on NSS's and attrition

[airwinger]

Two quick Q's
1) Anyone have an idea how NSS is calculated and about the rumors that VT-X(at Whiting) always has points added and VT-Y doesn't. We even asked our RI instructor today and he had no clue.
2) What's the attrition rate like in Jets (both TS and T-2) and what's been happening to any Marine attrites?
semper fi,
airwinger

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

well as far as after attriton, (you probably know this) but i heard they are sent to the MOS with the biggest need, I heard lately it was finance (eeek) i also heard if you go to IOC prior to flight training maybe you can get an infantry MOS????

"And on the 8th day the Marines took over the globe and have been runnin it ever since"

 

[Oscar]

1)Raw NSS is calculated by comparing your scores to a certain number of people that went through in the past. I've heard you get compared to the past 500 people, and I've also heard the past 1,000 people. The rumor mill isn't too clear. Points get added at "VT-X" because based on those past 500 or 1,000 SNA's, they've determined that "VT-Y's" instructors grade better than VT-X's. VT-Y SNA's also get points taken off of their Raw NSS "in order to fit the bell curve." I've heard rumors that in the future NSS will go away completely and will be replaced entirely by the Air Force MPTS system, but yeah, I had instructors at primary that told me it was just some huge computer algorithm where they throw in all our numbers, and it pops out our NSS's. Oh, I forgot, the number of DOR's and attrites factors in there somehow too.

2)I'm not sure what the exact attrition is these days. TS in Kingsville probably attrites 1 or 2 people per month, just depends. VT-22 statistically has had more attrites lately than VT-21. I don't know anything about TS in Meridian, but they aren't taking guys for T-2's anymore. Don't know what happens to them afterwards.

 

[Sammie]

They are still taking T-2 guys here in Meridian. There have not been as many attrites in Meridian as Kingsville recently. It all goes in cycles though.

 

[Rainman]

The wing OPS O in Meridian is quoting numbers like 8% for Marine attrites in Meridian. Yes the T2 classes keep coming. As far as the 'normalizing' that occurs in primary. .it appears that that happens to each squadron, not necessarily CC vs NSE. Example: I had a raw score in VT3 that was above a Marine's in VT6 and he had a higher NSS b/c his squadron gave out less grades overall. ..etc. .

There was a rare case (very late stage airsickness) where they are working a jet attrite to go to helos, but this is supposedly a rare thing now due to the strike numbers the Marines need to fill. Normally, you'll go to a ground MOS school and when those schools start and end sometimes matters as much as their need in the MOS school. There have been guys that have gone to a combat arms MOS (also rare), just depends on needs of service (mostly), your performance. . etc.

 

[Jester]

Rainman,
I'm about done with TBS (A Co) and reporting down to P-cola June 30th, classing up August 1st. Anyway, I was wondering if you know much about how Whiting, Corpus, and Vance affect NSS's coming out of each? I'm going to Corpus for primary and I've heard that when Whiting scores are figured into an NSS out of Corpus that it usually drops a few points. Is this the case?

Thanks,
Jester

 

[airwinger]

Jester,
I'm not rainman, but last week I met a Marine who'd just come down from Corpus, and he said that he had a 55 NSS going to selection and that it got cut back to a 42(yikes) while his buddy went from a 58 to a 45. I've heard (and that's akin to "the word" which you're very familiar with I'm sure) that the reason Corpus gets docked points is due to Course rules since their's are much easier, but that's nothing I could confirm.

So did you enjoy your XO's(Capt S.)humor, he was my SPC and paid me the compliment of saying we were alike in that in the field we derived pleasure from watching everyone else be miserable.
semper fi,
Airwinger.

 

[Jester]

Airwinger,
Damn, that's quite a drop. I was going to try to keep my NSS around 60 but after hearing that I'm going to try to keep it around 70 or higher. Just have to do the best that I can. How's API going or are you done?

Haven't seen much of Capt S's humor. As our XO the only time he talks to us is when we screw up. Other than that he seems pretty cool though. We've got the war this week and then we're done. Can't wait to get down to P-cola. Thanks for the info.
Semper fi,
Jester

 

[Rainman]

Yeah, I've heard the same stories as airwinger. . but I've also heard of a 1-7 NSS change from squadron to squadron at a particular Air Wing. Which is what I was referring to above. The trend last six months has been CC NSS go down a bit. Don't know anything about Vance. I've heard of entire Vance classes getting jets and entire Vance classes not getting them. Non of this 'normalizing' is listed in the MPTS (curriculum guide). . so who knows where it comes from. .clearly it's there.

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

hey rainman,, how difficult is it for an aviator to obtain a rank as a general, (brigadier, major, or any general)...and this is assuming an invidual puts in at least 20 years of service

"And on the 8th day the Marines took over the globe and have been runnin it ever since"

 

[Rainman]

ummmmmmmmmm. . . . . .Sorry, not something I know much about.

Read the general officer bios on www.usmc.mil
???????? They've all put in a lot more than 20.

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

yea i read those, i noticed a lot of them were in combat, i was just curious whether it was commonplace for an aviator to obtain rank as a general if they were a good Marine who put in the time

"And on the 8th day the Marines took over the globe and have been runnin it ever since"

 

[EODDave]

THe Corpus NSS hit vs the Whiting NSS scores is BS. I am in VT-28 and we have been taking about a 6-7point hit over the last month or so. My buddy at VT-3 in Whiting just selected last week and also took a 7 point hit off of his NSS. Your NSS will get points deducted or added depending on the average NSS of the last 200 students that completed primary. The Navy takes that avg and then the avg of your squad, then deducts or adds points accordingly.

Yes, the course rules are easier at Corpus. However, after your first few flights, course rules are just like knowing what roads to take when you drive your car home from work.

Dave

 

[HighFlyer55]

So how many people got jets and how many got helo's in the recent selections? Do you still need around a 53 NSS to get jets or is it higher now?

 

[EODDave]

For Navy the guys I know that got jets are in the upper 50's like 58-59 after your nss has been corrected. So the guys I knew had 65-66 range NSS then took the 7 point hit ending up with 58-59. Another buddy had a 54 and got E2-C2. We have no selections this week so we wont know about jets here. Jets are still being selected but just not with the min nss.

Dave