Ask a Naval Aircrewman

squid.life · 07-29-2015, 06:01 PM

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.

Haasino · 07-29-2015, 06:04 PM

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

squid.life · 08-08-2015, 09:49 AM

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.

Haasino · 08-08-2015, 10:26 AM

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.

squid.life · 08-09-2015, 08:31 PM

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.

SethRT · 08-11-2015, 07:51 PM

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?

Haasino · 08-11-2015, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SethRT

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?

$3.50... try not to spend it all in one place. Depending on who they're there with, overland Iraq is another $7.50 for Imminent Danger Pay... plus Air Medal points.

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07-29-2015, 06:01 PM	#1
squid.life Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: seattle Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	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.

07-29-2015, 06:04 PM	#2
Haasino Active Duty Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 1,439 Rep Power: 0	Awesome work, man! Congrats on getting the true AW rate, Sensor Operator has a very bright and lucrative future right now.

08-08-2015, 09:49 AM	#3
squid.life Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: seattle Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	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.

08-08-2015, 10:26 AM	#4
Haasino Active Duty Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 1,439 Rep Power: 0	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.

08-09-2015, 08:31 PM	#5
squid.life Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: seattle Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	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.

08-11-2015, 07:51 PM	#6
SethRT Newbie Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 11 Rep Power: 0	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?