Air Contract, start in the Reserve?

[Griz882]

I get that they would do that to save money, but talk about a shitty deal for those guys, one of my last years in recruiting they did something similar to the guys graduating Army ROTC at several of the schools I covered as they were contacting us to see if they could apply for USN OCS, they realized they were over their numbers, several were sent drilling reserves, some were able to commission AD, and others were just outright told they had no commitment at all. The worst part is they were told mere weeks prior to graduation after all the college career fairs had come and gone.

During that time they were also dumping Army ROTC grads into National Guard units. There were infantry companies with two or three 2LTs per platoon and some never made it to their basic course. It wasn’t a good time for them.

 

[nittany03]

I can't speak to this specific rumor, but I can say they did so something like this to some Navy cones in Advanced a few years back around 2005-06. As I heard it, they over-accessed the Jet pipeline and rather than just boot the 'excess' out (as happened during the '90's RIFs) CNATRA sent them direct to the VRs as FTS - mostly C-40s but a few to the Herk squadrons and I heard at least one went to VR-1. All of a sudden we started seeing JGs at the Norfolk O-Club wearing VR-56 patches. They said the deal was for them to do their OBLISERV as FTS, with the option to stay on as FTS or go SELRES after.

If what you're hearing isn't just student RUMINT and is something similar, I'd say take it. It was certainly a good deal for those dudes.

None of those people (that I know of) came from jet land, and that was my timeframe. As I recall, the deal was you picked SELRES in Primary and got sent to Corpus for multi-engine winging, then to VR. In jet land as far as I knew, there was no path to VR; it was wings or straight to civvie street if you attrited. Because of the overmanning you mentioned.

I didn’t know the SELRES transition was a thing back then, but I’d imagine if anyone took it, it’d be as a LTJG 1305.

 

[HAL Pilot]

We had someone on here that went to a reserve C-130 squadron when this was happening. I remember he said he flew his ass off as he was the guy available whenever a selres wanted to fly or there was a detachment needing filled.

 

[Gatordev]

We had someone on here that went to a reserve C-130 squadron when this was happening. I remember he said he flew his ass off as he was the guy available whenever a selres wanted to fly or there was a detachment needing filled.

I think that describes any FTS in a VR squadron.

I didn’t know the SELRES transition was a thing back then, but I’d imagine if anyone took it, it’d be as a LTJG 1305.

Wouldn't it be as a 1395? That's what I was as a USNR guy. I had never heard they went SELRES in Primary. That doesn't seem to make sense, as finding money for that is much more complicated than just augmenting them from an AD 1395 to a 1317 when they winged.

 

[SpankenStein]

What's a Waffler? Like someone who just goes through the motions? Also, I don't see howd that would work? Plopter guys should pick up TAC before going home, only to report once a month. This is definitely a rumor. Dude, your already this far. Go to Pcola, drown in the pool, and then at least SOLO before you start joining the reserves. Stay active duty for a few years, the pay is dope.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

What's a Waffler? Like someone who just goes through the motions? Also, I don't see howd that would work? Plopter guys should pick up TAC before going home, only to report once a month. This is definitely a rumor. Dude, your already this far. Go to Pcola, drown in the pool, and then at least SOLO before you start joining the reserves. Stay active duty for a few years, the pay is dope.

Ok, what does “SOLO” mean? Is it an acronym? Why did you capitalize it? Don’t give in to the Navy nonsense of capitalizing shit like OPS or COMNAVPACFUCKWHATALL. Stop it.

 

[SpankenStein]

Ok, what does “SOLO” mean? Is it an acronym? Why did you capitalize it? Don’t give in to the Navy nonsense of capitalizing shit like OPS or COMNAVPACFUCKWHATALL. Stop it.

What are you, my therapist?! Take a walk!

 

[nittany03]

Wouldn't it be as a 1395? That's what I was as a USNR guy. I had never heard they went SELRES in Primary. That doesn't seem to make sense, as finding money for that is much more complicated than just augmenting them from an AD 1395 to a 1317 when they winged.

Two separate things here . . . the SELRES "transition" via wings, as I understood it back then, was you asked for it at Primary selection. If you got picked for it, you went to Corpus, did multi-engine, got winged, then went to the reserves and VR land. But I never heard of anyone getting sent there from jet land; if you attrited from jet land, you were done. No redes, just done.

