Aircrew Quest...

[AircrewQuest]

First off, thanks to all those who contribute thier time to answering all the questions and postin advice to help those of us get to where we want to be...

Due to life's unexpected events, I know that the window to become a SNA/SFNO has passed me by, but I can not get past the desire to serve within the Naval Avaiation community, even if Im not at the controls. I looked into the Enlisted Navy and found the Aircrew job which is perfect for me at this stage of the game.

Here is my situation and I need some honest feedback/advice which I am not able to get from my recruiter. Everytime I ask a question all i get is the standard "you find out at boot camp" response...shocking.

My questions are aimed more at those within the Aircrew community as this is where I really want to serve, but any advice would be greatly appreciated...

I am:
-34
-degree in Microbiology minor in Biochem
-I havent taken the asvab yet, but my practice test score was 80 and I nailed it when I took it 6 years ago, so that isnt an issue.
-sucessfull in both the corporate world and in small business and can get heavy hitting LOR's
-I am in excellent physical shape, I lift/run 5-6x/week and still have perfect vision.
-I posses a natural leadership ability which has been the cornerstone of my private world success.

I have always dreamed of Naval Aviation. Nothing even comes close to the passion I have for the history and the role of the US Navy and this is where I want to be. The thing is everytime I ask my recruiter a question, all I get is blank stare and the standard line. So I was hoping I might be able to get some information before I complete the package and ask for LOR, etc. (He states I have to have the entire "package complete before I can even go to MEPS, and MEPS is where I find out everything..")

What I need to know is as follows:

Can I still get an aircrew contract?
Can I get an "A-school" gaurantee?
What "A-school" do I need to be an aircrew on an HH-60? ASW?
I read on another board that the Navy made all SRS AW's so now the only way to get to an HH-60 Aircrew is to be an SRS, is that true?
Is there any chance of being commissioned for me?

Those are the first questions I have, ANY assistance would be greatly appreciated...

Again, many thanks to all those who make this a great source of informations and congrats to all those who got picked up to be SNA/SNFO's

Thanks again..

 

[invertedflyer]

Don't quote me on this... but I do believe you can get some kind of age waiver if you still want to shoot for SNA/SNFO. Ask around.

 

[Gatordev]

Don't quote me on this... but I do believe you can get some kind of age waiver if you still want to shoot for SNA/SNFO. Ask around.

That's for prior enlisted, only (for now, anyway).

 

[PU Grad]

I believe the age waiver is only 2 years, and for active duty personnell on a month by month basis.

 

[Stubby]

My questions are aimed more at those within the Aircrew community as this is where I really want to serve, but any advice would be greatly appreciated....

I'll do my best to answer a few of your questions....

I am:
-34
-degree in Microbiology minor in Biochem

I'm assuming that you have either already looked into a commission. If not, I would encourage you to exhaust that possability before committing to an enlistment (not that there is anything wrong with a career as an enlisted aircrewman). That being said, I will only answer your questions from an enlistment standpoint.

What I need to know is as follows:

Can I still get an aircrew contract?
According to MILPERSMAN(MPM) 1220-010, which outlines the Aircrew program, the maximum age for acceptance to the program is 30. The instruction states that age waivers can be granted on a case by case basis for fleet volunteers (prior enlisted). I'm not sure if you apply for a waiver as part of your initial contract. That is something you will need to work out with your recruiter. I would take a copy of MPM 1220-010 to your recruiter so you can show him exactly what you need.

Can I get an "A-school" gaurantee?
Absolutely yes. Don't let any recruiter tell you otherwise.

What "A-school" do I need to be an aircrew on an HH-60? ASW?
ASW aircrew on an H-60 are AW's. All AW's are aircrewmen and serve on various platforms.

I read on another board that the Navy made all SRS AW's so now the only way to get to an HH-60 Aircrew is to be an SRS, is that true?
Yes. To be an aircrewman on an H-60 you would have to be a rescue swimmer. The requirements for rescue swimmer are also outlined in MPM 1220-010. The main problem for any of this; AW, aircrew, rescue swimmer, is your age. As before, you'll need to settle this with your recruiter.

Is there any chance of being commissioned for me?
I'll save this for the officers to answer, as they have more experience in this category.

If you are not able to apply for an age waiver for aircrew prior to enlisting, you would have the option to enlist first in another rating and then apply for aircrew... of course, enlisting without a guarantee means just that... no guarantee.

Here are some links for you:
http://buperscd.technology.navy.mil/bup_updt/508/milpers/1220-010.htm
http://buperscd.technology.navy.mil/bup_updt/508/milpers/1220-020.htm
http://www.npc.navy.mil/Enlisted/Aviation/Detailers/NavalEnlistedAircrewman.htm?IsLowBandwidth=True
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/navyjobs/navyjobs2/blawa.htm

 

[Brett327]

I would suggest that the possibility of getting into any aviation program (officer or enlisted) is almost nil. With that in mind, why not pursue another designator as an Officer where your education and professional experience can be brought to bear. There are great opportunities in the Intel community and you'll most likely be part of an aviation squadron for your first tour. While you won't be flying (with rare exceptions), you'll at least be part of the aviation mission. As someone who has been both an enlisted Aircrewman and NFO, I would not recommend the enlisted path for someone of your qualifications and maturity. You may have waited too long to do any flying, but don't enlist when you can reap the many professional and financial advantages that a commissioned officer enjoys. Talk to an officer recruiter ASAP.

