Family Life in the Aviation Career Path

[Uncle Fester]

But then there is cutting loose on Friday mornings if the week's work got done (can vary between squadrons), Safety Standdown extra long weekends (ie. 4th of July Monday preceded by Safety Standdown Friday or Safety Standdown Wednesday before Thanksgiving), TAD schools that run ~0700~1300-ish...

It can vary widely, indeed. Many more are "we got this week's work done early, so Friday we can start on next week," "Safety stand-down at 1500 on Friday of the long weekend so no one cuts out early unauthorized," and the TAD schools had some long damn hours - and were away from home too (schools can be a good deal for the single guys; some wives tend not to understand when it's not mandatory but you need to go anyway). Or better yet, "Maintainence is working Saturday, so everybody come to work to show solidarity," and "We've got the midnight-to-four bounce period at Fentress for the next three nights - don't bust crew day, but get all those reports done before we go to the Boat".

This belongs in the stupid questions thread, but could someone briefly elaborate on this?(a/c wise) I have an idea but want to be sure.

It's not so much aircraft as what your squadron's doing. For example, CVW-5 (Japan) squadrons don't "deploy" like CONUS air wings - they go out for a month, back for a month, out for six weeks, back for three, etc.

 

[Godspeed]

To really drive home a perspective others touched on:

If there are any pipelines/platforms you wouldn't be ok with following (for whatever reason), naval aviation isn't for you. Uncle Fester said it, you don't pick your pipeline, the NAVY picks it for you.

Before I finished primary, I certainly had my preferences about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to fly, but knew that it was really up to the needs of the NAVY.

Guys that go to primary that are ONLY OK WITH JETS, or for some reason or another ONLY OK WITH E6s or HELOS are setting themselves up for an epic failure.

For example, for you to get C2s would require the following stars to allign perfectly, without exception:

Graduate OCS (or another commissioning program)

Make it through IFS

Make it through API

Graduate primary, and with a high NSS in a week that tailhook slots are available and be chosen for said slot

Get through Phase I of the tailhook syllabus in a week an E2/C2 slot is available and be chosen for said slot

Get through the T-44 program in Corpus Christi

Before the E2-C2 rag toss your ID card into a hat with 8 other guys for probably all competing for 1 or 2 C2 slots and be chosen for C2

Impossible, no way. Tough? Hell yes. ANYTHING not going perfectly as outlined above can result in you doing something totally different.

A medical injury or some other flight disqualifying medical issue (they tend to pop up) during your commissioning program can result in you being a supply officer or a SWO (seen it happen).

Enough slip ups in IFS or API could leave them disqualifying you from aviation.

Enough slip ups in primary can do the same, or if you do ok, but don't end up with a high NSS you will be instantly DQ'd from selecting tailhook.

And from my understanding, selecting C2 comes down to the luck of the draw, which means if you do everything perfectly up to this point, if your ID card isn't pulled, off to E2s you go.

Bottom line, be 100% OK with flying anything that has NAVY stenciled on the side of it, and you'll set yourself up for success. If you aren't, this probably isn't for you.

My .02

 

[xmid]

And to add to that... I didn't get anything on my preference sheet. I was told the Navy doesn't have the PCS funds to move anybody right now. Definitely be ready for anything, because you just might get it.

 

[kmac]

And from my understanding, selecting C2 comes down to the luck of the draw, which means if you do everything perfectly up to this point, if your ID card isn't pulled, off to E2s you go.

Not exactly true. It is a luck of the draw on what's available (C2 versus E2 for a given class) but choosing the slot has traditionally been up to the students. When I classed up, it was pretty much agreed upon that I would have a C2 slot (I was #2 out of Kingsville, and the guy that was #1 wanted E2s). There were 3 other slots for which the group fought*.

*There was no fighting, and in fact we had to talk the 4th guy into going CODs.

 

[helo_wifey]

Our story from a helo side of things:
We were in Japan last tour, I saw my husband about 1/4 of the almost 3 years that we were there. Not only was he gone on the carrier, then was out and in varying lengths of time when HS put dets on the smaller ships. He did work a lot when not out, usually home by 5-7pm if he wasn't flying. There were also duty days while at home, and then it could really vary depending on the flight schedule when he'd come home.

Now on shore tour with the weapons school he spent 2 months approximately in Fallon and has been a couple times to AUTEC (sp?) and is currently in Vegas for a conference. As far as the schedule goes now our first year of the shore tour he'll be gone about 3 months total out of all that, give or take (a week out usually every month to 2 months). But, the hours are easier (830ish to 3-4ish, but usually earlier) and they've gotten a lot of Friday's off. The opportunity to take leave has also been a bit easier as the schedule isn't so hectic. It's afforded him the opportunity to be around for all my baby doctor appointments and all the little extra classes as well as some guaranteed time off for the birth...something that couldn't be counted on while on a sea tour (or at least something I wouldn't count on).

Just our experience, thought someone either now or in the future would find it helpful.

 

[OSUbeaver]

^ All that. For where you are right now, debating which aircraft is right for you is like trying to decide which one of last year's Playmates you'd rather fuck. Decide all you want, not gonna matter a damn.

Sorry about this quick thread jack, but ^^^ made water come out of my nose, too funny.

 

[bunk22]

Not exactly true. It is a luck of the draw on what's available (C2 versus E2 for a given class) but choosing the slot has traditionally been up to the students. When I classed up, it was pretty much agreed upon that I would have a C2 slot (I was #2 out of Kingsville, and the guy that was #1 wanted E2s). There were 3 other slots for which the group fought*.

*There was no fighting, and in fact we had to talk the 4th guy into going CODs.

Remember, I was Stucon for a year at VAW-120.....it's not always that easy. A lot of infighting and we had to chose based on grades at times.

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

It's not so much aircraft as what your squadron's doing. For example, CVW-5 (Japan) squadrons don't "deploy" like CONUS air wings - they go out for a month, back for a month, out for six weeks, back for three, etc.

Being attached to CWV-5 for 3 years, I can tell you that is a tiring experience. I don't think we deployed for more than 4 months at a time my entire time there, but the frequency in which we deployed was very high. You get home, get settled back into your routine, then you're gone again!

 

[KW83]

Do you realize that America, in it's current cultural condition, is not very "family friendly"? It does get a little worse in the military (In general, as per article posted above; it differs in the ranks) but it's already pretty bad. I think a helpful change in thinking for us all would not be, "what would be the easiest thing for me to do in life to keep my family together", as your circumstances have little to do with your family being healthy as does how you and your spouse respond to such circumstances. I'd say that if circumstances make or break marriages, then a nice home with a steady 9-5 job and a pretty wife would be best. But, oh wait...they are subject to what, 50%? That's no bueno. It must be something else.

Oh, and people with those jobs die too. Just a thought.

 

[MasterBates]

Also, some women come in with a skewed romantic view of how it works.. They know about the deployments but think it's a 9-5 job otherwise, and when you are home it's all choker whites and dining outs.

I'm not the only one whose ex wide was shocked that it wasn't like that.

 

[desertoasis]

I'm not the only one whose ex wide was shocked that it wasn't like that.

That wasn't a typing mistake, was it.

 

[MasterBates]

Nope.

 

[HeyJoe]

Go where YOU want. Let the camp followers deal with it.

Profound