Career Decisions...

[scoober78]

So...since I'm in a little different position than most ensigns...thought I'd bring up some things my fellow senior junior guys have been talking about.

I'm at my 8.5 year point...depending on community, when I wing I'll be somewhere north of 9...and possibly 10. 10 or 11 years comissioned service puts me just completing a disassociated sea tour...(stop me at any point here guys... ) So...the question is, will I know at that point whether it will be an option for me to go on and make O-5? In short, all personal issues aside, will I know if it is viable for me to continue?

What choices are available (in any community since I have no idea where I'm headed) for a guy who isn't going on to XO/CO after the disassociated tour?

So about this disassociated tour...shooters, LSO's....what's out there...I just don't know that many. Are the choices roughly the same for all or are some community specific?

I know this is a lot of basic...and waaay down the road stuff guys so I appreciate any patience in advance.

 

[MasterBates]

Depends on community. In HSL you do not get "made" until after your DH tour (Det OIC for us).

You can be "broken" for CO after your 1st sea tour, but still be OK for LCDR/DH.

 

[skidkid]

For what it is worth:

Dont look for a platform based on career concerns. You are in a position that many would envy. Choose a platform that looks fun, yes fun both the mission and the communal personality. I you love and want more of it continue to punch the tickets, every community needs COs.
If you love it but are tired of it, take a cushy shore tour and retire at 20.
IF you dont like it take an early cushy shoretour and bounce around until retirement.
If you wing at the 10 year mark you are obligated through 18 and pretty much guaranteed your 20.

 

[scoober78]

Dont look for a platform based on career concerns.

Definitely not what I'm thinking...sorry if I gave that impression. I'm just wondering what's out there...ignorance more than anything. I'm just trying to find out if I'll know what my options are in time for me to make an informed decision later on. ie. Will I know coming out of X tour whether or not I'll be able to get Y tour to make Z rank...etc...

Clear as mud?:icon_birt

 

[Thisguy]

10 or 11 years comissioned service puts me just completing a disassociated sea tour...(stop me at any point here guys... ) So...the question is, will I know at that point whether it will be an option for me to go on and make O-5? In short, all personal issues aside, will I know if it is viable for me to continue?

From what I understand, if you do an operational DH tour, you're gonna make O-5 (but not necessarily screen for command).

 

[HAL Pilot]

From what I understand, if you do an operational DH tour, you're gonna make O-5 (but not necessarily screen for command).

Well I'm living proof that is not always true.....there were 2 other DHs in my squadron (same year group) that didn't select either.

 

[Brett327]

Definitely not what I'm thinking...sorry if I gave that impression. I'm just wondering what's out there...ignorance more than anything. I'm just trying to find out if I'll know what my options are in time for me to make an informed decision later on. ie. Will I know coming out of X tour whether or not I'll be able to get Y tour to make Z rank...etc...

Clear as mud?:icon_birt

I know exactly where you're coming from, bro. I commissioned at about 8.5 years of service and had many of the same questions. Here's my perspective: From a statutory point of view regarding HYT, your counter got reset at commissioning, so while you could still retire after 20 years total service, your 20 year statutory limit as an O-4 gets reset. The net effect of this is that your career track is essentially the same as all the guys coming straight from college. You are in no way limited as far as making CO, so if that is your aim, then stay in and go for it. It's pretty much universal that your DH tour will make or break you WRT a command tour, but even if you don't pick that up, there are all kinds of options for non-screen O-4/O-5 folks, including some nice flying tours. I have a good buddy who picked up O-5, but didn't screen who's flying Prowlers and F-5s at the Grumman facility in St. Augustine, FL. Not too shabby for shore duty. I've always told myself that I'll stay in as long as I'm still having fun, and at this rate, they're going to have to drag me out kicking and screaming. Even if I only make O-5, I can do 38 years total service by statute, so that gives you some perspective hopefully. If you're looking at things in terms of your disassociated tour, there are all kinds of options, depending on your platform. CAG staff and super JO tours are available that keep you flying, and even the non-flying tours still offer you a chance to fly sometimes.

Brett

 

[HarveyBirdman]

An O-5 told me he skiped out on the O-6 to retire.

"after you make O-6 your in a completely different game."

Im guessing he ment theres a different structure to the navy after O-5... anyone know what hes feeling?

