Keep your eyes on all the possibilities out there, but Station SAR isn't a lot of billets in total and it's only Helo bubbas going to them. Fun to dream, but make sure you're looking at all the angles and don't concentrate on the shiny object.
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Stupid Questions about Naval Aviation (Part 3)
- Thread starter Top_Gun_1_0_1
- Start date
Keep your eyes on all the possibilities out there, but Station SAR isn't a lot of billets in total and it's only Helo bubbas going to them. Fun to dream, but make sure you're looking at all the angles and don't concentrate on the shiny object.
When I was up for first shore tour orders (getting to be 15-20 years ago) Whidbey SAR actually fit my timing. HT was also open (although VT was not). A lot more of the air stations had organic SAR but I don't remember any of the others lining up with my particular PRD. A few months ahead of me, one of my squadron mates even got orders to one of the stations in Europe where he flew the C-12 for about a year before the admiral pulled the plug on most of those. That was still a pretty good score for a helo bubba!
All that has changed- the total number of flying billets, for that first shore tour, has gradually whittled down... it buuuuurns Sméagol when the truth changes!
I can’t imagine SAR at Fallon is in high demand. I’ll never forget that dark night the SAR crew didn’t “rescue” me. Sad Face.
Although the scenery is beautiful once you’re off the ground though and in the mountains.
The byzantine way first shore orders are dolled out for helo bubbas now essentially dictates it.
Really puts the B in BUPERS.
I asked for Lemoore...
But that was also because it was my second choice of two hard fills and China Lake was no longer an option.
Why not? Mountains are gorgeous. Driving distance to Tahoe for skiing, hiking, lake, golf, casinos.
Career implications
I thought everyone was getting out to go to The Show? (seriously)
Same argument I make against Lemoore: I don't want to live in a shitty place and drive to a good place. I want to live in a good place. Many people say you can leave Fallon and drive to Tahoe, or leave Lemoore and drive to Paso, SLO, SF, LA. Stupid arguments.
Nobody living in San Diego ever said "LA is a quick two hour drive! Easy weekend trips to Phoenix and vegas!"
Fallon mountains are pretty for background scenery, but they don't make living in Fallon magically better*.
*I'm sure somebody who did a tour living in Fallon proper will say they liked/preferred it. More power to that person, but that individual is one of the exceptions.
Not as much in Helo land historically and certainly not now since the show isn't looking as foolproof as it did 8mo ago. Also, if the show is your goal I don't think going Station SAR would help there much. It's better than not flying at all but it's not an hour's builder and it's not FW.
Helos also have been a bit more sheltered from airline exoduses due to airlines not liking rotor trash and because RW squadrons are much more bottom heavy than VFA there's a lot more career attrition expected.
When the only point of comparison is San Diego, sure, you’ve got a point, but people are rarely choosing between San Diego and somewhere else. If the choices are Fallon, Lemoore and Whidbey, Fallon offers some distinct advantages over the other two.
It wasn't meant as a dichotomy. It was meant to describe a place that's good to live in, rather than a lousy place to live with good places to drive. I also alluded that I had Fallon and Lemoore tied in that regard (although I think Fallon is better personally). But comparing to Whidbey, Oceana, Jacksonville, San Diego, Hawaii....I think you get what I was trying to say: you don't need to leave to be in a good place; you live somewhere good already.
A lot of guys take the Fallon SAR job as a "it's this or non-flying shore duty". Given that, I'd probably make it work.
All in all, I'd rank jobs as follows (in broad strokes):
There's some variation for OCONUS/CONUS and what's career enhancing, but that's the general hierarchy.
All in all, I'd rank jobs as follows (in broad strokes):
- Flying
- Good Deal Shore Duty
- Staff Duty
- Ships Company or similar Sea Duty
- Active Warzone/IA
There's some variation for OCONUS/CONUS and what's career enhancing, but that's the general hierarchy.