XO told me "hey you're going to Oceana" and I could finally, nearly 4 years later, tell the wife....."hey we're going to Oceana". She said "how long?"......"well, about 3 years"......"so where will we go after that?"......"pretty much anywhere"......

 

[C420sailor]

If BFM exists...does that mean AFM exists...?

 

[Tycho_Brohe]

1. I never got BAH until I was commissioned. I was an NROTC guy, so somewhat different deal, but I'd expect that you won't get it at OCS.

2. There are various points in flight school where you get to put in a "dream sheet". The first one is at the end of primary, where you get to request follow on orders to one of the various advanced training pipelines.....ie jets/tailhook, helos, P-3's, or E-6's (these being choices for Navy guys specifically). Grades, needs of the Navy, and your desires all factor in here. I can't speak to anything other than tailhook, as that is what I did, but from there, I went through intermediate jets. After that, they pulled a few folks for E2's or C2's, and the rest of us continued into advanced/strike training. At the end of that, you got to fill out another "dream sheet" which was basically what RAG you wanted to go to. Hornets East/West/Miramar, Rhinos East/West, Prowlers or Growlers. This seemed to be a lot less based on grades, and mostly what the Navy needed, at least in my personal experience. From there, you get winged and go to the RAG. Once you finish the RAG, you once again have a chance to kind of sort of ask for a fleet assignment......for the Navy guys in my RAG class, it was basically "do you want Lemoore or Oceana?" Beyond that was pretty much a crap shoot, and almost entirely dependent on what squadrons needed dudes, and whether you were PRI-A or not. Anyway, probably not worth worrying about right now. It used to drive my then girlfriend/now wife crazy when all I could tell her (during primary) was....."well I might end up basically anywhere". Then once I was in T-45's, it was "well I might be in Lemoore, Oceana, or Japan". Then in the RAG, I could say "it's going to be Lemoore or Oceana"......and finally, a couple weeks after I finished the RAG, the XO told me "hey you're going to Oceana" and I could finally, nearly 4 years later, tell the wife....."hey we're going to Oceana". She said "how long?"......"well, about 3 years"......"so where will we go after that?"......"pretty much anywhere"......

You mean Miramar as in TOPGUN? I assumed that was something that couldn't be done until the shore tour. At any rate, you'd probably need to be top of the class during training to get that. And is that something you can only do with the Hornet, not with the Rhino?

And this one you might not know, since you mentioned you went the tailhook path: is there a lot of competition for the E-6 path? All I've heard is that a few pilots go that route, but that could mean either a lucky few are chosen, or that no one wants to do it. I hear their schedule WRT their "deployments" are a bit more favorable, so I'd guess the former, but I haven't heard much about it.

 

[Swanee]

You mean Miramar as in TOPGUN? I assumed that was something that couldn't be done until the shore tour. At any rate, you'd probably need to be top of the class during training to get that. And is that something you can only do with the Hornet, not with the Rhino?

MCAS Miramar- Where the MAG-11 hornet squadrons are including VMFAT-101, the west coast legacy hornet RAG. It's a Marine squadron but Navy guys go there too.

 

[Tycho_Brohe]

MCAS Miramar- Where the MAG-11 hornet squadrons are including VMFAT-101, the west coast legacy hornet RAG. It's a Marine squadron but Navy guys go there too.

Lol gotcha, thanks for clarifying

 

[Mr. Blonde]

1) When exactly does BAH pay start? I thought I heard/read at one point that we'd get it at OCS, but NavyCS says "Housing allowance is payable when government quarters are not provided or when temporarily residing in barracks." Since they have BOQ at Newport (and presumably at Pensacola after that for API), when do you start receiving BAH as an SNA/NFO?

2) I've heard about a dream sheet where we list what platform we'd like, and if our grades are good enough in flight school we just might get it. When would we fill out this dream sheet, and what other stuff can you put on it? (I imagine for one thing, where we'd like to be stationed, platform-dependent of course.)

Pretty sure it depends if you're married or not. Seem to recall I got bah for my wife's home of record while I was there and pocketed more than the single guys who didn't get it until commissioning.

 

[croakerfish]

Pretty sure it depends if you're married or not. Seem to recall I got bah for my wife's home of record while I was there and pocketed more than the single guys who didn't get it until commissioning.

Same here, although I didn't get it at OCS and had to get back-paid after commissioning.

 

[BusyBee604]

You mean Miramar as in TOPGUN?

If you mean Miramar for Top Gun (School), it's been relocated to NAS Fallon.
BzB

 

[OscarMyers]

Does TPS accept applicants with non-engineering degrees very often, or is it one of those once in a blue moon things?

 

[ea6bflyr]

Does TPS accept applicants with non-engineering degrees very often, or is it one of those once in a blue moon things?

Sometimes, but you have to have a strong math (read Calc and Physics) background....

-ea6bflyr

 

[707guy]

Does TPS accept applicants with non-engineering degrees very often, or is it one of those once in a blue moon things?

Don't forget your cover sheet...

 

[MIDNJAC]

MCAS Miramar- Where the MAG-11 hornet squadrons are including VMFAT-101, the west coast legacy hornet RAG. It's a Marine squadron but Navy guys go there too.

^^ What he said......but @ Pat, correct, it is the same base, different management There were still a few remnants from the distant past when I was there......someone had fingered "VF-124 sucks" into the ramp (presumably when it was last paved) around where the -101 WSO jets are parked.

 

[gotta_fly]

Is there a lot of competition for the E-6 path? All I've heard is that a few pilots go that route, but that could mean either a lucky few are chosen, or that no one wants to do it. I hear their schedule WRT their "deployments" are a bit more favorable, so I'd guess the former, but I haven't heard much about it.

Competition just depends on the week. My week there were two guys that wanted it and one spot. Other weeks there are no spots. Like tailhook, there is an NSS cut off so it is somewhat selective. Of the 25ish JO pilots in my squadron, I only know of one or two that didn't put this as first choice.


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[MIDNJAC]

Like tailhook, there is an NSS cut off so it is somewhat selective.

Did not know that actually.......I guess you learn something new every day. What is/was it out of curiosity?

 

[Gatordev]

I don't remember it being a set number, exactly. Maybe that's changed in the last few years.