Contemplating navy pilot

[Waverider88]

Hello air warriors forum. I am 29 years old and I am currently enlisted in the US Coast Guard and I work and fly on the MH60. I have a bachelors degree and I have been applying to Coast Guard OCS to no avail (there is no flight contract guaranteed and has been difficult to get in). There are three things I want in life; a family(I’m currently and recently single, a 20 year pension, and to pursue my dream of flying.

To get down to the meat and potatoes I have a close friend who just graduated from flight school in Pensacola and he has been pushing me to pursue the navy. The biggest draw back for me is QOL concerns. I am 29 almost 30 and I have a desire to settle down and begin a new chapter of my life family wise.

I know this questions varies greatly depending on A LOT of factors. However if you guys don’t mind answering: about how much time were you deployed/ away from home after your 8 year service obligation? How was your QOL and experience in general? And is there any advice that comes to mind?

Thanks in advance, just hearing about other people’s experience helps me understand what my potential future might hold.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

I know this questions varies greatly depending on A LOT of factors. However if you guys don’t mind answering: about how much time were you deployed/ away from home after your 8 year service obligation? How was your QOL and experience in general? And is there any advice that comes to mind?

Welcome to the page/forum - first and foremost. With that said, please take the 1-2 minutes to browse + search around... the "new guy/gal" posts are unofficially discouraged, otherwise they would appear every 5 minutes.

Your questions, while valid, have been asked and answered - both in detail and repeatedly. Similar advice for any follow on questions and discussion.

Good luck!

 

[Waverider88]

Welcome to the page/forum - first and foremost. With that said, please take the 1-2 minutes to browse + search around... the "new guy/gal" posts are unofficially discouraged, otherwise they would appear every 5 minutes.

Your questions, while valid, have been asked and answered - both in detail and repeatedly. Similar advice for any follow on questions and discussion.

Good luck!

Hello,

Thanks for the reply! I have spent a lot of time reading through a lot of the forum questions and have got a lot of information. Thought I would send one out anyway to see if I can have some conversations with people on this thread!

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Hello,

Thanks for the reply! I have spent a lot of time reading through a lot of the forum questions and have got a lot of information. Thought I would send one out anyway to see if I can have some conversations with people on this thread!

You will have better luck / interaction joining one of the active groups that posts + responds frequently.

 

[Meyerkord]

I have a desire to settle down and begin a new chapter of my life family wise

I’m gonna be blunt with you. Joining the Navy is not a great idea if your goal is to settle down somewhere and start a family. There’s a good chance you’ll move to a new place every few years. There’s a good chance you’ll be gone for YEARS cumulatively by the end of your career. That could mean missing the birth of your child. That could mean spending the holidays on a boat somewhere in the ocean while your spouse and kids are having Christmas dinner without you, thousands of miles away. That could mean missing out on some huge years of your kids lives that so many people cherish.

THAT BEING SAID:

There are a ton of people in the Navy who have kids, and they make it work. It’s a lifestyle that’s very different than most. I’m a single guy, but I imagine If you’re mentally prepared, and your spouse is on board, you can treat it like an adventure. You could also get lucky and be the guy who only spends a couple months away from home on your sea tour, doesn’t have any time away on shore tour, and doesn't go to the boat on your second sea tour, all while remaining the same geographic location. The Navy works in mysterious ways.

about how much time were you deployed/ away from home after your 8 year service obligation?

Personally, I spent 300+ days at sea during my first tour. Some of my peers did less, some did more. Some did close to 2 years on the boat. I haven’t even been at my shore tour for 2 months yet and there’s already been multiple requests for IAs all over the world. There’s a 90+% chance I go back to the boat after this and deploy again. Then my 8 years is up. It’s a roller coaster for sure.

How was your QOL and experience in general?

As a single guy with no commitments, it hasn’t been bad. I get paid a lot of money to do work that isn’t really hard, just annoying sometimes. And I get to fly helicopters and travel all over the place, which is something not a lot of people get to do. I definitely don’t regret my choice

 

[heynowlookout]

Have you looked into the Air National Guard? Much better opportunity to settle in one place and fly in the military if that's what you're looking for.