Ask a Naval Aircrewman

[Haasino]

Originally Posted by CTT1(SW)Griffin

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.