johnritenour@co
Registered User
P-3s -- What's The Community Like
I was a NROTC Scholarship Midn. The skipper of my Unit, James (Jim) F Wetzel, was a P3 pilot. He was without a doubt the most squared away officer I served with in the Navy. He always took care of his people - whether they were instructors, staff, or Mids. I received a scholarship because he went to bat for me even though I was accused of cheating on a test. The Exec, wanted to boot me out of the unit ASAP. The skipper then looked me straight in the eye and asked me if I had cheated. I responded "No Sir - I didn't." He then said, "Very Well - I will take you at your word. As far as I am concerned - the matter is closed."
When it came to light later, that I had been set up by several of my fellow Midn, Capitan Wetzel apologized to me personally. He especially went out of his way to do so - and in front of the XO. Behind closed doors, I asked him why he apologized on behalf of the XO - he stated that as the CO - everything that went on in the unit was his responsibility. He had asked the XO to apologize to me - and he (the XO)refused, saying it wasn't his problem.
Needless to say - the quality of our CO impressed me. He stated that in the VP/MP community - we are all professionals- and expect everyone else to be as well. Right then and there my mind was made up - I was going to go VP. I couldn't be a pilot because my eyesight was too bad, even to be a retread pilot from the NFO program. I also wanted to choose VP because you had a chance, even as an NFO, to make Patrol Plane Commander. Also - you had a better chance of being a squadron CO than with other communities - and from day one - I knew I wanted to command and lead in the Navy!
Sadly, I got the NAMI whammy, and had to leave the flight program. During my tours in the Navy as a SWO(then as now, God I hated being a SWO), all of the P3 folks I worked with were great 4.0 professionals. I am sure - as with any community - that there are some guys in VP/MP that are the proverbial a**holes - but I never met any of them. In dealing with VP/MP during our mine warfare exercises, the officers I worked with stood head and shoulders above my fellow SWO's in all aspects. In fact - I made several good lasting friendships with the VP guys - when they found out I wasn't a typical SWO and I actually enjoyed meeting people.
In talking the VP/MP guys, I found there are some great duty stations out there. Of course Hawaii comes to mind, but I understand the cost of living is quite high. Norfolk is another good spot - although there aren't any active P3 squadrons stationed there, you sometimes pass through there, plus there are a lot of "good" (as if any staff job could ever be called good) staff billets there.
Another positive factor in VP/MP is the lack of Sea duty. Don't get me wrong - you do deploy in this community - and you do work hard. But usually the only time you get stationed onboard a ship is your disassociated tour onboard a bird farm, where you might be a catapult officer, etc - or a sea going staff billet. As far as I am concerned - that is a big plus.
And don't forget - when jet jockeys start talking about the performance envelope of their aircraft - you can so subtly remind them of the performance envelope of your aircraft - as in the Per Diem Envelope!
I was a NROTC Scholarship Midn. The skipper of my Unit, James (Jim) F Wetzel, was a P3 pilot. He was without a doubt the most squared away officer I served with in the Navy. He always took care of his people - whether they were instructors, staff, or Mids. I received a scholarship because he went to bat for me even though I was accused of cheating on a test. The Exec, wanted to boot me out of the unit ASAP. The skipper then looked me straight in the eye and asked me if I had cheated. I responded "No Sir - I didn't." He then said, "Very Well - I will take you at your word. As far as I am concerned - the matter is closed."When it came to light later, that I had been set up by several of my fellow Midn, Capitan Wetzel apologized to me personally. He especially went out of his way to do so - and in front of the XO. Behind closed doors, I asked him why he apologized on behalf of the XO - he stated that as the CO - everything that went on in the unit was his responsibility. He had asked the XO to apologize to me - and he (the XO)refused, saying it wasn't his problem.
Needless to say - the quality of our CO impressed me. He stated that in the VP/MP community - we are all professionals- and expect everyone else to be as well. Right then and there my mind was made up - I was going to go VP. I couldn't be a pilot because my eyesight was too bad, even to be a retread pilot from the NFO program. I also wanted to choose VP because you had a chance, even as an NFO, to make Patrol Plane Commander. Also - you had a better chance of being a squadron CO than with other communities - and from day one - I knew I wanted to command and lead in the Navy!
Sadly, I got the NAMI whammy, and had to leave the flight program. During my tours in the Navy as a SWO(then as now, God I hated being a SWO), all of the P3 folks I worked with were great 4.0 professionals. I am sure - as with any community - that there are some guys in VP/MP that are the proverbial a**holes - but I never met any of them. In dealing with VP/MP during our mine warfare exercises, the officers I worked with stood head and shoulders above my fellow SWO's in all aspects. In fact - I made several good lasting friendships with the VP guys - when they found out I wasn't a typical SWO and I actually enjoyed meeting people.
In talking the VP/MP guys, I found there are some great duty stations out there. Of course Hawaii comes to mind, but I understand the cost of living is quite high. Norfolk is another good spot - although there aren't any active P3 squadrons stationed there, you sometimes pass through there, plus there are a lot of "good" (as if any staff job could ever be called good) staff billets there.
Another positive factor in VP/MP is the lack of Sea duty. Don't get me wrong - you do deploy in this community - and you do work hard. But usually the only time you get stationed onboard a ship is your disassociated tour onboard a bird farm, where you might be a catapult officer, etc - or a sea going staff billet. As far as I am concerned - that is a big plus.
And don't forget - when jet jockeys start talking about the performance envelope of their aircraft - you can so subtly remind them of the performance envelope of your aircraft - as in the Per Diem Envelope!
