New NFO stationing

[MasterBates]

Helos (HSL) when I left was:

#1 RAG
#1A Admirals Aide
#2 VTs
#3 HTs
#4 Wing Weapons School (1st shore tour WTIs go there, squadron WTIs are Dissasociated Tour types)
#5 Pentagon/DC Stuff
#6 Other Flying. (Station SAR, C12s)

If you were an top (1-5 or so) EP on your last FITREP you could go anywhere and be OK for DH. Non top EPs had to go to 1-3 to have a chance at making it, but were out of the running for CO.

*Remember, HSL Squadrons can have 25-30 LTs and 15 or so JGs, so 1-5 EP is probably like a 1-3 EP in a smaller wardroom (HS)

This info was current about 6 months ago (last detailer show & tell)

 

[bert]

Concur with MB, and from a practical standpoint any first tour aviator would do well to profess a desire to become a RAG instructor. If you walk through the door aiming for an pack-minus shore billet you will influence your front office to view you as a pack-minus player.

 

[hscs]

Basically with MB said -- although, I would put the Weapons School ahead of VTs/HTs. There are also a couple of other places to go -- NSAWC, VX/HX that can look good.

As for being an aide -- those tours supposed to last about a year (I hear any longer and you go crazy). Your track might be a little messed up after you do a short non-flying tour.

I would save the non-flying bit for your disassociated.

 

[Renegade One]

Not really...weren't they in a Marine VMFA squadron? If so, plenty of 2-seat F/A-18D's have deployed, methinks.

 

[bert]

Basically with MB said -- although, I would put the Weapons School ahead of VTs/HTs. There are also a couple of other places to go -- NSAWC, VX/HX that can look good.

VX and HX can be tough if you go back to the fleet. Compared to the RAG guys, nobody know what you did or why you were doing it, and you are off the community's radar for quite some time. If CO is your most important goal, then don't try to blaze a new trail, go to the RAG. All things being equal (at least on the helo side) more CO's are former RAG IPs than anything else.

 

[hscs]

VX and HX can be tough if you go back to the fleet. Compared to the RAG guys, nobody know what you did or why you were doing it, and you are off the community's radar for quite some time. If CO is your most important goal, then don't try to blaze a new trail, go to the RAG. All things being equal (at least on the helo side) more CO's are former RAG IPs than anything else.

Except for the part of the board precepts that say that the navy needs good people in the test community so TPS is a good thing. Read the precepts before making assumptions.

The thing that is really good about the RAG and VT/HTs is that you break out against a large number of people. No matter what the job is -- the more you break out against a large number of people is great.

 

[bert]

Except for the part of the board precepts that say that the navy needs good people in the test community so TPS is a good thing. Read the precepts before making assumptions.

The thing that is really good about the RAG and VT/HTs is that you break out against a large number of people. No matter what the job is -- the more you break out against a large number of people is great.

Look at the actual success rates of HX/VX types returning to the fleet. Many go on to strong careers in acquisition fields (ie AEDOs) but the Hardisons of the world are by far the exception, not the rule. Volunteer to be an assistant recorder on a board, it will be a great learning experience for you.

As to your second statement, 1 of 3 plays better on a board than 3 of 30. It shouldn't, but it does.

 

[bert]

And I should add that non-observed time is always bad, so you have to be carefull taking TPS combined with your Masters: two years of NOB while your buddies are breaking out in production jobs will put you behind the power curve. Make sure you have the first tour FITREPS to carry you through if you are going to do that.

 

[hscs]

Yes, the VX/HX types have the ability to move to a different community. However, off the top of my head -- I can count 3 COs and 2 Commodores on one coast over a 5 year period on the operational side-- Those don't seem like bad odds to me. And again - the 3 of 30 from the FRS beats the living sh-- out of a 1 of 3 at NAS X.

 

[bert]

Like I said, volunteer to serve on a board, I think you could learn a lot and it is well worth the time for anybody who plans on making a career of the Navy. Remember that promotion (stat.) boards are different from screen boards, and they are not always looking for the same thing.

 

[bert]

And sorry about the threadjack, NFO's. If your eyes didn't glaze over as soon as you saw 'helo', then just take away that there isn't universal agreement on the effects that any given decision might have on your career. Just remember that nobody cares about your career more than you do, so do the research and talk to people you trust as you decide how to make your way.

 

[Brett327]

And sorry about the threadjack, NFO's. If your eyes didn't glaze over as soon as you saw 'helo', then just take away that there isn't universal agreement on the effects that any given decision might have on your career. Just remember that nobody cares about your career more than you do, so do the research and talk to people you trust as you decide how to make your way.

Just read the precepts from the recent ACSB - good stuff.

Brett