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Are Naval aviators really away from home more than Air Force pilots?

C

Clustered4985

New Member
I keep seeing that letter from Bob Norris that says Air Force pilots will be home for most important family events but I don't see many posts that can verify that, especially post-Afghanistan. Where are Air Force pilots being deployed nowadays? Do they get a TDY to a cushy overseas base like some posts make it seem?
 
FormerRecruitingGuru

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
Clustered4985 said:
I keep seeing that letter from Bob Norris that says Air Force pilots will be home for most important family events but I don't see many posts that can verify that, especially post-Afghanistan. Where are Air Force pilots being deployed nowadays? Do they get a TDY to a cushy overseas base like some posts make it seem?
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Are you asking about Air Force aviation? Because if that’s the case… sir/ma’am this is a Wendy’s (naval aviation forum).
 
robav8r

robav8r

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
Clustered4985 said:
I keep seeing that letter from Bob Norris that says Air Force pilots will be home for most important family events but I don't see many posts that can verify that, especially post-Afghanistan. Where are Air Force pilots being deployed nowadays? Do they get a TDY to a cushy overseas base like some posts make it seem?
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I think you have just defined a new level of stupid . . .
 
gparks1989

gparks1989

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Clustered4985 said:
I keep seeing that letter from Bob Norris that says Air Force pilots will be home for most important family events but I don't see many posts that can verify that, especially post-Afghanistan. Where are Air Force pilots being deployed nowadays? Do they get a TDY to a cushy overseas base like some posts make it seem?
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The military has varying levels of suck. The Air Force has its flavor, the Navy has its flavor. It all involves being away from family/missing lots of important things.
 
FormerRecruitingGuru

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
Clustered4985 said:
lol, I know I was thinking I could get some comparisons here.
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If you’re looking into Air Force aviation suggest you check out Reddit or even Google. There are 1-2 Air Force types here if they’re willing to respond.

Of note, I suspect but could be wrong… I wouldn’t choose one service over the other based on who deploys less. I would rather base decisions on the aircraft, missions, etc. more than anything else.
 
Uncle Fester

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
"Home every weekend" but "home" is Minot or Barksdale....

@Clustered4985 that Bob Norris oldie but goldie is meant to be tongue in cheek, plus it's about 20 years old and written by a guy at the end of his career. One or two things have happened since then. We thought we were done with going to the desert, but shit keeps flaring up there. God only knows how things will shake out around the Black Sea, not to mention the Taiwan Straits. Being a military pilot means being gone a lot, especially when you're a junior officer, and typically not to vacation spots*. There is no cushy option that lets you keep agreeable, predictable hours and a stable home life. Navy or Air Force, it's an awesome job, but there's also a reason so many of us are divorced.

*Well, apparently tourists are still going to Crimea, but.
 
FLGUY

FLGUY

“Technique only”
pilot
Contributor
Sonog said:
"you don't deserve to know what you're signing up for"
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There’s nothing wrong with prioritizing one’s family. Quality of life and time away from home varies significantly across different branches and communities. It may bring into question an aspiring individuals suitability for overall military life, but trying to ascertain the branch that minimizes the suck is nothing to scoff at. It’s your life, after all.
 
insanebikerboy

insanebikerboy

Internet killed the television star
pilot
None
Contributor
Clustered4985 said:
I keep seeing that letter from Bob Norris that says Air Force pilots will be home for most important family events but I don't see many posts that can verify that, especially post-Afghanistan. Where are Air Force pilots being deployed nowadays? Do they get a TDY to a cushy overseas base like some posts make it seem?
Click to expand...

Doesn’t matter the service, if you’re a pilot expect to be gone. You’ll miss a lot. It’s up to you to depend on if it’s worth it. I’m going on 17 consecutive years of sea duty and 22 deployments, and for me, it’s been worth it. It may not be for you. Even if you aren’t as crazy as me, you’ll still miss birthdays, Christmas’s, or special occasions regardless of what service you are in.

Deployment locations isn’t a true apples to apples comparison. Both services will give you some good liberty, but will also send you to some crappy places. Today, even without Afghanistan or Iraq, both services could send you to the desert, or send you somewhere with primo liberty opportunities. Obviously, the Navy means you’re most likely to deploy on a boat, so don’t be surprised when you do.

All that to say, don’t chose a service on potential liberty spots. Choose it for the mission.

I still prefer the Navy to the Air Force, but I wouldn’t change where I am for anything in the world. If I could do it all over again, I’d have sold my soul to fly the A-10.

My point, choose what mission you are likely to be interested in and start researching the services from there. I guarantee you’ll enjoy the liberty you end up getting regardless of what service you end up in.
 
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