Ask a Naval Aircrewman

squid.life · 11-24-2014, 10:16 AM

Haasino,
Back to your thoughts on your unicorn AWO reservist. Since we don't do go to SERE etc. are deserve aircrew just limited to being on base? How much time do we actually spend on a plane, if any?

Haasino · 11-24-2014, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squid.life

Haasino,
Back to your thoughts on your unicorn AWO reservist. Since we don't do go to SERE etc. are deserve aircrew just limited to being on base? How much time do we actually spend on a plane, if any?

If you're in a reserve VP squadron, you'll have to go through Level C SERE... if you're in a VR squadron on C-130s or C-40s, you'll just do Level A or B online courses. You're still going to fly... you're just not flying over combat zones carrying classified equipment like VP aircraft. VR guys just don't need the advanced level of resistance training MPRA guys do.

squid.life · 11-25-2014, 10:10 AM

I hate how everytime I want to write reserves my phone changes it to deserve.

Thanks for your thoughts on this thread. Hearing from an actual Aircrewmanis great. Getting a flight suit shortly to take to the pool with me and start swimming my mile in that. I know i know, over preparedness is a fault of mine.

JesseAW · 12-03-2014, 06:12 AM

Just want to start of by saying thanks for all the info on here, i finally found this site and it provided real info for the aircrewman rating. So my shipdate is 02/05/2015 contracted AW. I've actually grown up and lived 20 mins from NAS Pensacola and been on base a few times taking PST's. I'm really interested in the P-8 Poseidon, If I had my choice of aircraft it it would be the P-8, as a P-3 crewmember what is life like? Do you frequently stay in the US and then go overseas on flights and come back immediately after or do you stay overseas for months at a time at bases? I'm totally clueless about the lifestyle as a crewmember of a non-carrier based aircraft in the Navy. Also, how likely will it be that I will receive training for the P-8? That would fall into the AWO rating which is very common and could I actually go on base at NAS Pensacola and just talk to some instructors there to get info on training and what i should be doing to prepare and also the likelihood of what aircraft I'll be assigned during NACCS. Thanks alot, any and all info is greatly appreciated.

Haasino · 12-03-2014, 07:04 PM

Welcome! Fortunately for you, the P-8A Poseidon is steadily coming into service... VP-5, VP-16, and VP-45 have already fully transitioned... VP-10 is about to transition as soon as they get back from deployment... and VP-8 will complete the Jacksonville transition next summer/fall. Current forecast is to have the MPRA community completely transitioned to the Poseidon by the beginning of the next decade.

The Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance community is a fantastic community, and the Naval Aircrewman (Operator) rating is one of the best enlisted jobs in any branch of service... it's also the most in-demand specialty within the Aircrew community, with more AW's on the P-8 then there are on the standard P-3's, and growing special programs opportunities for Operators.

Generally, you're going to have deployment... which is about 6-7 months... and about a 13-14 month Inter-Deployment Ready Cycle (IDRC). Deployments are usually split between 2-3 sites, with additional detachments of one or two aircraft and Combat Aircrews (CAC's) to areas nearby. To use my squadron's past deployment as an example... they were split roughly 50/50 between airbases in Kadena and Misawa, Japan... and sent individual CAC's on Det to places like Korea, Thailand, Guam, the Philippians, and Australia (The latter two being specifically to search for MH370). Other sites we publicly deploy to include Bahrain, Djibouti, Sigonella, and El Salvador... as well as many unpublished places we deploy to which I won't go into. When you fly missions, you're going to take off from wherever you're deployed or on Det to, and then you're going to return to that location. As far as what I can disclose... missions can be anywhere from 6-12+ hours. The P-8A has in-flight refueling capabilities, and is slated to perform 72+ hour missions in the coming years... we're talking about multiple crews onboard though... Aircrew only works a max of 8 hours before we have to be given crew-rest.

While on IDRC, you generally stay at home... either NAS Jacksonville, or NAS Whidbey Island (MCAS Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii is moving the VP squadrons to Whidbey in 2017)... however you may have Dets anywhere in the world... from Las Vegas to Crete... and can last anywhere from 2 days, to two months. Sometimes it's a specific CAC or two who are sent... sometimes it's a mash-up crew with volunteers or aircrew with special skills or access.

Also, you may see a lot of vague info... one thing you're going to need to understand as an AWO, is that the MPRA community is much more than just hunting submarines and patrolling the seas... we do a lot of things that don't get published or discussed. You're going to learn what you actually do as you progress through the 2 year training pipeline; it's pretty cool. You're required to have a Secret security clearance to attend A School and SERE... but it will be upgraded to a Top Secret w/SCI eligibility during your time in Fleet Replacement training at VP-30... so don't lie on your paperwork! Your career is going to be severely hampered if you can't get the clearance needed.

As far as job selection and getting on base... you'll need to talk to your recruiter about getting on base, but the job selection is as follows: You'll choose/get assigned a series rating (AWO, AWF, AWV, or MH-53E AWS) at the end of NACCS... AWO is always the most common... you'll pick whether you want to be P-3 or P-8, and Acoustic, or Non-Acoustic/EWO at the end of A School... this is based on available orders and you choose in order based on class GPA... and you'll receive your final squadron orders at the end of FRS training at VP-30. If you're P-3, you can give your preference of Washington or Hawaii... P-8 stays in Jacksonville.

