Interservice Transfer

[Uncle Fester]

I really doubt the OP would be able to skip anything if he went Navy or Marines. AF, yeah - since their helo guys are trained by the Army and they already have common training, should be easy. Or the Coasties as a DCA.

CNATRA requires everyone to go through the same route (API-Pri-Int-Adv-RAG). You cannot validate or skip any step. The fact that you're a helo guy now won't change anything, since all our guys fly fixed-wing in training first and CNATRA has a real dislike for "pre-selecting" aviators for a particular pipeline.

At best, your prior time would buy you an accelerated program. How accelerated depends on how you do, and what the VT skipper and Wing Commodore are comfortable with.

You could try something like what skidlid mentioned, but if a program's not already in writing it's a tough sell anyway; doubly so if it's been tried recently and didn't work out well.

 

[wink]

I really doubt the OP would be able to skip anything if he went Navy or Marines.

Just to be clear, it would be highly unlikely if OCS was required for an Army commission officer transfer. The only reason I say unlikely is just because I aren't a Marine. But in the Navy, it would be contrary to the Instructions to run a commissioned officer in transfer through OCS. OCS is first and foremost a military indoctrination program. An Army Captain does not need that. Heck, going through API seems a waste too. I'd bet he could get out of that pretty easily. And as to what CNATRA wants, maybe CNATRA doesn't have a thing to say about it? The transfer is a BUPERS thing. The Reserves then can send him to the RAG if they please. The RAG does not belong to CNATRA. Maybe it is not likely given the recent problem, but not impossible.

 

[eddie]

AH-64 guys only have an ADF and GPS. The exception is the VIP units, who file/fly IFR all the time.

Does that mean they aren't all-weather?

 

[wink]

Does that mean they aren't all-weather?

Why not? Aircraft flew in all sorts of weather with gyros, ADF and the old beacons for decades. Many of us on this forum learned to fly instruments with just a VOR or TACAN and an ADF that proved useful for only AM music reception. I'd say ADF and GPS pretty much means they can navigate and shoot approaches all over the world. That is far better then I had for many hours of flight.

 

[eddie]

Why not? Aircraft flew in all sorts of weather with gyros, ADF and the old beacons for decades. Many of us on this forum learned to fly instruments with just a VOR or TACAN and an ADF that proved useful for only AM music reception. I'd say ADF and GPS pretty much means they can navigate and shoot approaches all over the world. That is far better then I had for many hours of flight.

I guess I just don't understand the distinction. Reading time!!!

 

[Uncle Fester]

Just to be clear, it would be highly unlikely if OCS was required for an Army commission officer transfer. The only reason I say unlikely is just because I aren't a Marine. But in the Navy, it would be contrary to the Instructions to run a commissioned officer in transfer through OCS. OCS is first and foremost a military indoctrination program. An Army Captain does not need that. Heck, going through API seems a waste too. I'd bet he could get out of that pretty easily. And as to what CNATRA wants, maybe CNATRA doesn't have a thing to say about it? The transfer is a BUPERS thing. The Reserves then can send him to the RAG if they please. The RAG does not belong to CNATRA...

I didn't say anything about OCS. I'm sure the Marines can give him a commission however they please. And you're probably right, it's a waste of time to send a winged aviator through API, but we've had lots of guys who probably didn't need it roll through our hallowed halls because that's what CNATRA demands.

CNATRA controls who gets the Wings of Gold; you can't go to the RAG without them (yes, yes, except for exchange guys). Unless I totally missed something (which is possible), the Marines and Navy can't just agree to pick up someone, slap wings on them, and send them to the RAG.

 

[Clux4]

I am not sure the OP will go through all of flight school. The Navy Reserve VR Squadron's are advertising and they always insist on already qualified military pilot. This leads me to believe the accessed officer will join the pipe-line somewhere(not beginning) to save cost otherwise, they can just hire a regular Joe off the street and send him off to training. Granted these are all fixed wing positions, I do not know what the situation is for the helo community.

 

[wink]

I
CNATRA controls who gets the Wings of Gold; you can't go to the RAG without them (yes, yes, except for exchange guys). Unless I totally missed something (which is possible), the Marines and Navy can't just agree to pick up someone, slap wings on them, and send them to the RAG.

Saw it happen once. About 15 years ago guy I knew was not only an Army Aviator but National Guard. No active duty besides Ft Rucker. Got the gold wings slapped on. I could not believe it myself.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Saw it happen once. About 15 years ago guy I knew was not only an Army Aviator but National Guard. No active duty besides Ft Rucker. Got the gold wings slapped on. I could not believe it myself.

Good point. You can't say that something's never happened in the Navy, since we tend toward the "if it's not forbidden, go for it" school of regulation interpretation. I do know that it's not at all common, and the only guys I've ever met who came in from other services had to go through the whole enchilada.

Now, I could see a VR picking up a several-thousand-hour AF Heavies type, for example, if the VRs were hurting for manning and weren't getting enough in-house. But I gotta think it'd be a case-by-case deal, not a regular thing like CG DCA. We just don't need to pick up people from other services. If anything, most of our YGs are overmanned right now.

 

[phrogdriver]

Good point. You can't say that something's never happened in the Navy, since we tend toward the "if it's not forbidden, go for it" school of regulation interpretation. I do know that it's not at all common, and the only guys I've ever met who came in from other services had to go through the whole enchilada.

Now, I could see a VR picking up a several-thousand-hour AF Heavies type, for example, if the VRs were hurting for manning and weren't getting enough in-house. But I gotta think it'd be a case-by-case deal, not a regular thing like CG DCA. We just don't need to pick up people from other services. If anything, most of our YGs are overmanned right now.

Remember this is in the Marines forum. That's not true for the Corps.