Greetings! New to the site and looking for general advice.

[pearldrummer]

Hello all! Let first say, I am in awe of every Navy, AF and Marine Pilot. You guys (and gals) have the jobs every kid dreams about at least once in their life. For some reason I always thought that people who became pilots in the US military were far more extraordinary than I, and never thought I would realistically have a chance.

Fast forward to now... I am 22, married for 1 year, and a sophomore at a junior college (I'll be transferring to U. of Washington in the fall) and going for a Mechanical Engineering degree. I currently have about a 3.1 gpa, and with two years left, I know I can make that significantly higher. I'll be honest, about a month ago is the first time I ever even seriously looked into what it takes to become a pilot in any branch of the military, and the realization that I might have a chance has consumed my mind since.

I am looking for general advice and have a couple of questions. First, is my major. I chose ME because when i chose it, I was looking for a practical degree, because I wasn't thinking military. I've read that engineering is a great degree for starters if a military comission is your ultimate goal. But honestly it is pretty hard for me. I was thinking if I decided to go for this I would change to a straight math degree (it's "easier" for me, and I could more easily raise my gpa). How much does the type of degree you have weigh into their decision?

I have absolutely ZERO experience flying (but I have driven race cars!). Does this matter? I dont have the money to start private flying lessons. I have a feeling a little crop duster is nothing like anything people fly in the Navy (just a hunch!) anyways.

So now, that I'm sure you're all bored of reading this, I'll wrap it up. I'm just looking for general advice for what I should do next. I know step 1... Talk to my wife about it (this will probably come out of left field for her, I've only ever talked about it as a "dream job for another life in a parallel universe"), and step 2) get ahold of an OSO.

Thanks guys!
p.s. I'm asking here first because right out of highschool I made the mistake of expressing interest in enlisting in the marines to a recruiter and I got hassled for 3 years!

 

[nikiterp86]

Hey there! Detailed answers to your questions can be found by utilizing the search function... there's lots of threads with great information to get you started! But here's some brief answers based on what I know:

Degree: it doesn't matter that much what kind of degree you have as long as it's an accredited bachelors. That being said- the Navy likes technical degrees, so they'll probably like your ME degree.

Flying experience: Doesn't hurt, but is not necessary.

Search around and if you have any more questions, post or send a PM, and someone will happily answer them (as long as they haven't been asked a million times- then you might get yelled at for not searching well enough haha.... just a warning!)

 

[GO_AV8_DevilDog]

Finally someone with a decent first post.

An engineering degree will help. There is a lot of "a degree is a degree is a degree" talk going around, but when it comes down to it your gpa will be looked at a little more lenient with a technical degree than with a non-technical.

Prior flight time is not a deal breaker. The navy has been teaching brand new people how to fly for a long time and it is not something they are going to give up soon. Really the only kind of flight time that would seriously help you later on (so I've read, I have not BTDT yet so take this with a grain of salt) is IFR time. don't worry about it though. As for racing cars, while it sounds like a blast, it is not something I would thing a board would take into consideration to highly.

Keep asking good questions and search around the site. There is a lot of valuable information that will help you all the way through receiving your wings.

Best of luck to you! and make sure you talk to an Officer recruiter and NOT an enlisted recruiter. Sounds like you've already learned this lesson but just be wary of any paperwork that requires a signature.

 

[pearldrummer]

Thanks for the quick replies guys! I know how annoying it is when people post without searching first (I'm active on several car enthusiast sites), I assure you, I plan on spending most of the night looking into every nook and cranny of this website. I just got excited and had to post!
And yeah, i learned my lesson the first time about giving away too much info to a recruiter right off the bat. This time I will not pick up a pen unless im serious!

 

[eddie]

An engineering degree will help. There is a lot of "a degree is a degree is a degree" talk going around, but when it comes down to it your gpa will be looked at a little more lenient with a technical degree than with a non-technical.

Even if Math is the othe other degree? I mean, let's be honest here, isn't the number of higher maths required generally what drives the "technicality" of X major for the service, TPS, etc.?

 

[Uncle Fester]

Even if Math is the othe other degree? I mean, let's be honest here, isn't the number of higher maths required generally what drives the "technicality" of X major for the service, TPS, etc.?

The OP is asking about just getting into the Program. TPS is a whole 'nother animal. And no, TPS isn't about higher math in a John Nash kind of way.

There are many threads discussing whether a technical, engineering or otherwise math-heavy degree matters to a board. Short answer: no, as long as your GPA is anywhere close to decent.

MechE and Math are fine; if you had a 2.0 in Feminist Dance Theory or something, that might not augur well for your chances in the Program. I was a History major. Mrs Fester was a Music major with a Hebraic Studies minor. We both got our wings.

For the rest of your questions: searchy searchy searchy.

 

[Herc_Dude]

U-dub ... Who would EVER want to be Fuskie

Good luck to you... and Go Cougs!

 

[wlawr005]

Your degree does not matter to be an officer, but you need to have a good GPA...prior flight time does not matter, and some people make the argument that "too much" prior flight time can lead to some bad habits that you have to break when you learn to fly the "Navy way".

