Gatordev,
USCG aviator is the one and only example you will see of an aviator who was able to successfully homestead in anyone's recent memory in the Coast Guard! So he can tell you how he did that.
However, for the rest of us goons, homesteading is not really an option. It isn't necessarily because of no upward mobility as each station has the same basic make up so in theory you could go from nugget pilot to CO if that was the only factor. But the Coast Guard likes well rounded officers and even as an aviator there is a big diversity between stations.
For example, some air stations consist of three or four of the same aircraft and are located away from any other CG unit. Some stations have three different types of aircraft totaling about 15-20 aircraft and are co-located with small boats, and large cutters with the CO, XO, and OPS of the entire area beingl aviators. There is just about everything in between as well. And there are obviously geographical/weather differences. Each unit has different challenges both leadership wise and weather wise. The Coast Guard wants you to see some of the differences before it keeps promoting you.
Additionally, the CG wants you reviewed by many different senior officers not just a few. So you can expect to move every 4 years with the possibility of staying 5 years sometimes.
The only time there is really a chance to homestead is if the Air station has a few different commands that you can get assigned to. You can then swap from unit to unit but stay in the same area. The only one's that pop into my head are the Aviation Training Center, in Mobile, AL and the air station in Elizabeth City, NC. Of course you might be able to find a way to stay in DC at HQ your entire career but who would want that?
It is pretty easy for our ship driving brethren to homestead but for the aviators, well, not so much.
So even if you don't care about getting promoted in later years, you should plan on moving every 4 years. Because it is going to happen. I will pretty much guarantee you won't be in HI longer than 4.
The promotion rate to O-4 is about 85%, the Promotion rate to O-5 is much lower but I can't recall what it is as I have a while before I have to care.
Hope that answers the question.
USCG aviator is the one and only example you will see of an aviator who was able to successfully homestead in anyone's recent memory in the Coast Guard! So he can tell you how he did that.
However, for the rest of us goons, homesteading is not really an option. It isn't necessarily because of no upward mobility as each station has the same basic make up so in theory you could go from nugget pilot to CO if that was the only factor. But the Coast Guard likes well rounded officers and even as an aviator there is a big diversity between stations.
For example, some air stations consist of three or four of the same aircraft and are located away from any other CG unit. Some stations have three different types of aircraft totaling about 15-20 aircraft and are co-located with small boats, and large cutters with the CO, XO, and OPS of the entire area beingl aviators. There is just about everything in between as well. And there are obviously geographical/weather differences. Each unit has different challenges both leadership wise and weather wise. The Coast Guard wants you to see some of the differences before it keeps promoting you.
Additionally, the CG wants you reviewed by many different senior officers not just a few. So you can expect to move every 4 years with the possibility of staying 5 years sometimes.
The only time there is really a chance to homestead is if the Air station has a few different commands that you can get assigned to. You can then swap from unit to unit but stay in the same area. The only one's that pop into my head are the Aviation Training Center, in Mobile, AL and the air station in Elizabeth City, NC. Of course you might be able to find a way to stay in DC at HQ your entire career but who would want that?
It is pretty easy for our ship driving brethren to homestead but for the aviators, well, not so much.
So even if you don't care about getting promoted in later years, you should plan on moving every 4 years. Because it is going to happen. I will pretty much guarantee you won't be in HI longer than 4.
The promotion rate to O-4 is about 85%, the Promotion rate to O-5 is much lower but I can't recall what it is as I have a while before I have to care.
Hope that answers the question.
