Simple, great advise. Thank you! I do believe I can get an 8 PFAR if I retake.
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Reluctant NFO Select; Conflicted and need advise.
- Thread starter jacobsolo
- Start date
Initially I was excited, but in retrospect I was largely trying to convince myself to be happy/that this is how things are supposed to go. You're completely right. I'm going to dig deep.
I'm also okay waiting that long to ship to OCS, if accepted. Based on some of these replies it seems like less time to wait than miraculously going from NFO to NA (if pilot were still my goal).
Thank you.
Wow this is encouraging. If I may ask, how come you declined and how detailed was your explanation for doing so? Also, did you reapply with better ASTB scores?
Thank you for sharing your experience, it really helps me! 6 years is a long time to wait and then the transition itself has very low odds. I do feel that if I were an NFO I'd feel the same way you did.
Also, what was your aircraft, if you don't mind?
With ‘A6E’ in the user name, an A6 picture in the avatar, and a bio that says ‘former A6 B/N’? ?
Thanks for this! Helps a lot.
Wow guess I could've checked that lol jesus ?♂️
The only thing I can add to this post is that, whatever you do, don't burn a bridge to earning some kind of gold wings. I was in your shoes over 20 years ago as a mid (!). I wanted to be an NA, but my eyes went bad in middle school. Went into NROTC wanting to be an NFO because it was all I could get. Halfway through, they authorized laser surgery for SNA candidates. I was lucky enough to have Mom and Dad able and willing to pay, so I got it.
Ultimately got winged as a jet aviator out of Meridian, then got my ass kicked learning to CQ my fleet aircraft. Got sent BACK to flight school by a three-star admiral to get another set of wings (thanks, Killer). And trust me when I say flying as an NFO was the best second-choice job I ever had in my life. I'm a fortysomething old man now, and I'm consigned to working in the private sector and doing staff work for Big Reserves (read: cube farm) until I either stop getting promoted or get medically retired. But being an NFO was the best second chance I ever got, so don't turn your nose up at it. You'd be amazed at the opportunities it gives you for an active and a reserve career. I wouldn't be where I'm at in both my military and civilian careers without having been an EA-6B ECMO who got a lucky break when the reserves came calling for an active duty mobilization.
I still wear both my pilot AND my NFO wings on my uniform, NFO wings on top. What with all this Magic Carpet stuff going on, I'd kill to get a NATOPS qual and a CQ period in the front seat of a Growler, just to prove I could do it. But that's not going to happen, and what I did get to experience did NOT suck. What would have sucked was pitching a fit as a teenager or twentysomething, losing my chance at any of it, and spending my twenties and thirties as a SWO or in a civilian cube farm.
Ultimately got winged as a jet aviator out of Meridian, then got my ass kicked learning to CQ my fleet aircraft. Got sent BACK to flight school by a three-star admiral to get another set of wings (thanks, Killer). And trust me when I say flying as an NFO was the best second-choice job I ever had in my life. I'm a fortysomething old man now, and I'm consigned to working in the private sector and doing staff work for Big Reserves (read: cube farm) until I either stop getting promoted or get medically retired. But being an NFO was the best second chance I ever got, so don't turn your nose up at it. You'd be amazed at the opportunities it gives you for an active and a reserve career. I wouldn't be where I'm at in both my military and civilian careers without having been an EA-6B ECMO who got a lucky break when the reserves came calling for an active duty mobilization.
I still wear both my pilot AND my NFO wings on my uniform, NFO wings on top. What with all this Magic Carpet stuff going on, I'd kill to get a NATOPS qual and a CQ period in the front seat of a Growler, just to prove I could do it. But that's not going to happen, and what I did get to experience did NOT suck. What would have sucked was pitching a fit as a teenager or twentysomething, losing my chance at any of it, and spending my twenties and thirties as a SWO or in a civilian cube farm.
Thanks for sharing man. So you think it may be wise to role with the opportunity I’m given and make the most of it.
In your experience, did you know or hear of anyone who served their time as an NFO and became a pilot after with an age waiver, either active or reserves?
You won’t need an age waiver to go from FO to pilot unless you’re already pretty old for the program. Most recent message says you need to be 32 or younger.
Right, I meant NFOs that fully served their 8 year commitment and then went on to be a pilot. I'm wondering if that's been done.
The timing for that won’t work. For most of these programs in the Navy where you change designators there is a very narrow time window to make the jump. If you read that instruction it mentions YG17. Probably meaningless to you now, but YG = year group, 17 = 2017. So you have to have commissioned in 2017 or later to apply this year.
And you can only apply once you’ve gotten all your quals/likely had your “highwater FITREP” in your fleet squadron.
Realistically if you go NFO you may only have 1 of these boards to apply to. Maybe 2 if you’re lucky. That one or two boards would occur well before you hit your minimum commitment for NFO.
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I wrote a letter explaining my reasoning for declining and gave it to my recruiter, that’s how you officially decline your selection. Then, when it came time to reapply, I added a preface to my professional statement asking the board to reconsider me and highlighting improvements to my application.
I did reapply with better scores, I was selected for SNFO after applying with a 61 6/6/6, and selected for SNA after reapplying with a 65 7/7/7. My first time I applied with SNA as my first choice and SNFO as my second, but needless to say my second time I only applied for SNA.
Just to throw out a couple things: When I was in your shoes, I applied Pilot only. If I wasn't accepted, I would have considered Nuke. I was wrong. NFOs still get to wear pajamas and brown boots to work and have a great job.
Also, while definitely no guarantee, the NFO to pilot program isn't always that hard. A fleet NFO buddy of mine got picked up for the program. It's true there are only about 5 per year; only 6 applied that year (around 2016ish?). Be a good NFO, don't be the guy that complains about not being a pilot, and eventually let your DH know your intentions to apply (after being in the squadron and doing your job well for at least a year). If you can't do those things and would be bitter about being an NFO, DO NOT TAKE IT, and take your chances with reapplication (which others have commented about enough above).
Also, while definitely no guarantee, the NFO to pilot program isn't always that hard. A fleet NFO buddy of mine got picked up for the program. It's true there are only about 5 per year; only 6 applied that year (around 2016ish?). Be a good NFO, don't be the guy that complains about not being a pilot, and eventually let your DH know your intentions to apply (after being in the squadron and doing your job well for at least a year). If you can't do those things and would be bitter about being an NFO, DO NOT TAKE IT, and take your chances with reapplication (which others have commented about enough above).