Unfortunately, bootcamp is not the place to prepare for NACCS... in fact, it's the place to expect your PT to degrade a bit. The thought process you need to have is to leave for RTC exceeding GOOD in every category at a minimum... be running several miles at least 3 times a week to account for the small degradation that's going to come from bootcamp.

One thing to keep in mind... you only have to pass your PST-In with a SAT in order to not get put on PT-Hold... it's the PST-Out that needs to be GOOD.

Thanks so much for that info. I was so worried that no matter how prepared, I'd lose all my prep work. The only thing I'm worrying about is the running. I grew up a competitive swimmer so I'm not worried about the pool work at all.

Hey Hass,

Is 20/20 vision required for NAC? Say you had 20/25 in one eye (20/40 is where you would need glasses from what I understand).

Thoughts?

/r
CTT1

I'll try to look up the instructions in the next few days... but fixed-wing is something like 20/400 or greater as long as it's correctable to 20/20. Biggest requirement is that you carry two forms of correction while flying... aka, contacts and a backup pair of glasses... prescription sunglasses, and regular glasses... or just two pairs of glasses.

It's not even close enough for me to wear glasses lol That would be kind of crazy though. Guess we'll find out! ;)

/r
CTT1

Thank you very much for answering my questions! I just have one more about the flight physical. When it comes to the dental portion, is needing a root canal or a cavity filling disqualifying? Even if these are taken care of at Boot Camp?

Here are the Aviation Physical Standards, CTT1... as I thought, there's no uncorrected limit, but it must be corrected to 20/20. I've got a buddy who's prescription is so minor, he never wears/carries his glasses unless he's flying.

As far as dental goes, Edge, you're not going to be able to get your Flight Up Chit with cavities, but they'll be able to fix them during RTC... if for some reason they can't fix everything while you're in training, you'll go to the Temporary Holding Unit until they can finish the work. It will not disqualify you though.

Thanks a bunch, man. I know I shouldn't get overly attached to one particular rate, as I might not get offered it at MEPS, but ever since I got a good score on my ASVAB and have looked into this rating everything about it seems awesome. This is the best place for information like this so I can get a heads up, so again, thanks!

Don't mention it! Lemme know if you have any other questions.

Hass,

Could you enlighten me a bit about what the other AW sub-rates do? Do they all fly? If so, what? What do they do up there (that you can discuss)?

/r
CTT1

*Edit
There's a pertinent reason for me asking, as I might at some point be contacting the ECM about an AW opportunity.

As far as the actual AWO/AWF/AWV/AWR/AWS sub-rates? All AW[x] rates fly... the AWO's are generally the only ones in this community actually referred to as AW's, since we were always a flying-only rate... if an AE, AWV, or an AWF mentions something about "f**king AW's"... they're talking about us. We are strictly sensor operators... zero maintenance. AW's are split between Acoustic Sensor Operators, who deal with sonobuoys and Anti-Submarine Warfare tactics, and Non-Acoustic Electronic Warfare Operators, who deal with radar, safety-of-flight, weather avoidance, and ESM.

That's the basic stuff that we train to... and that's what's written on the job description... but there's a lot more C4ISR stuff that the Maritime Patrol & Reconnaissance community has been getting involved with since around the first Gulf War. If you dig around on SIPR or JWICS using keywords like MPRA, VP, VQ, etc. you'll probably be able to get a better idea of what we're doing in areas of 5th and 6th Fleet. If you're looking at trying to actually cross-rate into an AW rate vs. going CT Aircrew, AWO is going to be closest to what you're familiar with. As VQ-1 and the EP-3's start approaching their sunset, the line between CT and AWO is starting to slowly fade in many ways.

AWF and AWV, by contrast, are Flight Engineers and In-Flight Technicians... flying mechs and trons in the simplest sense. They work out of those respective workspaces and have a much more hands-on role in the functionality of the aircraft. The advantage is you're outside turning wrenches and actually fixing things, if that's what you enjoy doing... the disadvantage is that both of them are a dying breed, and as such you'd be unlikely to remain in rate for more than 6-10 years, max.

AWR's and AWS' fly on aircraft who's wings move faster than their fuselages, and only maintain lift by beating gravity into submission... this is an affront to God and Isaac Newton, and they are therefore not to be trusted.

Awesome, thanks man. Yea CT isn't affording me many opportunities for my current situation. If I was one of these deppers just coming in it would be a completely different story though. But I know I want to fly, so really it's just about finding a community that will take me. AWO seems hit or miss while AWR seems like they always need bodies. Do you know how much do the R's focus on the rescue swimmer aspect vs sensor operations at all? Also, any experience with folks crossing into AW(X) from non-aviation rates?