If you are transferring to U of W, talk to the NROTC unit there. I have a couple of friends that attend through the STA-21 program and it is a solid school. There will be many midshipman there that are in your same position and could probably give you some valuable "up to date" advice on how the entrance process works. Each NROTC unit also has a recruiting officer that could give you some good insight and might even be able to give you some info on how to get some free money for college.

I am also a MechE major and you are right, it's f*in hard! Good luck...

 

[BusyBee604]

Your degree does not matter to be an officer, but you need to have a good GPA...prior flight time does not matter, and some people make the argument that "too much" prior flight time can lead to some bad habits that you have to break when you learn to fly the "Navy way".

I have to agree with wlawr005, prior flight time is {OK} but Navy flying, especially carrier aviation, is a whole 'nother ball game than any other. I am an "old goat" NA & not as familiar with USN flight training today, but in my day the prevailing command & instructor attitude was that they preferred a candidate with no previous flight experience so they could start with a clear & uncluttered mindset & not have to "unlearn" previous flight habits & techniques.
For example, after retiring I spent quite a bit of time as a airline passenger and a game I played was identifying each Captain as ex-Navy as opposed to ex-USAF/non military, by the very subtle difference in landing technique. When I got the chance to ask the Captain on debarking, I was mostly correct on previous experience.
That delicate flare used to "squeak, squeak" or grease it onto a runway, doesn't cut it on the big grey boat. Once you learn the "Navy way" (flaring is a no no) it's hard to break the habit, ALTHOUGH Naval Aviators have transitioned very nicley into airline Captains, and have always been highly regarded & recruited by the airlines. Do you other Naval Aviators on here agree? Just my honest opinion. :icon_mi_1

BzB off to collect my Sunday pollen!:icon_smil

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

PearlDrummer, I grew up right across the water in the Bremerton/Silverdale area. Good luck and feel free to message me if you have any question regading the application process as I just went through that about a year and a half ago.

 

[pearldrummer]

Well today I had the discussion with my wife, and she backs me 100% (she always does). So this week (hopefully tomorrow) I will get in contact with my schools ROTC and a recruiter.
Thanks for your help guys, this is a great site!

 

[A4sForever]

Pearly-white:

Go to the UofW NROTC Unit ... call ahead; make an appointment w/ the PNS if available, or some other NROTC 'heavy' Officer if not ... they're the'best' source for the answers to the questions you're asking ... plus, it 'might' turn into a $$$ future-potential for you as you pursue your goal(s) ...

If you do ... be sharp, look sharp, be a 'candidate' ...

Tell 'em a mid-'60's Lt. William Carter Award 'winner' sent you ...

 

[Godspeed]

It sounds like you are motivated and have a good attitude... Keep those two traits with you throughout your journey and you'll have some good results.

BTW, since you are married i'd dig a little deeper into what being a naval officer (and a naval aviator) entails as far as separation etc (and make sure your spouse does as well).

Being a student naval aviator (and from what i've gathered, a naval aviator) is extremely demanding and requires you to be very selfish. The needs of the NAVY will dictate your lives, and puts quite a load on your spouse to be independant and able to pick up, move, and start a new life often.

I'm only an SNA, but know enough to know that for your commitment (probably 9-11 years depending on which platform you end up in), the NAVY will own you, not your wife :-D.

I'm not meaning to discourage you at all from pursuing this career based on your marital situation... I was single when I started out, and found someone that wanted to come along for the ride, but since you two are married, this is obviously a joint decision.

I'm not sure how in depth you guys went on your conversation about this being a potential career move, but to me this is something that many hours, if not days or weeks should be spent researching and thinking and discussing with your spouse.

PBS has a show called carrier that can be viewed on their website... I believe you can actually order the DVD series... I think it might give you and your wife a little perspective on the separation and/or deployment cycles.

There is plenty of information out there, the best of which comes from those that are, or were naval aviators. You can find those guys on this site and probably your local ROTC unit can point you in the right direction.

Good Luck!

 

[pearldrummer]

Pearly-white:

Go to the UofW NROTC Unit ... call ahead; make an appointment w/ the PNS if available, or some other NROTC 'heavy' Officer if not ... they're the'best' source for the answers to the questions you're asking ... plus, it 'might' turn into a $$$ future-potential for you as you pursue your goal(s) ...

If you do ... be sharp, look sharp, be a 'candidate' ...

Tell 'em a mid-'60's Lt. William Carter Award 'winner' sent you ...

Thank you for this advice. I will do exactly that!

As far as the issues involved with being married. We discussed it for about 3 hours today. She's also promised to do a lot of research on her own, and after my initial visit with the recruiter, I was hoping to be able to take her with me to my second visit (if he allows and thinks it's a good idea). Her dad was a career Navy man (enlisted for 20 years), so she has had to move a few times because of it, and she knows what it's about.
But we know we're a partnership now, and that all this Navy stuff won't be set in stone for a while now, so if ever she pulls the plug on it, I understand it will have to end there.

 

[AJTranny]

I wasn't too impressed with the carrier series so I'd recommend keeping your money and continue asking questions and even get your significant other on here. My wife was preggers while I was in the Gulf last year so she can probably answer many of your questions without the sugar coating. I'm sure there are lots of other good spouses on here too with a ton of advice. PM me if you want her username. Best of luck.