Ask a Naval Aircrewman

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by austin_andres

Thank you! For my rating inside of Aircrew, I would like to be a AWO or AWF (flight engineer side). So my other question would be what would I have to do to accomplish this and when does this selection take place?

Selection happens as you're about to graduate.

Nothing you do really will have much impact, as the LPO of the school is just given a number quota for each job to fill and 9 times out of 10 he just fills it up and lets you know where he put you.

Occasionally he'll let the top few people in the class get a pick, but I've personally seen it go both ways. So don't let people tell you that you're 100% going to get a pick because there is a very legitimate chance they just hand you a rate as well. (again, seen both happen while I was there)

AWF's on the FE side of the house are also losing a lot of positions as the Navy decommissions the P-3 and moves to the P-8. They're moving those guys into C-2 or E-6 platforms, but the opportunity is going to be a lot less than it used to be seeing as they have to do something with all the guys they already have now.

AWO is pretty common though (90% of my class ended up there) and they will still be in use with the new P-8 platform.

/r
CTT1

[austin_andres]

For the rate of AWO, how difficult is the A-School? Like do you study things like math or is it more about your aircraft and how it operates? Also how long is the typical pipeline, taking into affect being on holds?

[BonzerAsp]

We're being flooded with AWFs now. We need more AWF2's and higher though. As an AWF FE on the E-6b platform, you're technically an FE trainee until you make E-5. Prepare to do lots of FE bitch work until you make it there AWF1 and higher is where it's at

[Diverdee90]

My son is graduating this week - he is an AWF and headed to Oklahoma next week... Excited for his next step in this crazy journey

[BonzerAsp]

Originally Posted by Diverdee90

My son is graduating this week - he is an AWF and headed to Oklahoma next week... Excited for his next step in this crazy journey

Congrats to him! Oklahoma isn't that bad honestly. I've been stationed here for over a year now and I'm enjoying it so far.

[ByrgeB]

Whoa whoa, I went to meps the 8th of march, swore in the 9th, got accepted into the Aircrewman program and was offered FTS (They informed it was one of the best programs too get into..fts that is...stupid fast advancement/etc)

I dont ship till sept 28th, howd u get in after me and get shipped out in may @Austin_andres

and one more question, Haasino, what do you mean FTS doesnt get too pick AWO.. I was informed ill get too choose from AWO. AWF. AWV even while FTS...

Is this not true? Theyve lied too me multiple times, saying family will go to move with me too schooling in pensacola ( im 26, married, and 2 kids) come too find out they wont.. and multuple more reasons.

HELP.

[Haasino]

Originally Posted by austin_andres

For the rate of AWO, how difficult is the A-School? Like do you study things like math or is it more about your aircraft and how it operates? Also how long is the typical pipeline, taking into affect being on holds?

AW(A1) "A" School covers Advances sound transmission theories, tactical oceanography, basic diesel and nuclear submarine mechanical characteristics, and basic radar theory... the hard part is memorization of Secret level information which can't be studied outside of class hours. To graduate, we had to memorize about 12 diesel/nuclear submarine parameters, which consisted of about an entire whiteboard worth of components and frequencies... and about 50 types of radars, including basic parameters, ships/subs/aircraft/vehicles associated with them, and weapons and applicable ranges if any.

You don't learn anything about your aircraft until you get your follow-on orders and go to the applicable Fleet Replacement Squadron for ~1 year.

Total training pipeline from RTC to operational squadron is about 2 years.

Originally Posted by Diverdee90

My son is graduating this week - he is an AWF and headed to Oklahoma next week... Excited for his next step in this crazy journey

Awesome, congrats to him!

Originally Posted by ByrgeB

Whoa whoa, I went to meps the 8th of march, swore in the 9th, got accepted into the Aircrewman program and was offered FTS (They informed it was one of the best programs too get into..ftw that is...stupid fast advancement/etc)

I dont ship till sept 28th, howd u get in after me and get shipped out in may @Austin_andres

and one more question, Haasino, what do you mean FTS doesnt get too pick AWO.. I was informed ill get too choose from AWO. AWF. AWV even while FTS...

Is this not true? Theyve lied too me multiple times, saying family will go to move with me too schooling in pensacola ( im 26, married, and 2 kids) come too find out they wont.. and multuple more reasons.

HELP.

Nothing is impossible... but, like a US ground-invasion of Canada, just highly unlikely. Currently, FTS Aircrew is only AWF's acting as flight attendants and loadmasters on C-40 and C-130 aircraft.

You'll most likely be assigned AWF out of NACCS and attend AWF "A" School across the base in Pensacola... since NACCS is "officially" a 3 week school, and "A" School is about a month or so, you are correct that the Navy will not pay to relocate your family because they don't factor in the hold times waiting to class-up... so you may be in Pensacola for over 6 months... but the Navy still considers it TAD follow-on orders from RTC.

After "A" School, you'll get assignment to a VR squadron flying the C-40 or C-130, and from there they'll determine whether you'll go to the squadron or do more follow-on training. FTS AWF doesn't go through SERE, but they do go through C-40 Transportation Safety Specialist training with either Delta or American Airlines (Whichever has a flight attendant class open first), or loadmaster training for C-130s.

[austin_andres]

Originally Posted by ByrgeB

Whoa whoa, I went to meps the 8th of march, swore in the 9th, got accepted into the Aircrewman program and was offered FTS (They informed it was one of the best programs too get into..fts that is...stupid fast advancement/etc)

I dont ship till sept 28th, howd u get in after me and get shipped out in may @Austin_andres

and one more question, Haasino, what do you mean FTS doesnt get too pick AWO.. I was informed ill get too choose from AWO. AWF. AWV even while FTS...

Is this not true? Theyve lied too me multiple times, saying family will go to move with me too schooling in pensacola ( im 26, married, and 2 kids) come too find out they wont.. and multuple more reasons.

HELP.

I am currently 18, and when I went to MEPS (April 3rd, in buffalo) I qualified for almost everything, when I went to select my job the guy there threw down a rating for something in intel, I agreed that it sounded like an awesome job but I asked him if AIRC was open and he looked it up. He said there were two job slots open (May 6th May 18th) I am currently in college and my last final is on May 6th, so he gave me May 18th. I don't know much about the proccess, my recruiter had told me previously that i would be luckly to ship by october so i was surprised when he informed me I ship in May! This is complete speculation, but I was informed by my uncle (retired colonel in the Air Force) that because my asvab was high, I was a "CAT 1" recruit, meaning that they would ship me faster. Like i said, speculation. I'm sorry that it worked out that you don't ship until september.. But good luck to you man! I was also looking at FTS, it is a good gig, from what i was told you get stationed somewhere and you don't leave except deployments, which would be awesome since you have a family. I just think that AWO looks super bad ass and exactly what I want, I also have a family member in that field and he loves it, so I wanted to have the oppurtunity to try to get AWO, but honestly man, from what I have read, and if we make passed all the tough schools, anything in AIRC seems awesome, I feel pretty lucky that I have a chance to join this community.