Brett

 

[robav8r]

As someone who has been both an enlisted Aircrewman and NFO, I would not recommend the enlisted path for someone of your qualifications and maturity. You may have waited too long to do any flying, but don't enlist when you can reap the many professional and financial advantages that a commissioned officer enjoys. Talk to an officer recruiter ASAP.

Brett

Totally agree with Brett here. Best advice yet.

 

[greysword]

I would like to add to Brett's statement that there are other opportunities to be with the aircraft if not on them.

Intel Officers work very closely with the avaiation community, and Aviation Maintenance Duty Officers (AMDO) work on the aircraft. I'm not certain about the age requirements for Supply and Surface Warfare Officers, but they work with the aviation community as well.

Of course, there are many enlisted rates that work closely with aircraft if you go this route. If your goal is simply to be a part of an aircraft crew, you can also apply to other branches and see if they have the same jobs or maybe even piloting billets (in the Army's case).

If you do continue to work with an enlisted recruiter, talk to some of the other guys in the office and feel free to ask the Chief for answers. Your profile says Florida, so if you are close to Pensacola or Jacksonville, you can talk to actual aircrewmen to get their take on things.

 

[FlyinSpy]

There are great opportunities in the Intel

I would second this recommendation, and suggest you consider the Direct Commission program. (See http://www.navy-reserve.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=912 for some basic info.) This might be much more appropriate to the present stage of your career, from a financial, professional, and level of commitment standpoint.

For what it's worth, I had a longtime interest in aviation, wasn't commissioned until I was 34, went the Intel route, had a few lucky breaks along the way - and here I am 8 years later with 170 Prowler hrs, 14 Air Medal points, 3 traps, and a bunch of funny stories. There are a number of opportunities in the Reserve Intel community to get close to the aviation side of the house; damn few actually involve flying, but there are plenty of support roles to be played. Even had I never gotten the flying opportunities, I still would have had a blast, and would still strongly recommend the program.

They recently raised the direct commission age limit to 40, so you are still a viable candidate. It's very competitive, but motivation and life experience count for a lot.

 

[AircrewQuest]

I've got to thank everyone for thier vews and advice. I definitly have alot to think about and look into.

The Intel side has always been of great interest to me aswell so I will be speaking to an officer recruiter on Monday to get more information on that. On that, If I do become a DCO, in the Navy Reserve, can I shift to active duty? Serve overseas? If go Reserve, can I then go active?

If I do enlist, can I then appl for a DOC? My fear is that since I turn 35 in Jan, if I dont get a DOC then Im out of luck for anything having to do with the Navy.

Again guys, thanks A TON. I only wish I had come across this board years ago...what a difference it would have made...

 

[Penguin]

I'll throw out one other option you may not have considered. The Navy uses Aviation Physiologists. (You all remember the guys trying to experiment on you while you were in A-pool.) These folks are Medical Service Corps Officers. They will spend time doing both clinical research type work, and work out in the field. I ran into a LCDR the other day I knew from our initial commissioning program seven years ago. He's currently a department head in Miramar running the Survival Training school. He works with aviators everyday, helping us prepare for the worst. He also gets to fly periodically, about the same program as the Flight Surgeons. He was picking up a few hours in one of our SH-60B's. I also know the Navy will direct commission you to do microbiology or biochem, if you have any interest in what you trained in. Same commissioning class I mentioned above had a couple. As said above, you are probably well qualified for a commission, and generally, the Restricted Line (like Intel) and Staff Corps (Medical Service Corps) are usually much more lenient on age restrictions. I will tell you that you will have a difficult time finding an Officcer Recruiter who is familiar with these programs, as they are a small subset of the Navy at large. If you are interested, I still have some contacts on the Medical side here in San Diego, so send me a PM if you have any questions.

 

[AircrewQuest]

Thanks Penguin,
This is also another huge area of interest for me, I took alot of exercise physiology classes as electives and it is something Im going to look into as well.
I found this site which explains alot about the Naval Aerospace Physiologist Program:
http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~aja05001/d...ram.pdf#search='naval aviation physiologists'

I'll be sending you a PM for those contacts to learn more about it.
Thanks again for your help.

 

[AircrewQuest]

Here's a couple of sites with more information...
http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil/NAMI/Academics/aerophys.htm

"The third phase of instruction is a ten-week flight indoctrination syllabus with Training Wing FIVE at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton, Florida. Training is conducted in the fixed-wing Beechcraft T-34C (Turbo Mentor) and the Bell TH-57 (Jet Ranger) helicopter. The misison of the Aerospace Medicine Specialist (AMS) Training Curriculum is to provide exposure to the various flight regimes and associated phenomenon of aeromedical concern. Each module of the instruction provides an introduction to the basic flight experiences encountered in daily training and fleet aircraft operations. "

http://buperscd.technology.navy.mil/bup_updt/508/milpers/1210-070.htm

 

[FMRAM]

Aviation Maintenance Duty Officers (AMDO) work on the aircraft.

I’ll chock this one up to semantics, but Aircrewquest may not know the difference. AMDO Officers do not physically perform maintenance, but they coordinate and supervise the people that do maintain.

 

[wink]

If I do become a DCO, in the Navy Reserve, can I shift to active duty? Serve overseas? If go Reserve, can I then go active?

Yes. For the most part there are good opportunities now. Generally you would take a temporary recall to active duty, like for one year, and then request to stay on active duty once you have put some time in on that set of orders. Some guys actually do not go active, but can string together several sets of recall orders back to back. Makes for great variety and adventure. Problem is it is more like being a contract employee, not sure if you will have a job when the contract runs out. Flyinspy will have some personal expertise on the active/recall issue.