/r
CTT1

Looking at the current BUPERS manager pages... here's how it looks:

AWO - Open only to AWV's in YG 2006, 2008, & 2011 only.

AWF - Open to "select" E-5 and above personnel to become TACAMO Flight Engineers

AWV - Not open to any personnel

AWS - Not open to any personnel

AWR - Open to YG 2005, 2008, & 2011 personnel only.

So unfortunately it looks like AWO is still off-limits to everyone but select AWV's... you can thank the P-8 Poseidon for that. That might change in a few years though... there were about 1-3 fleet returnees per class in AW "A" School while I was there. I'm currently working with an Acoustic who was a former GM, and an EWO who was an MA.

As far as AWR goes, those guys are the other "AW's"... they work as combined Acoustic/EWO Sensor Operators for the helos doing ASW missions. They're trained as rescue swimmers... but the majority of the job is ASW, ASuW, counter-narco/piracy ops, and CSAR. The helos don't do any ISR stuff though, so you're not going to have as much of the intel work as an AWO... but you'll be closer to the action doing maritime strike stuff.

From what I've seen they can wiggle the year group requirements slightly for specific candidates. I've been avidly reading the community management slides on BUPERS though. I'm actually emailing your ECM right now haha So we'll see. AWO would be my first pick, followed by AWR (assuming the CT manning levels don't budge...Thanks NAT sailors...) so I guess we'll see when he gets back next week.

Good luck! As we both know, there's what's published... and then there's what actually happens. I've also met CT's flying outside of VQ-1... rumor is there might be some billets opening within VP and MPRA in the not-to-distant future.

Yea I've got some specifics that make my situation a little more complicated. Here's to pulling off some drug deals! I'll shoot you my number over PM though. It'd be really helpful to be able to bounce some A-dub questions off you as they come up. The only NAC guys in my shop are projects guys, which is a totally different world (from my understanding).

Oh would ADHD be a problem for aviation duty? I was diagnosed with it around the age of 5, and took medication for about a year or two before being taken off, and haven't spoken to a doctor or taken anything for it in well over 10 years. I was never held back in school and graduated last year, and am in my second semester of college courses. I had almost forgotten about it.

Is that going to throw a wrench in my processing at MEPS?

With ADHD, you'll generally need a waiver from BUMED to join, and then the same waiver will need to be reviewed by NAMI to be cleared for flying duties. You will probably end up in THU post-graduation waiting for the waiver, but it'll clear and you'll move on... I knew several THU'ers waiting on ADHD waivers, and none were denied that I recall.

I saw on the first page you mentioned you were 28 going through NACCS; I'll be 28 if not 27 by the time I get through the AIRC pipeline. What are some of the difficulties you've experienced, not necessarily at NACCS, but Navy life in general having joined at an older age than most?

So I'm in decent shape and I'm sure boot camp would not be a problem , I ship out 29th of April next week!! A little worried about naccs though .... If I push myself everyday up until boot camp and go hard as hell in bootcamp , do you think I'll be ok for naccs? I don't wanna fail and I'm ready to exhaust my body to its limits just to pass .

So I'm reading that when you take the Class II swim test at RTC you have to be PERFECT otherwise they fail you. Are you only given one shot to be PERFECT?

At RTC you should be taking the 3rd class swim test, not 2nd.

/r
CTT1

So I take the Class II Swim test at NACCS and not at RTC?

Correct. RTC is basically just jump off the ledge, swim to the end of the pool, and use your coveralls to float for a bit. If you can swim at all you should be fine.

The 2nd class one isn't really much harder. I had to do it for VBSS and didn't have any issues.

/r
CTT1

Sorry about the delay, guys... I've been keeping busy converting jet fuel into exhaust for democracy...

Honestly? Patience... especially while in training commands. You're going to generally be a bit more mature and able to follow the rules, only to be punished anyway because some dumb 18 year-old E-1 screws up anyway. You're also going to have to realize that rank comes before age... a 21 year-old E-6 is an E-6... and a 28 year-old E-1 is an E-1. I went from being a cop, to running movie sets as a safety supervisor and armorer, to being an E-3 student who was older than all of my instructors and 1 of my Chiefs.

There are two kinds of 26+ year-olds in lower enlisted ranks: the ones who can recognize and respect rank and generally excel in their careers... and the ones who walk around acting like their age entitles them to different treatment who are ultimately labeled "shitbags" and generally don't do so well career-wise.

Well, crap... missed that one by a day. If you come back after RTC and see this, you'll be fine... just don't give up and power through NACCS.

You have the option to take it at RTC... but it's very hard to pass there and you'll just be taking it again at NACCS. You can do it if you wanna try... I did... but don't freak out if you get pulled out of the pool.

