Ask a Naval Aircrewman

[AWWannabe]

Is there any scuttlebutt on if the old way of aircrew selection is going to be reinstated within the next 4 years? I've gone through the thread and seen that the retirement of the P/EP-3 platforms is really screwing up the AWF and AWV rates, with some AWF's cross-rating to P-8 AWOs or C-2 and E-6B AWFs. My question is what happens once the CMV-22Bs start replacing the C-2s? I'm considering putting in DAR for AV alongside AW, should it look like AW's will soon be coming from the pool of maintainers rather than straight from boot camp. Should that be the case, before 2008, did aircrewmen come from their own squadrons? For example, could a maintainer from VFA or VAQ volunteer for AW and get assigned to VRC or HSM? Or is that maintainers volunteer, go to NACCS, complete whatever necessary training and then return to their squadrons as AWs?

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by AWWannabe

Is there any scuttlebutt on if the old way of aircrew selection is going to be reinstated within the next 4 years? I've gone through the thread and seen that the retirement of the P/EP-3 platforms is really screwing up the AWF and AWV rates, with some AWF's cross-rating to P-8 AWOs or C-2 and E-6B AWFs. My question is what happens once the CMV-22Bs start replacing the C-2s? I'm considering putting in DAR for AV alongside AW, should it look like AW's will soon be coming from the pool of maintainers rather than straight from boot camp. Should that be the case, before 2008, did aircrewmen come from their own squadrons? For example, could a maintainer from VFA or VAQ volunteer for AW and get assigned to VRC or HSM? Or is that maintainers volunteer, go to NACCS, complete whatever necessary training and then return to their squadrons as AWs?

They used to pull AT's to come be AWV's, but that is significantly less common today than it used to be. Still happens now and then, but it's much more rare.

And plenty of AW's are still going to be coming straight from boot camp. Don't sweat that. If you wanna fly, going AW is the surest way to do it. Everything else, like us flying CTTs for example, are special programs and much smaller and/or restrictive.

/r
CTT1