Stupid Questions about Naval Aviation (Part 3)

[phrogdriver]

Is that across all communities? I can see how for aviators it'd be a sign you were getting sent out of the game as it seems the epitome of a non-production gig but is it as much of a black hole for every other designator?

Related: I've been seeing these columns by a female former Marine LTC who was in charge of the female instruction at Paris Island and wrote a book about it, she's been pretty vocal about training standards for females in the military so it's gotten her a lot of press time, so it's just interesting to hear that that's a job you don't want for your career.

For ground officers in the USMC, it's not considered a bad deal at all for a company-grade B-billet. You actually get a command, vice being on the battalion or regimental staff. I've never heard of an aviator going, though, and there's probably a good reason for that.

As a LtCol (not LTC) command tour, it's not considered the same as a "Victory" unit (the MCC designations for line units usually start with Vs), but it's still a command, and if you don't get fired, you stand a good chance of making colonel.

 

[Judge Q]

While Star Trek is better than Star Wars, neither were as good as BSG...

Yes to the former but I'm going to have to dispute the latter.

BSG falls squarely in the midtier of Star Treks, behind TOS/TNG, possibly tied with DS9 and definitely ahead of Voyager and Enterprise.

(Where you put TOS/TNG/even DS9 in relation to each other is mostly a matter of personal opinion but moving Enterprise or Voyager up is heresy)

 

[Jim123]

While Star Trek is better than Star Wars, neither were as good as Galactica 1980.

FIFY

And now another generation can watch that show and say to themselves, WTF?? Galactica 1980... the original BSG's counterpart to the Star Wars Holiday Special, only longer. (Double value WTF post.)

 

[nittany03]

Trekkies . . . the people nerds make nerd jokes about.

 

[Judge Q]

Trekkies . . . the people nerds make nerd jokes about.

Can I make this my signature line?

 

[Brett327]

FIFY

And now another generation can watch that show and say to themselves, WTF?? Galactica 1980... the original BSG's counterpart to the Star Wars Holiday Special, only longer. (Double value WTF post.)

Is that the one when the Cylons reach and subsequently attack Earth, or was that the Buck Rogers tie in? Sometimes I get my objectively atrocious early 80s sci-fi shows mixed up, but now that I think about it, the idea of Gil Gerard and Katee Sackhoff engaged in a zero-G lovemaking scene does seem strangely compelling.

 

[Swanee]

Is that the one when the Cylons reach and subsequently attack Earth, or was that the Buck Rogers tie in? Sometimes I get my objectively atrocious early 80s sci-fi shows mixed up, but now that I think about it, the idea of Gil Gerard and Katee Sackhoff engaged in a zero-G lovemaking scene does seem strangely compelling.

There is a solid 40 years between them...

 

[Brett327]

Gil and Katee? Who are we to judge? Besides, she grew up on a hippy farm in Oregon. I presume she's down with it - particularly with Gerard's acting chops.

Seriously:

 

[jarhead]

More a question about the Navy (and USMC) than Naval Aviation, but I'm curious and I don't think it merits its own thread--what role do officers (specifically 0-3s) assigned to Navy or USMC enlisted boot camp play in training new recruits? Is it somewhat analagous to an OCS class officer, or purely administrative?

I got to be a series commander at MCRD Parris Island as a 12 month ground tour between my first and second flying tour while I was based at MCAS Beaufort SC. For those not familiar, 3-4 platoons of recruits make up one series and two series make up a company at MCRD. A series is run by an O-2 and reports to the company commander, an O-3. I was an O-3 when I was there and was senior to the company commander but we made it work. I had 10-12 drill instructors working for me. As an officer, you don't do the "hands on" training with the recruits. It's mainly an admin/supervisory gig.

Having gone through Parris Island as a recruit many many years ago, going back as a series commander and seeing behind the scenes was a great experience. The drawback to the job was the insane amount of micromanaging from higher. Going from being handed the "keys" to an F/A-18 to not being able to wipe your ass without telling your boss was excruciatingly painful.

 

[707guy]

the Buck Rogers tie in?

Was always an Erin Gray fan myself...only reason to watch that show...

 

[Caesium]

Thanks jarhead.

