Overseas experiences

[gdd05]

I am looking forward to serving my country overseas. I was just wanting to hear some good/bad experiences that people have had, where they have been stationed, and what exactly is available to an avaitor who wants to serve overseas. So please share your experiences with us, because I know other people are probably interested in this topic also.

 

[MasterBates]

Here are the two that I know of:

HSC-25 Guam
HSL-51 Japan

In japan there is a whole air wing.

 

[FMRAM]

Here are the two that I know of:

HSC-25 Guam
HSL-51 Japan

In japan there is a whole air wing.

I would take orders to Guam or Japan in a heartbeat...had great experiences in both places.

 

[navychick]

How difficult/easy is it to get stationed overseas as an aviator?

 

[HeyJoe]

How difficult/easy is it to get stationed overseas as an aviator?

Plenty of IA billets looking for volunteers, but that's probably not what you meant....

Plenty of staff assignments (check out our beloved Webmaster's assignment in Japan). There are staffs in need of all community representation throughout the world so check out 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet staff locations...note: Commander Naval Forces Europe/6th Fleet isn't just in Gaeta, Italy; it has a office building full of folks in London with the deputy commander and the location is in awesome part of town (not just great pubs either). Also check the staffs of the Geographical Combatant Commanders (COCOMs) who are based overseas (EURCOM, CENTCOM forward, SOUTHCOM forward, PACOM is in Hawaii so still in US but OCONUS, and USJFK (Korea). NATO HQ in Brussels has US representation as well. There is also NAS Keflavik, Iceland if you are so inclined. All these places have websites you can check out.

There are also a few exchange tours worldwide in which you would fly and a recent thread on that topic.

 

[Circle K]

In helo land not that hard at all in general... <insert manditory "depends on the week/needs of the navy" line here>

In past two months, where I have known most of those selecting, those that wanted japan and/or guam were sent there.

@Master, there is also HS Japan, although I don't know or understand the NSS requirement re: lack of sims.

 

[TurnandBurn55]

There are staffs in need of all community representation throughout the world so check out 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet staff locations...note: Commander Naval Forces Europe/6th Fleet isn't just in Gaeta, Italy; it has a office building full of folks in London with the deputy commander and the location is in awesome part of town (not just great pubs either). Also check the staffs of the Geographical Combatant Commanders (COCOMs) who are based overseas (EURCOM, CENTCOM forward, SOUTHCOM forward, PACOM is in Hawaii so still in US but OCONUS, and USJFK (Korea). NATO HQ in Brussels has US representation as well. There is also NAS Keflavik, Iceland if you are so inclined. All these places have websites you can check out.

As a career-wise move... when would you get in on this?

I remember a lot of defense attache types in overseas embassies, but that seemed to be a senior O-5 or O-6 billet.

 

[HeyJoe]

As a career-wise move... when would you get in on this?

I remember a lot of defense attache types in overseas embassies, but that seemed to be a senior O-5 or O-6 billet.

All staffs need all comers...starting with flag loops who are relatively junior...if you are so inclined

 

[HighDimension]

Sort of a threadjack, we had an Admiral come speak to us last semester and I noticed he had a LT doing all his... for lack of a better word.. *****work. Is being an Admiral's Aide a prerequisite for becoming an admiral?

 

[webmaster]

Damnit FLAG LT, I wanted cream and sugar, now get me another one!

Sort of a threadjack, we had an Admiral come speak to us last semester and I noticed he had a LT doing all his... for lack of a better word.. *****work. Is being an Admiral's Aide a prerequisite for becoming an admiral?

No... a Loop/LegShaver or Admiral's Aide job is not a pre-req. But, doing a good job, and working for the "man", especially one that's "star" is rising, is never a bad thing. Loop jobs are generally burn out positions, ie, they try and only keep you in it for 12-18 months, your schedule is intense depending on your boss. I have also seen loops get fired for NOT being on the ball. But, as you said/noticed, the Loop is basically the grunt worker/scheduler and man/woman on the scene executing the Admiral's schedule and anything he/she needs.

