Ask a Naval Aircrewman

[Diverdee90]

So my son went to MEPS today and signed his contract and swore into DEP program. He got AIRC contract and after the AIRC it says ATF can you explain what he will be doing/ jobs... Im just curious because i dont see stuff with ATF info....

[SanDiego]

ATF, if I'm not mistaken just stands for Advanced Technical Field, which is what AIRC is a part of. It doesn't necessary refer to which rating he'll get within the Aircrew community. From what I've learned is he won't know what rating he'll actually receive until he's at NACCS after RTC. He could become AWO, AWF, AWS (i believe that's an option without being Air Rescue) or AWV. It's dependent on his performance, interest, and of course the needs of the Navy. I'm also a future sailor in the DEP program with an AIRC contract. I leave for RTC in May.

[SanDiego]

Hey Haasino, I have a question regarding the Class II swim test. It states that I have to jump from a height of 10 feet and then float for 10 minutes. I have a hard time floating on my back, my legs seem to sink while the rest of my body floats. Do they require you to float on your back for this portion of the swim test?

[Haasino]

Originally Posted by awishbone

Aw man, i was really looking foward to being stationed over seas one day. So thats not possible then with fts ?

I won't say it's not possible, because I know 2 AWF's who are in Japan on C-12's... but it's unlikely. You'll get to visit plenty of foreign countries though.

Originally Posted by Diverdee90

So my son went to MEPS today and signed his contract and swore into DEP program. He got AIRC contract and after the AIRC it says ATF can you explain what he will be doing/ jobs... Im just curious because i dont see stuff with ATF info....

Originally Posted by SanDiego

ATF, if I'm not mistaken just stands for Advanced Technical Field, which is what AIRC is a part of. It doesn't necessary refer to which rating he'll get within the Aircrew community. From what I've learned is he won't know what rating he'll actually receive until he's at NACCS after RTC. He could become AWO, AWF, AWS (i believe that's an option without being Air Rescue) or AWV. It's dependent on his performance, interest, and of course the needs of the Navy. I'm also a future sailor in the DEP program with an AIRC contract. I leave for RTC in May.

^ Exactly what SanDiego said... ATF just means he has follow-on training past "A" School and will be advanced to Petty Officer 3rd Class automatically upon completion of training. Right now the most likely option for him out of NACCS, assuming he's active duty, will be the Naval Aircrewman (Operator) rating, which is a sensor/radar operator on maritime patrol and reconnaissance planes.

Originally Posted by SanDiego

Hey Haasino, I have a question regarding the Class II swim test. It states that I have to jump from a height of 10 feet and then float for 10 minutes. I have a hard time floating on my back, my legs seem to sink while the rest of my body floats. Do they require you to float on your back for this portion of the swim test?

You'll never float on your back... doing so in a real-world survival situation would have waves crashing over your face constantly. The prone float is done face-down, with the back of your head and shoulder-blades on the surface... your legs can hang down below you. Check out the NACCS video posted in the other thread for examples of every swim evolution you'll be required to complete while at NACCS.

[awishbone]

oh! last question, i heard also that for active duty aircrew women people get put on a hold because there are only a certain amount of women put in to candidate school at a time, but that for FTS its even worse? do you know anything about the wait time? or if you experienced any ?

[Diverdee90]

^ Exactly what SanDiego said... ATF just means he has follow-on training past "A" School and will be advanced to Petty Officer 3rd Class automatically upon completion of training. Right now the most likely option for him out of NACCS, assuming he's active duty, will be the Naval Aircrewman (Operator) rating, which is a sensor/radar operator on maritime patrol and reconnaissance planes.



Yes he will be active duty - the advancement to Petty Officer 3rd Class would be after he has completed "A" school and NACCS correct? Thank you so much for answering all questions, it is very helpful....

[Haasino]

Originally Posted by awishbone

oh! last question, i heard also that for active duty aircrew women people get put on a hold because there are only a certain amount of women put in to candidate school at a time, but that for FTS its even worse? do you know anything about the wait time? or if you experienced any ?

When I got to NACCS in January, 2013 the backlog wait was about 1 month... in the nearly 2 years since then, it's been as little as 4 days, and as long as 3 months. It all varies... but yes, Reserve and FTS generally class up slightly slower than AD.

Originally Posted by Diverdee90

Yes he will be active duty - the advancement to Petty Officer 3rd Class would be after he has completed "A" school and NACCS correct? Thank you so much for answering all questions, it is very helpful....

This is where you need to break out his contract paperwork and take a look at the specific details. His Agreement to Extend Enlistment is the form that grants him automatic E-4 in exchange for an extra 2 years of service... the standard form for AIRC states that advancement is authorized upon completion of NACCS, "A" School, and FRS... but some people got the standard ATF contract, which authorizes advancement upon completion of "A" School. Assuming he gets the most likely option of AWO, this would mean either advancing out of VP-30 after about 2 years in service, or advancing upon arriving at VP-30 after about 1 year of service.

[Diverdee90]

Thanks SanDiego - he leaves for RTC in June