Was looking something up and found this thread. Curious to know if a FNAEB is the only way to to (literally) pull someone's wings? We had some pilots court martialed for drug use in my first squadron tour and I remember a letter in their files from AIRPAC(?) permanently revoking their right to wear aviator insignia. I'm sure that was the least of their worries but as a nugget that letter scared the crap out of me!
-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
My FNAEB Experience (or How I Let My Personal Issues Get In The Way)
- Thread starter TheBubba
- Start date
You can lose flight status one of two ways when a FNAEB is adjudicated by the TYCOM.
A finding of B(1) revokes your flight status, but you retain the right to wear gold wings. Generally, a person who put forth honest effort but didn't make a qual, or otherwise bit off some sort of "honorable" FNAEB (if there is such a thing) will get that finding.
A finding of B(2) by the TYCOM revokes the right to wear wings. Per the wording of the last OPNAVINST I saw, this finding is meant for people who "willfully violate" rules and regs, or who "bring disgrace upon Naval Aviation." It's only rumor, but I've been told that some TYCOMs have required people in this situation to pull them off their khakis and hand them over on the spot.
Don't know if that's actually true, because PERS has final chop on all FNAEBs that don't leave the aviator in the same community he or she started in. Of course, I'm also sure they rarely overrule the TYCOM.
Last edited:
Truth. Though it was Blues and not khakis. Results were seen minutes later by fellow aviators.
Story? It's gotta be good.
Sadly, the individual was caught having a little too much fun for the current conditions and failed to acknowledge the fact. If he had acknowledged his decision, he'd probably still have the wings, even if he wasn't flying anymore, but he chose to go "opposing solo" and it didn't work out for him.
The squadron debrief by the front office after the fact was pretty epic though. Sometimes O-5s can surprise you with their blunt honesty when rallying against "then Man."
Bubba, thanks for sharing, and for your service. Glad to see you still advancing.
You're in decent company: this guy also received a B(1) from a FNAEB after a class A mishap - flight status revoked but was allowed to keep his wings and redes to staff corps (where he later picked up O4 and O5).
You're in decent company: this guy also received a B(1) from a FNAEB after a class A mishap - flight status revoked but was allowed to keep his wings and redes to staff corps (where he later picked up O4 and O5).
Last edited:
I have a friend who is looking at revocation of his SWO pin. It caused me to look up the instruction:
For NA/NFO:
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-n...000/1200Classification/Documents/1210-010.pdf
Wings can only be pulled by CNP (USN), CMC (USMC), or CCG (USCG) after recommendation of a FNAEB.
SWOs on the other hand:
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-n...000/1200Classification/Documents/1210-090.pdf
Can be revoked by NAVPERSCOM after commendation by the CO or "an ISIC"
A reading of the instructions leads me to believe that it is harder to pull wings that a SWO pin.
For NA/NFO:
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-n...000/1200Classification/Documents/1210-010.pdf
Wings can only be pulled by CNP (USN), CMC (USMC), or CCG (USCG) after recommendation of a FNAEB.
SWOs on the other hand:
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-n...000/1200Classification/Documents/1210-090.pdf
Can be revoked by NAVPERSCOM after commendation by the CO or "an ISIC"
A reading of the instructions leads me to believe that it is harder to pull wings that a SWO pin.
Why are you insulting Bubba by comparing him to a fictional character?
Looking on info about the FNAEB process. I want to know if you can request one in order to change T/M/S. For example, if you were in the HM community during LT Van Dorn’s mishap and wanted to declare you lost confidence in the platform, and were not voluntarily terminating status but requesting to change platforms. Anyone every heard of this? Per the instruction change to new platform can only be determined by TYCOM, so I imagine the request would have to go to CNAF?
Doubtful, as that isn’t the point of the FNAEB process, and a separate process to change your T/M/S already exists. I’ve never heard of someone voluntarily initiating the FNAEB process, and I would venture to say the chances of a favorable outcome (ending up in your desired platform), would be infinitesimally small.
Also, per the version of the instruction I could easily find on the internet (2017 edition), the only way you could end up in a different platform is if you haven’t completed your first fleet tour. Not sure if that applies to the situation you’re asking about or not.
We have a pilot down here in Corpus who was in the F/18 FRS and is now gonna fly E2s. He went thru the FNAEB process and it worked out for him. Not sure of the details of his particular situation but I heard he's a good dude and a hell of a pilot. In short, anything is possible.
My first question, if the mishap caused such an issue with trusting the platform, why wait all this time to initiate a change?
I feel like it’s worth observing that the initial poster of this thread doesn’t post on AWs anymore, but has made himself a nice career in the cybersecurity realm, is still a SELRES officer, and recently pinned on O-5.
As dark as things can get when you struggle in the cockpit, it’s a big wide world out there outside Naval Aviation, and just because someone has trouble with Job A does mean they won’t kill it at Job B. Sometimes in the aviation world we have a bit too much of an internal locus of control, and think that if someone’s struggling, it’s because they DGAF. Be careful falling into that trap with your peers or students.
As dark as things can get when you struggle in the cockpit, it’s a big wide world out there outside Naval Aviation, and just because someone has trouble with Job A does mean they won’t kill it at Job B. Sometimes in the aviation world we have a bit too much of an internal locus of control, and think that if someone’s struggling, it’s because they DGAF. Be careful falling into that trap with your peers or students.