Beyond that, let me know if there are any other questions I can answer!

12-03-2014, 07:04 PM	#5
Haasino Active Duty Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 1,439 Rep Power: 286	Welcome! Fortunately for you, the P-8A Poseidon is steadily coming into service... VP-5, VP-16, and VP-45 have already fully transitioned... VP-10 is about to transition as soon as they get back from deployment... and VP-8 will complete the Jacksonville transition next summer/fall. Current forecast is to have the MPRA community completely transitioned to the Poseidon by the beginning of the next decade. The Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance community is a fantastic community, and the Naval Aircrewman (Operator) rating is one of the best enlisted jobs in any branch of service... it's also the most in-demand specialty within the Aircrew community, with more AW's on the P-8 then there are on the standard P-3's, and growing special programs opportunities for Operators. Generally, you're going to have deployment... which is about 6-7 months... and about a 13-14 month Inter-Deployment Ready Cycle (IDRC). Deployments are usually split between 2-3 sites, with additional detachments of one or two aircraft and Combat Aircrews (CAC's) to areas nearby. To use my squadron's past deployment as an example... they were split roughly 50/50 between airbases in Kadena and Misawa, Japan... and sent individual CAC's on Det to places like Korea, Thailand, Guam, the Philippians, and Australia (The latter two being specifically to search for MH370). Other sites we publicly deploy to include Bahrain, Djibouti, Sigonella, and El Salvador... as well as many unpublished places we deploy to which I won't go into. When you fly missions, you're going to take off from wherever you're deployed or on Det to, and then you're going to return to that location. As far as what I can disclose... missions can be anywhere from 6-12+ hours. The P-8A has in-flight refueling capabilities, and is slated to perform 72+ hour missions in the coming years... we're talking about multiple crews onboard though... Aircrew only works a max of 8 hours before we have to be given crew-rest. While on IDRC, you generally stay at home... either NAS Jacksonville, or NAS Whidbey Island (MCAS Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii is moving the VP squadrons to Whidbey in 2017)... however you may have Dets anywhere in the world... from Las Vegas to Crete... and can last anywhere from 2 days, to two months. Sometimes it's a specific CAC or two who are sent... sometimes it's a mash-up crew with volunteers or aircrew with special skills or access. Also, you may see a lot of vague info... one thing you're going to need to understand as an AWO, is that the MPRA community is much more than just hunting submarines and patrolling the seas... we do a lot of things that don't get published or discussed. You're going to learn what you actually do as you progress through the 2 year training pipeline; it's pretty cool. You're required to have a Secret security clearance to attend A School and SERE... but it will be upgraded to a Top Secret w/SCI eligibility during your time in Fleet Replacement training at VP-30... so don't lie on your paperwork! Your career is going to be severely hampered if you can't get the clearance needed. As far as job selection and getting on base... you'll need to talk to your recruiter about getting on base, but the job selection is as follows: You'll choose/get assigned a series rating (AWO, AWF, AWV, or MH-53E AWS) at the end of NACCS... AWO is always the most common... you'll pick whether you want to be P-3 or P-8, and Acoustic, or Non-Acoustic/EWO at the end of A School... this is based on available orders and you choose in order based on class GPA... and you'll receive your final squadron orders at the end of FRS training at VP-30. If you're P-3, you can give your preference of Washington or Hawaii... P-8 stays in Jacksonville. Beyond that, let me know if there are any other questions I can answer! __________________ "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"

11-24-2014, 10:16 AM	#1
squid.life Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: seattle Posts: 35 Rep Power: 9	Haasino, Back to your thoughts on your unicorn AWO reservist. Since we don't do go to SERE etc. are deserve aircrew just limited to being on base? How much time do we actually spend on a plane, if any?

11-25-2014, 10:10 AM	#3
squid.life Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: seattle Posts: 35 Rep Power: 9	I hate how everytime I want to write reserves my phone changes it to deserve. Thanks for your thoughts on this thread. Hearing from an actual Aircrewmanis great. Getting a flight suit shortly to take to the pool with me and start swimming my mile in that. I know i know, over preparedness is a fault of mine.

12-03-2014, 06:12 AM	#4
JesseAW Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	Just want to start of by saying thanks for all the info on here, i finally found this site and it provided real info for the aircrewman rating. So my shipdate is 02/05/2015 contracted AW. I've actually grown up and lived 20 mins from NAS Pensacola and been on base a few times taking PST's. I'm really interested in the P-8 Poseidon, If I had my choice of aircraft it it would be the P-8, as a P-3 crewmember what is life like? Do you frequently stay in the US and then go overseas on flights and come back immediately after or do you stay overseas for months at a time at bases? I'm totally clueless about the lifestyle as a crewmember of a non-carrier based aircraft in the Navy. Also, how likely will it be that I will receive training for the P-8? That would fall into the AWO rating which is very common and could I actually go on base at NAS Pensacola and just talk to some instructors there to get info on training and what i should be doing to prepare and also the likelihood of what aircraft I'll be assigned during NACCS. Thanks alot, any and all info is greatly appreciated.