To the extent it doesn’t violate opsec...what are common destinations for P-3/P-8 deployments? I’ve talked to one or two pilots/NFOs in that community as well as lurked here and I got the impression that Japan and Bahrain are pretty common, and that there are detachments out to other places. I suppose I still don’t really understand how P-3/P-8 deployments “work.” Is it that the squadron is stationed in one country for the deployment and then sends detachments to other countries in the region?

 

[Tycho_Brohe]

Thanks jarhead.

To the extent it doesn’t violate opsec...what are common destinations for P-3/P-8 deployments? I’ve talked to one or two pilots/NFOs in that community as well as lurked here and I got the impression that Japan and Bahrain are pretty common, and that there are detachments out to other places. I suppose I still don’t really understand how P-3/P-8 deployments “work.” Is it that the squadron is stationed in one country for the deployment and then sends detachments to other countries in the region?

Yes to the last point. Sig is another common deployment site.

 

[Judge Q]

sTuPid qUeStiOns About the Blue Angels:

I've been looking at the Blue Angel bios ahead of an airshow (I'm guessing it will shock no one who has seen my post history that I'm that guy ) and I was just wondering a couple things (purely for curiosity's sake, I have no illusions of ever being one ):

-I noticed the 1-7 pilots obviously all have V(M)FA backgrounds of some flavor (which I could have guessed before reading it) but the NFO XO and the #8 "Event Coordinator" were both VAQ EWOs, which was interesting to me reading it, I'm just curious if that's only permitted for those two positions or, especially with VAQ having transitioned to the Growler, G pilots are/will ever be allowed to try for slots 1-7 or that isn't allowed because the airframes still aren't close enough/that just won't happen?

-There are a couple of late stage LTs on the team who seemed about in the point in their career where from what I've gathered here you'd normally be doing a second sea tour, which I understand is usually not "disassociated" for VFA/VAQ types but you're still out "to sea" while doing it, how does a 2 year stint in the BAs in that time frame work in that master plan scheme or does the Navy just let you off the hook from that (I'm guessing not)?

-On that note, how does being a Blue affect your career trajectory? Is it particularly career enhancing or more of a neutral "thing you did" deal or seen as something that takes you out of the game of the "real Navy"? The Navy PR machine certainly presents them as approaching the best pilots around but I've seen a couple posts here about qualified people not wanting to do it so I was just wondering what the inside scoop was on how it was seen.

Sorry if that's an overly long post/gracias for any answers.

By the way, when are we getting a helicopter demonstration team?

 

[Griz882]

sTuPid qUeStiOns About the Blue Angels:

I've been looking at the Blue Angel bios ahead of an airshow (I'm guessing it will shock no one who has seen my post history that I'm that guy ) and I was just wondering a couple things (purely for curiosity's sake, I have no illusions of ever being one ):

-I noticed the 1-7 pilots obviously all have V(M)FA backgrounds of some flavor (which I could have guessed before reading it) but the NFO XO and the #8 "Event Coordinator" were both VAQ EWOs, which was interesting to me reading it, I'm just curious if that's only permitted for those two positions or, especially with VAQ having transitioned to the Growler, G pilots are/will ever be allowed to try for slots 1-7 or that isn't allowed because the airframes still aren't close enough/that just won't happen?

-There are a couple of late stage LTs on the team who seemed about in the point in their career where from what I've gathered here you'd normally be doing a second sea tour, which I understand is usually not "disassociated" for VFA/VAQ types but you're still out "to sea" while doing it, how does a 2 year stint in the BAs in that time frame work in that master plan scheme or does the Navy just let you off the hook from that (I'm guessing not)?

-On that note, how does being a Blue affect your career trajectory? Is it particularly career enhancing or more of a neutral "thing you did" deal or seen as something that takes you out of the game of the "real Navy"? The Navy PR machine certainly presents them as approaching the best pilots around but I've seen a couple posts here about qualified people not wanting to do it so I was just wondering what the inside scoop was on how it was seen.

Sorry if that's an overly long post/gracias for any answers.

By the way, when are we getting a helicopter demonstration team?

The Army used to have a helicopter demo team back in the 1970’s, the Silver Eagles. They were pretty cool and did some impressive things with helicopters. They flew the OH-6 and wore fancy flight suits just like the USAF and USN guys. I saw them back when the Blue Angles flew F-4’s...now that was a show.

 

[nittany03]

There was a G driver on the team awhile back; he was the first demo pilot from Whidbey AFAIK. #8 is a TACAIR NFO billet; there have been Prowler ECMOs in that billet in the past.