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What happens if you DOR API/primary as an OCS grad?

zippy

zippy

Freedom!
pilot
Contributor
Jermaine said:
Thank you all for the responses, I guess the truth is that "it depends". I've got a tough decision ahead of me and have the utmost respect and admiration for everyone in the community.
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Honestly what it's going to boil down to is if you're there you should want to be there. Flight school isn't fun, it's miserable if you don't want to be there.

From an IP prospective, you can always tell the guys and girls who don't want to be there but are to afraid to DOR... usually they're not all that good skill wise and teeter along at the verge of attrition and have no enthusiasm for the endeavor... we can't just attrition them arbitrarily so we have to throw time and resources at the person until they finally pull the plug or attrite months down the line. In every case they're very relieved when they're finally out of training and moving on with their lives.

My best friend from college HATED flight school and flying... Her dad was an old school SPECOPS type so she refused to DOR but she was miserable throughout flight school, her first fleet tour and her shore first shore tour because of not DORing, and she freely admits she was a pretty terrible pilot and says her JO flying tour was the worst time of her life because she was miserable. The first time she ever enjoyed being in the Navy was her boat tour away from flying... like seven or eight years into her career. She didn't take the aviation bonus and After she non screened for fleet DH the Detailer offered her a VT OP-T DH slot... she turned it down in exchange for a dead end, non flying Job and ultimately got picked up for a non flying community lateral transfer and is much happier, 12 years later.

If you seriously don't want to be there, please save everyone the time and headache of dealing with you being there but not wanting to be there. Save yourself the misery as well. You're not a bad person for discovering you don't want to be there, don't let fear dictate your life.
 
P

Pags

N/A
pilot
Jermaine said:
I'd rather not as I would only get crap from posters about trying to skate my contact or to wait it out, it gets better. I will PM you however.
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No one can help provide perspective on your situation unless we know what you situation is. Might you get some shit? Sure. But it's just some crap from random people on the internet.

Does waking up early not agree with you?
Have you decided you're some sort of conscientious objector and killing isn't your thing? Turns out you can't live without the reefer? Khaki isn't your color?
 
E

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
I was thinking about many of the guys I knew that didn't like the USN, I was a nuke so there were many, and they just couldn't decided to go home as we were enlisted. I had several that worked for me that had a hard time, they either had trouble grasping concepts, or didn't like being told what to do all the time, didn't like USN policies, or whatever. I would say nearly all of these guys toughed it out, did their job and when their time was up left the USN, I have looked up some of these guys and they have done really well, a few are Doctors, one is a mayor, another is the CFO or CEO of an engineering company, others are managers or teachers at various levels. These people pushed forward even though they knew it wasn't for them.
 
Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Since you're in API, I'm guessing it isn't that you just don't like flying or get airsick. Having spent several years counseling studs who said more or less exactly the same things you've said, imma go out on a limb here: You're somebody for whom academics and most things generally have always clicked quickly for you. You excelled or at least did good enough to get by. Now you're in API and this isn't clicking for you. Failed one or two tests, you have been to a PRB or probably will soon, and the guys in your class bragging about how easy this is and took no effort to get high grades are starting to piss you off.

I'll tell you what I always told them: nobody gives a shit whether this comes easy to you. None of your instructors expect the second coming of Wade McClusky, and those guys bragging about their API grades are douchebags who will hit their own walls at some point. So here's the biggest thing you seem to be missing: nobody is going to think less of you for asking for help. Crashing and burning because you're too proud to admit this isn't easy for you impresses no one.

What you're doing hasn't worked, so try something else. Find a different study group, try different study techniques, something.

Many - maybe most, possibly all - the guys on this board wearing wings hit a wall at some point. I know I did. It seems to be lost on you, but we're all trying to help you, 'cuz we've all been there. Quit if you want; you'll probably out of uniform and on the streets in a few months. Or you can choose to do the hard work, which can include admitting when shit isn't working and turning to others for help. But either fess up and seek help, or admit that your pride is more important to you than being a Naval aviator.
 