 

[squorch2]

Politics becomes exponentially more important, perhaps?

 

[Fmr1833]

Brett, thanks, that was a very informative post. I'm in the same boat and am def. a guy who's looking for command one day. I've been a little worried about being limited due to statutes, etc. Can you give a more detailed breakdown on screen rates for DH and command in our community? Thanks again.

 

[Hursel110]

Guys, great thread all arround. I think there are a lot of us prior enlisted who commissioned/will be commissioning with between 7 and 9 years service.

I guess the moral of this thread is "do what makes you happy". As long as it jives with the needs of the navy, of course

 

[HooverPilot]

Brett, thanks, that was a very informative post. I'm in the same boat and am def. a guy who's looking for command one day. I've been a little worried about being limited due to statutes, etc. Can you give a more detailed breakdown on screen rates for DH and command in our community? Thanks again.

Ok, not exactly what you are looking for, but here is how to get selection statistics, etc for a selection board.

Remember, selection rates change every year. You can look at the current year results to get a "snapshot in time" for what is going on now, but it cannot be used to predict the future with too much accuracy.

Go to https://www.npc.navy.mil and on the "boards" pulldown menu select Active Duty Officer. From there, you can select from a wide variety of selection board pages (like the O-4 Line, etc). Once you are on a particular boards page, you can look at the last years (FY '07) results and statistics for selection for all designators. It's all in several excel sheets that are linked there. Lots of info can be derived from these sheets, but they are all history. Just like past stock performance, they are not indicators of future results.

Here is a direct link to the FY '07 Line O-4 selection board statistics:
https://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/0009AF99-9945-4891-AF0A-25C867E2628A/0/FY07USNO4Linestats.pdf

 

[Brett327]

Ok, not exactly what you are looking for, but here is how to get selection statistics, etc for a selection board.

Remember, selection rates change every year. You can look at the current year results to get a "snapshot in time" for what is going on now, but it cannot be used to predict the future with too much accuracy.

Go to https://www.npc.navy.mil and on the "boards" pulldown menu select Active Duty Officer. From there, you can select from a wide variety of selection board pages (like the O-4 Line, etc). Once you are on a particular boards page, you can look at the last years (FY '07) results and statistics for selection for all designators. It's all in several excel sheets that are linked there. Lots of info can be derived from these sheets, but they are all history. Just like past stock performance, they are not indicators of future results.

Here is a direct link to the FY '07 Line O-4 selection board statistics:
https://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/0009AF99-9945-4891-AF0A-25C867E2628A/0/FY07USNO4Linestats.pdf

That's a good start. I don't have the community specific DH and command screen rates in front of me, but the Prowler community is above average. Some of that is a function of the officers per squadron to number of total squadrons ratio. Bottom line, if you're not a complete screwball, you'll make O-4 and probably screen for DH. The rest is up to you.

Brett

 

[bunk22]

From what I understand, if you do an operational DH tour, you're gonna make O-5 (but not necessarily screen for command).

That's certainly not a gaurantee. Espcecially with the joint requirement coming about. My old Ops O, with suposedly three straight EP's from his first sea, shore and a #1 DH EP, didn't make O-5. Maybe there's always more to the story but we heard because he never left the cockpit, he didn't make it. His follow on tour after his DH was OPSO at VAW-120. It seems the requirement for O-5 change from board to board.

 

[Goober]

The best description of things is that they vary from year to year. One YG/SG may have seen a fair number of folks leave, causing a shortage; one may have come along at a point where communities were growing or decomming; one might have fewer or more folks due to no bonus/bonus size; maybe more pilots than NFOs or vice versa. Discriminators can end up being varied as well ranging from awards to flight hours, cruises, education, JPME, etc. etc. etc. Just like Bunk said - can change over time. Used to be that the Company guys were true fliers all the way - stay in the cockpit/community to guarantee your future success. Starting to see a change with well-rounded, joint-experienced, plans/planning exposure, etc. becoming buzzwords. I've known guys who should have screened for command not get it, and new transition guys from other platforms get it (nothing against them). The safe answer might just be: it depends.

Back to your original: I'm like you and commissioned at 8 yrs. If you're willing to play for that long vice just do your 20 and bail, your career can parallel a normal, new JO's career. Same shore tours, same 2nd sea/disassociated tour, same DH tour, etc.