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[torpedo0126]

not sure if this will help with the radio freq and I am not an NFO...but i bought this small little strap that holds your pencil/pen along your pointer finger. whenever you need to write you just pinch your fingers, write, and when you let go, the pencil just snaps back along your finger. i thought it was the coolest thing ever...really helped with ATIS, headings and altitudes. im probably talking about this as if i am the only one who as ever seen this but just a suggestion.

 

[BACONATOR]

FUCK THAT GUY!


Umm, how about NFO?

If you do indeed get the axe from the Commodore, then worry about that shit. But until then, you are a brown shoe-wearin', soon-to-be-hinge-tormentin' cocky sonofabitch who is going to fight this to the last chance! Obviously the FPCs, pink sheets, and that dickhead instructor who thinks he's doing you a favor have taken your confidence down a notch. Any time I or my peers have had a helmet-fire moment/day/week, it was either studying or confidence-related. Clearly you're studying enough, so look in the mirror and repeat whatever you need to think about yourself* or do whatever else you think will pump you up for this. Your PRB should be a turning point, not an attrition point - it wouldn't be the first time.


*This sounds hokey, but I've seen it work.

Really good post from beans above, but I wanted to add another thought. DON'T let this horrible period of time dictate your perception of Naval Aviation in the fleet. Even in the RAG, I can tell you... it gets BETTER. Much of the asspain you're experiencing now (getting hammered with pink sheets and FPCs etc included) is just a part of "flight school", and while you will be evaluated in the RAG and fleet, the treatment gets MUCH better and more laid back once you've proven yourself to get those shiny wings.

DO NOT let how horrible you are feeling in the TRACOM allow you to give up because you think it will always be like this. Same way guys at OCS let themselves get attrited or DOR because they hate OCS. It's a strange animal, being in a training command, but more importantly: it's temporary. There is a GREAT life beyond the winging ceremony, so if you want it, FIGHT for it!

Best of luck.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

I attrited from VT-86 in 2006, after working very hard and not giving up, as you are also describing. Don't give up until it is over - continue to fight for what you want and do not act defeated when you see the Commodore.
If you are attrited, your life is not over. A few people will say negative things to you now and throughout your career about it. But the majority of people will either be supportive or just not care about you one way or another.
I thought being a flight attrite would be a big deal in Intel school, but it never was. The majority of senior officers there, including our CO, were also flight attrites and had done very well in the Navy.
At the time I attrited, it was difficult but not impossible to stay in the Navy. I obviously stayed in and became an intelligence officer. My other choices were SWO and Supply. The technical process of redesgination will get explained to you. You will have to make a prioritized list of different designators you want, get your transcripts from college, write a personal statement, etc. Not hard.
Here is the big thing about being attrited. Suddenly no one cares about you any more. No one will help you redesignate - you need to research your new designators on your own, be in charge of your own paperwork, and follow up. No one cares that running the soda mess at the Wing blows - if you care, go out and find yourself a better stash job that enhances your morale or where you can learn something. Let the people who DOR'd in API deal with that stupid cash box. No one cares if being attrited makes you hate your life and double your alcohol consumption - if that is you, you will have to be proactive about talking to the chaplain, or doing whatever you need to to stay mentally intact through the experience.
Good luck with the Commodore. As do-able as finding a new place in the Navy and picking up the pieces post-flying is, I would never wish it on anybody, so I hope everything goes better than you think.

 

[SDNalgene]

I knew a few guys who went to see the commodore and went on to wear wings. It is possible. Each person's case is different; but the commonalities between all the guys I knew who got another shot is that they walked into the commodore's office ready to show the man that they were hard working, dedicated professionals.

That means they treated it as a uniform inspection, job interview, and NATOPS check all rolled into one. Have your hair cut, your nails clipped, a close shave, an immaculate uniform, and your shoes shined. Be ready to speak frankly about your struggles in training (no excuses, even if you actually have a legitimate one this isn't the venue for it), explain why you want to be an NFO, discuss what changes in your approach to training that you are going to make to address your issues, etc. Bottom line, you need to persuade the man that you are worth a second chance. Oh, yeah, I don't know if your commodore is qualified in your aircraft, but you should be ready to answer any NATOPS questions about your platform, especially EPs.

You don't know what it is that is going to clue the man into the fact that you are worth another shot, but bottom line, you want to be ready for anything when you walk into that room. It's not over until its over. Oh yeah, should help....

Best of luck my man. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Dude, it ain't over until CNATRA says it's over. You want to stay in this job? Then fight for it.

Just about everybody hits a wall at some point in training. For me, it was T-34 VNAVs. I did fine with everything else in the VTs, but on those low-levels, I felt lucky when I got away with a 2-below. I still don't know what it was - I did fine on T-39 VNAVs - just for some reason the mental math and sitting in the front seat and I don't know what-all just completely fucked up my chi.

My point is, you're not the first guy and definitely not the last to hit a hump in training. Do NOT let it get into your headspace, and do NOT get into "doubting your fitness". That's the problem with all the over-achievers who come into Naval Aviation; they don't know how to recover from failure because they've never had to do it before. Lots of guys assume that if they're having a hard time, it's because they're just not cut out for this thing. This is not true.