J

Jermaine

New Member
NavyOffRec said:
, or didn't like being told what to do all the time, didn't like USN policies,
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This hits the nail on the head for me, I have not failed any tests (yet). Thank you for the motivating words, if this was something I wanted I would push through even if struggling, and I haven't hesitated to ask for help(without it I definitely would have failed tests etc by now).
 
E

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Jermaine said:
This hits the nail on the head for me, I have not failed any tests (yet). Thank you for the motivating words, if this was something I wanted I would push through even if struggling, and I haven't hesitated to ask for help(without it I definitely would have failed tests etc by now).
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policies are one thing depending what they are, being told what to do many have found out it doesn't matter if civilian or military there is always someone telling you what to do, even in a civilian job I am told when to show up, if I can or cannot take time off, some are told when to take lunch, etc...... and policies even where I work there are policies that I must abide by, what to wear, what you can or cannot joke about in the work environment, etc....

I don't know if or how much civilian work experience you had before joining but there is always someone to tell you what to do and how to do it, the difference between civilian and military is in the military we got to do cool stuff.
 
J

Jermaine

New Member
NavyOffRec said:
policies are one thing depending what they are, being told what to do many have found out it doesn't matter if civilian or military there is always someone telling you what to do, even in a civilian job I am told when to show up, if I can or cannot take time off, some are told when to take lunch, etc...... and policies even where I work there are policies that I must abide by, what to wear, what you can or cannot joke about in the work environment, etc....

I don't know if or how much civilian work experience you had before joining but there is always someone to tell you what to do and how to do it, the difference between civilian and military is in the military we got to do cool stuff.
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I totally understand that and that line of reasoning is why I thought I would be fine with it.

I will speak with my class leader about what is happening to DORs currently and go from there. Thank you all for the information as well as encouragement. Naval (aviation) is no doubt a great place to be, it is just not for me.
 
Flash

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Jermaine said:
This hits the nail on the head for me, I have not failed any tests (yet). Thank you for the motivating words, if this was something I wanted I would push through even if struggling, and I haven't hesitated to ask for help(without it I definitely would have failed tests etc by now).
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Jermaine said:
...I will speak with my class leader about what is happening to DORs currently and go from there. Thank you all for the information as well as encouragement. Naval (aviation) is no doubt a great place to be, it is just not for me.
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I would suggest you consider talking to a Chaplain too, I am not very religious but I chatted with them when I struggled in school at one point and in the Navy too. They aren't there just to say a prayer at ceremonies.
 
Griz882

Griz882

Frightening children with the Griz-O-Copter!
pilot
Contributor
OP, thanks for the tiny bit of information you have offered. With that in mind I can offer this...the Navy does not have a lock on bullshit or incomprehensible policies. Such policies will, forever, be the sea-anchors that will screw up your easy passage through life. No matter where you go...no matter who you work for...there will be policies that do not align with your life goals. You have been handed a golden ticket to facing life's challenges - naval aviation training. From API inspections and SLJO crap to grasping the importance of NATOPS, you will learn how to deal with procedures that will help you navigate life...even if you never sit in a cockpit after your navy time.

I recommend you stay. If flying isn't your thing then reclass. No matter where you go you will learn some skills, get some remarkably unbelievable leadership experience, and still be young enough to start a second career while preparing for your third.
 
Brett327

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
For the OP, obviously your experience is different than you imagined it was going to be. Everyone enters into a new career with a set of preconceived ideas. Can you give us two or three specific examples of situations where you said to yourself, "WTF did I get myself into?" Examples that were totally different than how you expected things to be - whether professionally, personally, lifestyle in Pensacola, etc. This not only helps us understand your situation, but also helps us mentor and give counsel to others like you who may be experiencing second thoughts. Thanks.
 
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