There is MUCH more to it than that, there is a whole front office (FLAG SEC, EA, FLAG WRITER, COS) behind the scenes supporting the execution of the Admirals schedule.

Bottom line, it can be career enhancing, and help get good follow on orders, but it is NOT required. Basically it is just another check in the box that is available when the board/detailers review your package, just the same as Joint Tour, Overseas, GeoBachelor, and now IA... some count more than others, but you have enough of the main ones, and you remain competitive... some you MUST have, such as JPME down the road.

John

 

[webmaster]

As a career-wise move... when would you get in on this?

I remember a lot of defense attache types in overseas embassies, but that seemed to be a senior O-5 or O-6 billet.

You know, my eyes have been opened a little bit for 7th Fleet, there are some amazing LT jobs out here, even down in AUS for O4s.... granted, jobs that you have to kill someone for, or know where the dead bodies are at... but not all of them are directly tied to embassies. Specifically, you might want to look at the FAO type stuff.

 

[HH-60H]

I remember a lot of defense attache types in overseas embassies, but that seemed to be a senior O-5 or O-6 billet.

There are some naval attache jobs that are O-4 billets, in fact I just met a new one last week. Even cooler is that some attache billets are flying billets also, so they are set aside for aviators only.

 

[webmaster]

How difficult/easy is it to get stationed overseas as an aviator?

HeyJoe really answered your question well... but I will be a lil more direct Getting orders overseas is NOT difficult. There are always billets in need of a warm body, because, in at least the aviation community, many of these billets are called "hardfills"... the effect that while in a small way the orders may be career enhancing, it may take you out of the community (possibly not good), and/or out of the cockpit. Out of the flight station can hurt a pilot more so than an NFO, and I am talking in broad terms here. The key is, you need to still be in a billet where you are representing your community, that way the detailer has put you in an overseas tour, and it will show up that you DID something for the community, and you will get the pain points and check in the box mentioned in my other post.

I personally view it my Japan tour as a unique opportunity to take my family somewhere they would never have had the chance to experience... Leaving this tour behind, wit 20/20 hindsight, I still think it was a "good thing".. not entirely what I expected, and involved some working pain on my part, but not something I would have traded.

 

[HighDimension]

You know, my eyes have been opened a little bit for 7th Fleet, there are some amazing LT jobs out here, even down in AUS for O4s.... granted, jobs that you have to kill someone for, or know where the dead bodies are at... but not all of them are directly tied to embassies. Specifically, you might want to look at the FAO type stuff.

Webmaster, I sent ya a PM about 7th Fleet!

 

[HeyJoe]

HeyJoe really answered your question well... but I will be a lil more direct Getting orders overseas is NOT difficult. There are always billets in need of a warm body, because, in at least the aviation community, many of these billets are called "hardfills"... the effect that while in a small way the orders may be career enhancing, it may take you out of the community (possibly not good), and/or out of the cockpit. Out of the flight station can hurt a pilot more so than an NFO, and I am talking in broad terms here. The key is, you need to still be in a billet where you are representing your community, that way the detailer has put you in an overseas tour, and it will show up that you DID something for the community, and you will get the pain points and check in the box mentioned in my other post.

I personally view it my Japan tour as a unique opportunity to take my family somewhere they would never have had the chance to experience... Leaving this tour behind, wit 20/20 hindsight, I still think it was a "good thing".. not entirely what I expected, and involved some working pain on my part, but not something I would have traded.

Great insights...re hard fills....that means needs of the Navy prevail so if you call your detailer asking about "overseas" with your perfect assignment in mind, you may find yourself being considered for a "hard fill" that isn't quite your cup of tea. Pays to do your homework and work the billet you want and have them decide they have to have you and request you up the placement side of the house before you call the detailer. Timing is always critical and there are sometimes ways to adjust that in your favor.