AF pilot to Naval Pilot

[Northerner]

Hi,
My husband is an AF pilot who is facing possible involuntary separation due to the 2007 Force Shaping Initiative. They are asking for volunteers to leave, but if there is still an overage by the March board, some pilots are going to get cut. His first choice is to stay active duty AF, but he is looking at all his options. He talked to the Navy recruiter today, and is thinking about an interservice transfer. (He doesn't have enough flight hours to go with the airlines, and he loves flying for the military.)

So,....anyone have experience with going from AF to Navy pilot? Are Naval pilots stationed at AF bases? Is life as a Navy pilot the same as life as an AF pilot? (He will be staying in the Heavies, not fighters). I have no idea what the Navy flies, so I would have no idea what airframe he would transfer into.

Anyone have any advice? I heard that the Navy was having a RIF too.... but they aren't cutting pilots. Who would have thought the AF would ever ask it's pilot's to leave!?

Northerner

 

[Brett327]

^^ I think one thread is sufficient.

Brett

 

[Northerner]

^^ I think one thread is sufficient.

Brett

yah, I know... that's why I deleted the other one and said that I posted in the wrong place.

 

[snake020]

I have a very hard time believing AF is going to start force shaping pilots. What year did he commission?

But, if I'm wrong... here's a starting point:

Interservice transfer to Navy instructions

If you have any questions I can probably answer them. I sent my package to NPC a month ago and the community managers at Millington are reviewing it.

 

[Northerner]

He was commissioned in 2004. There are a few pilots in his squadron (from the same year) and a bunch of Nav's that were told to get their Request for Retention packages together this week. It's making a lot of us nervous. We're hoping that they will leave the pilot's alone, but the AFPC website lists pilots as eligible for involuntary separation.

Thanks for the link.

 

[snake020]

I knew they were cutting some navs, but this is the first I've heard of them hitting pilots. Last year they were grouped in the "critical skills" category, which meant no matter what the manning said they weren't cutting any. AF's recent news of accelerating cuts even further must have changed that... where on AFPC's site does it say they are looking at pilots?

 

[Northerner]

Go to the AFPC website and click on the "Force Shaping" banner on the middle of the page. After it opens, you'll see the link for the Officer's Matrix. All the 11's are pilots. There is an overage of 11M and 11R's. We were told that if not enough pilots volunteer to leave, there would be involuntary separations. Unfortunately, only those with 6-12 years in get VSP, and those commissioned later don't have enough hours to go to the airlines.

 

[snake020]

The overage is in the 1990s year groups. 11M is 75 undermanned for 04 and 11R is just 5 over.

That's pretty f-ed up if they are going to make the 04 guys take the hit for all the field graders and it's going to screw things up worse in the long run.

 

[AznDragonBoy]

Interservice transfers are possible, I'm the proof. I was commissioned in the AF for 3 1/2 years. I'm currently at TBS after having transferred to the Marine Corps. I was a 62E, got PRK, and applied for both Pilot/Nav slots in the AF as well as an interservice transfer to the Marines.

The skinny is that transfers of this kind are possible. They happen once in a full moon. However, they take a lot of time, digging up regulations, explaining to people who no idea what you're trying to do, patience and outright persistence.

If the AF is force shaping pilots, then it’s really desperate for money. I was disturbed by the whole "FSing" process. That was one of the reasons I left, even though I was offered a Nav slot. I guess I made the right decision. I heard some students were being FSed out of Nav school. Your husband should have no problem getting a conditional release from AFPC. I didn't, and I asked for one right before the FSing messages came out.

Good Luck

 

[gaetabob]

to answer your second batch of questions, from my limited experience (I'm still "wet behind the ears" wrt Naval Aviation), the only AF base that I can think of that has Navy is in Oklahoma City (Tinker?), with our E-6B squadrons. Beyond that, I think our aviation bases are separate. As for Navy life vs. AF life, I guess the only answer would be that it's different. From what I've observed, the Naval Aviation community is laid back yet very professional (there's a time to play and a time for the serious face). I haven't heard any complaints from those in Naval Aviation (officer or enlisted)...in fact from what I've seen it has some of the highest morale in the fleet. Lastly, for platform, I couldn't begin to speculate as to what platform the Navy would transition your husband to. The Navy doesn't have any "heavies" per say...the E-6B (similar platform to the KC-135) and the P-3 are about as heavy as we go. Beyond that it'll be aircraft that can land and fit nicely on a ship. It would probably come down to the needs of the Navy, mostly, with some of your husband's experience factored in (as a tie-breaker) that would play into what he would fly if he made the interservice transfer. If he went that route, I seriously doubt he would have any regrets. I hope this helps to shed some light for you...

p.s. if any of you salties out there have anything to add to what I said, or correct, please do...