My point in bringing up 1305s was that in my later reserve career, I met a couple junior SELRES JOs who were fallen angels. They got offered the opportunity to stay SELRES instead of just quit, but they were both 1305s at the time I worked with them. I just surmised that maybe the same deal was available in the mid-2000s, but none of us SNAs knew/cared about it. But if so, I'd bet that a fallen angel would still end up in SELRES as a 1305.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Two separate things here . . . the SELRES "transition" via wings, as I understood it back then, was you asked for it at Primary selection. If you got picked for it, you went to Corpus, did multi-engine, got winged, then went to the reserves and VR land. But I never heard of anyone getting sent there from jet land; if you attrited from jet land, you were done. No redes, just done.

My point in bringing up 1305s was that in my later reserve career, I met a couple junior SELRES JOs who were fallen angels. They got offered the opportunity to stay SELRES instead of just quit, but they were both 1305s at the time I worked with them. I just surmised that maybe the same deal was available in the mid-2000s, but none of us SNAs knew/cared about it. But if so, I'd bet that a fallen angel would still end up in SELRES as a 1305.

Is 1305 an aviation general officer?

 

[HAL Pilot]

Is 1305 an aviation general officer?

Yup, no wings. Reserve.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Yup, no wings. Reserve.

I have known 2 of those, 1 was the spouse of another officer I worked with, the other was on a CVN I was on, worked in AIR OPS I believe picked up some 6+ month gig from the reserves, both were fallen angels

 

[nittany03]

Is 1305 an aviation general officer?

Yes.

131X - Pilot
132X - NFO
137X - SNFO
139X - SNA
130X - General Aviation (one of the above that either attrited, DORed, voluntarily terminated flight status, or is hard down medically)

List of United States Naval officer designators - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[MIDNJAC]

None of those people (that I know of) came from jet land, and that was my timeframe. As I recall, the deal was you picked SELRES in Primary and got sent to Corpus for multi-engine winging, then to VR. In jet land as far as I knew, there was no path to VR; it was wings or straight to civvie street if you attrited. Because of the overmanning you mentioned.

I didn’t know the SELRES transition was a thing back then, but I’d imagine if anyone took it, it’d be as a LTJG 1305.

I met one of these dudes in March when I made the mistake of doing my annual physical during the NOSC DWE (never again). Anyway, he seemed like it had been a great career, was a CDR in FTS, had never left the C-9/C-40 it sounded like. Guess he was my first training officer's on-wing of sorts when she showed up to get checked out in the C-9 as a new SELRES. Nice guy, I'd heard of them but didn't believe it haha. I think I may have said something like "so you're the one"

 

[Gatordev]

My point in bringing up 1305s was that in my later reserve career, I met a couple junior SELRES JOs who were fallen angels. They got offered the opportunity to stay SELRES instead of just quit, but they were both 1305s at the time I worked with them. I just surmised that maybe the same deal was available in the mid-2000s, but none of us SNAs knew/cared about it. But if so, I'd bet that a fallen angel would still end up in SELRES as a 1305.

Yeah, understood. But these guys weren't fallen angels. They stayed in the pipeline, so whatever their last numeral was, they were still designated as a Class I aviator, so 139x.

All that said, they may have still been 1395s, I can't remember their timing or when exactly a 1395 became a 1390 (or 1310). I believe the fleet and ascessions augmented in 2005, but not sure how they handled the guys who were about to be redesignated at winging anyway. I'm sure many here lived through it, but they may not have known it was happening.

 

[SlickAg]

I met one of these dudes in March when I made the mistake of doing my annual physical during the NOSC DWE (never again). Anyway, he seemed like it had been a great career, was a CDR in FTS, had never left the C-9/C-40 it sounded like. Guess he was my first training officer's on-wing of sorts when she showed up to get checked out in the C-9 as a new SELRES. Nice guy, I'd heard of them but didn't believe it haha. I think I may have said something like "so you're the one"

I believe the VR folks called them “nuggets”.

Never met one who didn’t absolutely love it. They also got to rack up tons of PIC time since the SELRES with airline jobs who didn’t need the time anymore always let them sign for the jet.

Funny how the Navy always seems to f**k up their pilot manning. Like everything, it’s cyclical, but we are SUCH a broken record sometimes.