Haas,

In regards to AWR and AWS, what's the big difference? Do AWRs still do much tactical work or is it all Rescue Swimmer? Are they each designated for specific air-frames?

/r
CTT1

The biggest difference is that AWR's do anti-submarine warfare and limited anti-surface warfare, while AWS' do Vertical Replenishment. AWR is more tactically-oriented, so they tend to do the CSAR missions whereas AWS' are utility and whatnot. Both overlap into the CSAR and NSW support world to an extent... but the biggest thing is the ASW/ASuW element. Neither one focuses on the rescue swimmer element... some do a lot of SAR stuff, others never do real-world SAR.

Platform-wise, now that the Navy has consolidated their helos, AWR's are on the MH-60R, while AWS' are on the MH-60S... they don't cross-platform.

I love it when you tell me what I want to hear haha <3

From the looks of it, my AWO possibilities might be drying up; which leaves me with AWR as my only shot. So I've basically just been busting ass in the gym the last few weeks.

-Griffin

Dear Haasino,

I hope you're not dead. It's so quiet here lately...

Sincerely,
Griffin

Go AWF for TACAMO CTT1! We need more FEs lol in fact, I think we're close to hitting a red line for them

Thanks but no thanks haha! I've got a close friend who was an FE and it doesn't sound like my cup of tea.

/r
CTT1

Nope, I'm alive... just keeping busy! I had one of those moments today where I realized I've been in the Navy since longer than breakfast when my buddy checked into NACCS as an instructor, lol...

Graduated Friday from RTC; on my way to Pensacola! It took a good 5 weeks to get my flight physical approved after a few tests. However, I'm good to go and looking forward to NACCS!

Congrats, dude! Just remember to stay motivated and never give up! One of the guys from my squadron just checked in there as an instructor... he'll probably be the one following your formation with a quad-copter during a beach run, lol...

I graduate NACCS tomorrow! Helo dunker was soooo much fun. Anyways, I'm reservist and they gave me AWO. Heads up to any reservists going in, you won't be getting AWF. There are too damn many of them.

Awesome work, man! Congrats on getting the true AW rate, Sensor Operator has a very bright and lucrative future right now.

Hassino Does AWO1 Enriquez rinng a bell? He was my instructor at NACCS. So was Mr Carr. I had Lawson as well but got rolled because on my third tower jump try I got a bloody nose in the pool. They pulled me for the day. waaa waaaaa.
Anyways, as a reservist who is going into the AWO A school, what do you think my challenges will be once I get home and start duty? FYI I didnt get F because Master Chief and Senior Chief were both saying it was completely over stocked.

It does indeed. Rico was in my squadron before he PCS'd down there a few months back. I've also got one of our guys at AW "A" School, and at VP-30... they're not BSing you when they say this is a very small rate! The AWF thing doesn't surprise me... that rate is basically a death rattle at this point, with personnel under 17 years being forced to re-rate as billets continue to disappear. I forget, are you SelRes or FTS Reserve? Either way, you're most likely going to end up in VP-69 up at NAS Whidbey Island if you're returning to Seattle. Unfortunately, the reserve VP squadrons aren't used to getting unqualified Cat I AW's... traditionally it's where aircrew who leave Active Duty, but still want to fly, go. The biggest challenge... especially if you're SelRes...is that you've got ~1 year of on-the-job training before you're fully sensor operator qualified... and that's 1 year of M-F, 0900-1700 study. For a while, nobody even thought SelRes AWO was possible out of NACCS... then one showed up straight out of "A" School without any VP-30 or SERE training, and VP-69 had no idea what to do with her.

The good news though is that you won't be the first unicorn now! Last I heard, they figured out how to get the money to send her back down to VP-30 on 1 year AD orders so she could get Cat I training done and come back. Hopefully, they'll know you're coming and get the money so you can go straight from Pensacola to Jacksonville... if not, you'll get a break back home, then go back to Florida to finish the training pipeline. There's also going to be a cadre of Active Duty AWO's there by the time you arrive, so you'll have personnel there to train you.

I am SELRES. They gave me the option to do the full training right now. But understood that when i chose AW i was under the impression that I would be an F. And that when i left home it wasnt to be gone for over a year. So im pretty sure Ill be reporting to Whidbey and having to leave again in the future. The bad thing about this whole thing? i love the idea of being an AWO. The strain that this is putting on my home life and the impact of telling the Mrs. Hey ill be gone to florida again, for a year, is going to be a challenge. And im pretty sure my wife knows the unicorn. The wife is in 61 as a AE3. She loves it. wishes she could be there more.

I was just wondering if any of you guys knew the per diem rates at Isa Airbase Bahrain for someone TAD there essentially for about 6 months?