I came to the Navy for aviation because it's the best...that and my aeronautics degree and 50k in flight training expenses I'm going to have to pay for for the next 10 years will make be easier to swallow if I'm actually flying.
flyboy, I do not mean to make light of your situation - it's a kick in the junk, for sure, and I do not envy you. However, what I have quoted needs to serve as a bit of a lesson for those who think that there are iron-clad guarantees in the military.
Nothing in the military, as in life, is ever guaranteed. You can certainly do things to shape your career - working/studying hard (or not), talking to the right people, checking (or not checking) the appropriate career boxes, paying for civilian flight training, etc., but at the end of the day, your career is directed by Big Navy/Big Corps/Big whatever. The fact is, you're just a number to the Navy right now. That may be a hard pill to swallow, but it's the truth. The Navy has decided that you shouldn't fly right now, and with the current "rightsizing" movement, it may not happen for a while...if ever. There just isn't a pressing need for extra pilots in any of the services right now.
It's been said before, and it'll be said again - when you raise your right hand, you're an officer first, a [designator] second. Oftentimes, especially for those of us with wings, that fact just plain sucks. We, too, love breaking the surly bonds as much as possible, but the reality of the military is that you're going to go where they want you to go and do what they want you to do, regardless of your designator/MOS. Are there ways for those of us who love flying to stay in the cockpit? Absolutely. Are there career consequences associated with this? Absolutely. You just have to decide what is important to you.
flyboy, with that in mind, you have been given a tremendous opportunity. You're a brand new Ensign in the Navy, and you're being groomed for a career in IW. There are plenty of good JOs who have attrited from flight school (be it grades, DOR, etc.) who would give anything to be in your shoes, because
they are being processed out of the Navy. Redesignation for those who don't complete flight school isn't automatic anymore, and due to the numbers game, many of these quality officers are not being retained. Why do I bring this up? I would suggest, before you "...[piss] a few people off...", you consider the possible consequences of burning bridges in your current field. If flying means that much to you, best of luck with the process. Just realize that you might never get into a cockpit, and in the meantime, you might not have much of a career in the Navy based on how you handle yourself along the way.
No matter what you choose, best of luck with everything, and don't let anything get in the way of your obligation to serve your Sailors. They deserve nothing less than 100% from you.