Going to see the Commodore isn't the end of the world. There's a difference between guys who aren't performing because they don't care/aren't studying and guys who are busting their asses but just can't quite make it click. Nobody wants to attrite the latter while there's still any hope at all of salvaging them. And if worse does come to worst, the guys who tried like hell will get help from the command in finding a good alternate designator, not just the auto-SWO.

Grab any unoccupied instructor who'll cooperate, ask him for help. You don't have to wait for a chalk-talk. When you go see the Commodore, can you honestly say you've exhausted every resource for help?

You really don't want to be sitting on the other side of the fence watching your buddies with wings do their thing. It sucks in a huge way. And as the rest have said, that instructor who said you should start considering other lines of work? Yeah, fuck that guy. If the Commodore decides to boot you, you'll have plenty of time to think about it then. In the meantime, concentrate on digging yourself out of this hole, not dwelling on despair.

You made it this far, my man...you can do this. You've shown you can do it in T-6's. T-1's aren't that different. Good news is, once you get past this hump, everything else to shiny gold wings and beyond will seem really easy.

 

[TheBubba]

FTW,

PM sent.

 

[NavyFTW]

Update:

So after three weeks of waiting, my packet has been turned over to the Wing. My TRB is tentatively scheduled for sometime next week.

I was given a chance to read the letters that my adviser and the CO wrote for me. They both recommended attrition, but were sure to include that I had a good attitude.

At this point I'm still willing to fight to stay in, but this really takes the wind out of my sails. Even on the remote chance that I get retained, I'll be going back to a command that I feel doesn't even want me around.

I know the short answer is NEVER, but realistically, when is it ok to throw in the towel, pack up my shame and move on?

Is there any kind of test out there to determine aptitude for other potential career fields?

 

[Uncle Fester]

Dude, knock it off. It's not over until the Commodore says it is. I know it's demoralizing to be in the position you're in, but it ain't time to say die. If you want to stay in, then you'll fight to stay in. There's no animosity on the part of the squadron towards students...believe me, you'd know it if there were. If Commodore decides to keep you, and you work your ass off, they'll do what they can to help you.

But seriously - quit this moping about how doomed you feel and nobody loves you and wondering what cruel fate awaits you. Navy Air is for determined bastards. Grow a mustache and harden the fuck up.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

Dude, you obviously didn't heed the advice given by everyone earlier in the thread. Have you gotten the axe yet? No? Then sack up and keep fighting. No one here is going to give you permission to quit. If that's what you want to do, fine, nothing wrong with it if it isn't for you, but YOU make that decision.

 

[NavyFTW]

Sorry bout that last post, I should've waited a little longer before running to the threads here. Guess sitting around thinking about stuff messed me up more than I thought.

On the plus side I'm a stone cold ninja at ops limits, EP's, charting, weather minimums, any kind of in-flight brief and making popcorn. So I have that going for me.

 

[MAKE VAPES]

Dude, many a dejected prospective asskicker sat on the uncomfortable side of my desk in thier khaki pain suits facing the same situation you presently find yourself in. Keep your chin up during your uphill battle, it ain't over till its over (like you've heard frequently). Ive seen 4 pink sheet folks who were 3-0 voted attrite, seconded by squadron CO get turned over by the know-nothing Commo (so there is a chance!).

If the bad news comes... don't make it the end of a dream.... make it the beginning of another. Go forth and kick ass elsewhere.

 

[Jim123]

@NavyFTW

Just a friendly suggestion that over the next few days you:

1- Stay in the books (you're already doing that- good)
2- PT
3- Read exactly why those letters from your adviser and CO recommend attrition
4- Use that positive attitude to figure out what your plan is to fix (3)
5- Repeat


I absolutely concur with SDNalgene's comments about uniform prep. When it's time to talk to the man, remember to stand up straight and tall.

And- good luck.

 

[Beans]

If you don't have brown shoes for this board, God save you.

 

[NavyFTW]

Hahaha the khaki pain-suit. Awesome.

From what I read in the two letters in the packet, both the CO and my adviser cited a general lack of ability to process information quickly enough. I think that's why its so difficult a problem to pin down. How do you make yourself think faster?

I have all the knowledge but getting to it fast enough is my big hold up. So I thought speed drills would help. Which has led to a lot of interesting car rides with me calling out turnpoint procedures and giving made-up field/approach briefs. A friend of mine recommended playing Brain Age, so I've been trying that out. I have the PT thing nailed down, and if they ask to see my FTI's they're completely filled out/highlighted from cover to cover. I also have this nifty little survival folder I made with a quick reference for all kinds of generally useful preflighting info, and all the other stuff I've done for the last three weeks on SMS. I've been gouging the hell out of every T-1 class that's gone through since I've been around. Hopefully I can keep them from making my stupid mistakes. I even got the SDO's permission to go to groundschool with a new class just to try and stay sharp. At the very least I'm still banging my head into the wall. Do they make a pin for that?

Seriously though thanks to everyone for the tough love and all the help. I'll let you all know how the board goes.

 

[picklesuit]

I have to ask, is the picture of the boat in your Avatar an ironic joke, or foreshadowing?