Aviation Uniforms and Customs for the new ENS

[MIDNJAC]

Classic O-5 select commentary

Jk......thats about right. Don't overthink it. Your bros will let you know if you are screwing it up at each and every point of your career. Right now, focus on the job at hand and don't sweat the uniform flair. Call your instructors "sir" until they tell you to stop. You're not going to fail out if you don't, but that 1 guy out of 10 who actually gives a **** isn't worth annoying at the moment. Once you are in the fleet, nobody is going to care unless you are a P-8 nerd.

 

[HAL Pilot]

unless you are a P-8 nerd.

Or HSM (is that what HSL is now?) the VPenis of the helo world. Or has that changed?

 

[MIDNJAC]

Or HSM (is that what HSL is now?) the VPenis of the helo world. Or has that changed?

Hah......I honestly wouldn't be able to differentiate one -60 community from another, in that sense. Most of the helo guys I've known have been pretty laid back. Actually, one of the most awesome XO moves I've ever seen pulled in port as senior shore patrol was care of airwing HSC XO. She will not ever buy a beer in my presence. But to your point, I guess now that I think about it, HSM seemed a little more "stuffy" sometimes.

 

[HAL Pilot]

When I was a JO in the mid to late 1980s, VP was the place to be. Everyone wanted to go there. Laid back, real world mission/tasking against Soviet subs, good deployments, lots of per diem, whoring and drink both legal and encouraged, leadership not uptight and forgiving, a great and fun community.

During my DH tour in 1995-96, west coast VP was still that way but the east coast was developing asshole tendencies. When VP-31 went away (west coast Rag) and VP-30 took over as the NATOPS manager, all the silliness really began to take hold. The VP-30/Jax mafia started taking control and VPenis was born. By the time I retired in 1998, the VP-30/Jax mafia had squashed anyone that wasn’t one of them community wide. VPenis became permanent from what I can tell.

Thank God I saw the Navy, Naval Aviation and VP in 1980s.

 

[MIDNJAC]

When I was a JO in the mid to late 1980s, VP was the place to be. Everyone wanted to go there. Laid back, real world mission/tasking against Soviet subs, good deployments, lots of per diem, whoring and drink both legal and encouraged, leadership not uptight and forgiving, a great and fun community.

Yeah, this is essentially my old man's memory too as a VP dude from the late 50's until (reserve) retirement in '79. Flew the whole time and loved it. He was primarily a P2V guy, but I think that was probably the community you entered at the time. If I said "VPenis", he wouldnt have a clue what the fu** I was getting on about.

 

[Renegade One]

When I was a JO in the mid to late 1980s, VP was the place to be. Everyone wanted to go there.

If that's your story, stick to it. ?

 

[Gatordev]

Or HSM (is that what HSL is now?) the VPenis of the helo world. Or has that changed?

Whatever it is, it significantly changed for the better. It's not perfect, but it's not HSL anymore. I think where some of the "stuffiness" as MIDJAC said is just having to manage systems. Since the community doesn't have NFOs, there's a lot of emphasis running the system in the name of tactics combined with an ever-growing number of mission sets. This is made more annoying by an absolutely terrible user interface being used by only 2 1/2 people.

 

[HAL Pilot]

If that's your story, stick to it. ?

When I went through the training command in 1983 & 1984, P-3s were the community most picked by both pilots and NFOs out of primary. Sure your precious tacair was the #1 pick of those going to tacair but likewise P-3s were the number #1 pick of guys going P-3s. There were also more P-3 slots than any other community because of the shear number we needed to man the large number of squadrons Still, people were turned a away. The only reason we got any low performing pilots or NFOs was because of the dread “quality spread” used in those days. (If the #1 guy went P-3s than so did the bottom guy, likewise #2 and 2nd from bottom, etc.)

My primary NFO class had guys forced into tacair that wanted P-3s. This was common, and common with the pilots too.

Sorry if your F-14 ego can’t handle that. ?

 

[HAL Pilot]

Whatever it is, it significantly changed for the better. It's not perfect, but it's not HSL anymore. I think where some of the "stuffiness" as MIDJAC said is just having to manage systems. Since the community doesn't have NFOs, there's a lot of emphasis running the system in the name of tactics combined with an ever-growing number of mission sets. This is made more annoying by an absolutely terrible user interface being used by only 2 1/2 people.

So it changed then.

 

[Griz882]

Nothing worse than the new intel O ENS showing up and sir sandwiching everyone.

 

[HAL Pilot]

A history lesson about NFO training back then for the younger generations.

NFO primary and intermediate were at VT-10.

NFO advance was at Naval Air Training Unit Mather AFB for maritime and VT-86 for everyone else.

After primary, selection was either maritime or intermediate training. Maritime was the top choice.

For tthat went maritime, there was no intermediate and they went straight to advanced. Out of advance the picks were (in order preference)
VP
VQ (EP-3)
VQ (C-130 TACAMO)

Those that went to intermediate than picked again (order of preference):
B/N
RIO
S-3
E-2

Out ofadvanced, B/N picked:
A-6
EA-6B
A-3

Out of advanced, RIOs picked
F-14
F-4

Back then, everyone knew how many slots for each were available for every projected selection of the current fiscal year. Games were played by all to make the selection date that had slots for your preferred aircraft. Student Control and Operations helped you whenever possible (extra flights, less flights, approved long leaves, etc). While you didn’t necessarily know what everyone would put for their preferences, you had a damn good idea as it was the main topic of discussion. What you did know were the historic preferences (both order and number) and what was going to be available. The biggest variable that affected your selection after all the games and strategies had played out was the dreaded quality spread. Your class standing could change daily right up to selection day and your preferences had to go in about 2 weeks prior.

 

[HAL Pilot]

Correction to the above as it was too late to edit....

VT-86 advanced was a 3 pipelines not 4 and they were named:
B/N: A-6, EA-6B and A-3
AI (Air Intercept): F-14, F-4 and E-2
OJN (Over water jet navigation): S-3

E-2 was the crap shoot if you chose the AI pipeline. It made many not want to take the chance. I think it was about 20% for E-2s.

 

[jollygreen07]

The NFO pipeline looks like this now:

All Primary training is conducted by VT-10.

After Primary, there are two selection choices:

VT-4: P-8, EP-3, E-6, E-2

INT (Intermediate): E/F-18, (INT is conducted at VT-10 in the T-6)

After INT, Strike/Fighter students will go to VT-86 for Advanced.

We do not publish any stats for upcoming slots, and we do not entertain long leaves/extra training to game out selections. Your best bet for getting what you want is to graduate #1.

 

[ea6bflyr]

The NFO pipeline looks like this now:

All Primary training is conducted by VT-10.

After Primary, there are two selection choices:

VT-4: P-8, EP-3, E-6, E-2

INT (Intermediate): E/F-18, (INT is conducted at VT-10 in the T-6)

After INT, Strike/Fighter students will go to VT-86 for Advanced.

We do not publish any stats for upcoming slots, and we do not entertain long leaves/extra training to game out selections. Your best bet for getting what you want is to graduate #1.

Yes, the CNATRA website captures the NFO pipeline pretty well:

 

[jollygreen07]

Yes, the CNATRA website captures the NFO pipeline pretty well:
View attachment 25849

That pipeline is no longer accurate. PRI 2 went away. Thanks, though.