A few years ago, I came onto the forum asking about AMDO and joining as a civ. This was after my recruiter had put in my package and essentially closed off opportunities for me to potentially put my app into the ring. You actually gave some info in that thread too.
The short of it is that had I the opportunity to work for AMDO back then I would've put all of my effort into that. It is where I see myself long term and despite how much I enjoy the learning the ins and outs of the plane, I do not see myself longterm doing NFO duties. I also really dislike the opportunities for NFOs (mainly how you can't do anything off the golden path unless you're getting out essentially).
why leave now during the FRS? Is this a performance issue, or that you think VAW NFO isn't a good fit for you?
FRS-wise, I am doing very well academically and in the sims but after speaking to the OCM, she has advised that it would be in my best interest to transfer prior to the 4yr mark due to the PQS process taking 48 months (24m I-level tour and 24m O-level tour).
The length of the FRS puts me into a predicament and I do not think that if I complete the FRS and go to a fleet squadron I wouldn't be released from the community until 1yr out.
Based on all of this, it seems that the best time to make the career change would be before I am patched to another squadron.
I'm trying to get as much info as possible, as well as talking to some of my trusted senior JOs at the squadron