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Old 09-16-2014, 09:43 PM   #101
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Hey man. IT3 Huntley here, and I'm fresh out of IT "C" school. I've always been interested in aircrew. Can ITs volunteer for aircrew? If so, what do aircrew ITs do, and what can you tell me about it?
Unfortunately, IT isn't a rating that's able to volunteer for Aircrew. Outside of the AW[x] series ratings, only certain Cryptologic Technician ratings and SAR Corpsmen can volunteer to fly.
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Old 09-17-2014, 03:30 PM   #102
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Unfortunately, IT isn't a rating that's able to volunteer for Aircrew. Outside of the AW[x] series ratings, only certain Cryptologic Technician ratings and SAR Corpsmen can volunteer to fly.
Dang, that sucks...lol. Thanks for the info man!
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Old 09-17-2014, 04:01 PM   #103
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Sorry, man... wish I could offer better news. I'd recommend trying to get orders to a VP squadron though, the IT's here really enjoy life.
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Old 10-02-2014, 05:57 PM   #104
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Default aircrew fts

im aircrew fts, and i was just wondering. Where do we most likely get stationed, and do we still get to travel as much as active duty aircrew? and do we have time to sight see and stuff or no?
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Old 10-02-2014, 06:29 PM   #105
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FTS is most likely going to give you the AWF rating and put you in a VR squadron on either the C-40, C-130, or C-12. The C-40 squadrons are in Jacksonville, FL... Oceana, VA... San Diego, CA... Fort Worth, TX... and Whidbey Island, WA. The C-130 squadrons are in Jacksonville, FL... New Orleans, LA... Trenton, NJ... Washington DC... and Point Magu, CA. C-12 squadrons are in Japan. FTS is essentially active duty, you just get paid from the Naval Reserve fund. You won't travel quite as much as AD folks, but you'll still get plenty of travel time in and will have plenty of time to sight-see along the way.
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Old 10-06-2014, 03:29 PM   #106
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Aw man, i was really looking foward to being stationed over seas one day. So thats not possible then with fts ?
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Old 10-06-2014, 04:17 PM   #107
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So my son went to MEPS today and signed his contract and swore into DEP program. He got AIRC contract and after the AIRC it says ATF can you explain what he will be doing/ jobs... Im just curious because i dont see stuff with ATF info....
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Old 10-06-2014, 04:48 PM   #108
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ATF, if I'm not mistaken just stands for Advanced Technical Field, which is what AIRC is a part of. It doesn't necessary refer to which rating he'll get within the Aircrew community. From what I've learned is he won't know what rating he'll actually receive until he's at NACCS after RTC. He could become AWO, AWF, AWS (i believe that's an option without being Air Rescue) or AWV. It's dependent on his performance, interest, and of course the needs of the Navy. I'm also a future sailor in the DEP program with an AIRC contract. I leave for RTC in May.
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Old 10-06-2014, 04:53 PM   #109
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Hey Haasino, I have a question regarding the Class II swim test. It states that I have to jump from a height of 10 feet and then float for 10 minutes. I have a hard time floating on my back, my legs seem to sink while the rest of my body floats. Do they require you to float on your back for this portion of the swim test?
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Old 10-06-2014, 05:14 PM   #110
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Thanks SanDiego - he leaves for RTC in June
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Old 10-06-2014, 05:50 PM   #111
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Aw man, i was really looking foward to being stationed over seas one day. So thats not possible then with fts ?
I won't say it's not possible, because I know 2 AWF's who are in Japan on C-12's... but it's unlikely. You'll get to visit plenty of foreign countries though.

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So my son went to MEPS today and signed his contract and swore into DEP program. He got AIRC contract and after the AIRC it says ATF can you explain what he will be doing/ jobs... Im just curious because i dont see stuff with ATF info....
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ATF, if I'm not mistaken just stands for Advanced Technical Field, which is what AIRC is a part of. It doesn't necessary refer to which rating he'll get within the Aircrew community. From what I've learned is he won't know what rating he'll actually receive until he's at NACCS after RTC. He could become AWO, AWF, AWS (i believe that's an option without being Air Rescue) or AWV. It's dependent on his performance, interest, and of course the needs of the Navy. I'm also a future sailor in the DEP program with an AIRC contract. I leave for RTC in May.
^ Exactly what SanDiego said... ATF just means he has follow-on training past "A" School and will be advanced to Petty Officer 3rd Class automatically upon completion of training. Right now the most likely option for him out of NACCS, assuming he's active duty, will be the Naval Aircrewman (Operator) rating, which is a sensor/radar operator on maritime patrol and reconnaissance planes.

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Hey Haasino, I have a question regarding the Class II swim test. It states that I have to jump from a height of 10 feet and then float for 10 minutes. I have a hard time floating on my back, my legs seem to sink while the rest of my body floats. Do they require you to float on your back for this portion of the swim test?
You'll never float on your back... doing so in a real-world survival situation would have waves crashing over your face constantly. The prone float is done face-down, with the back of your head and shoulder-blades on the surface... your legs can hang down below you. Check out the NACCS video posted in the other thread for examples of every swim evolution you'll be required to complete while at NACCS.
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Old 10-06-2014, 06:39 PM   #112
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Default put on hold

oh! last question, i heard also that for active duty aircrew women people get put on a hold because there are only a certain amount of women put in to candidate school at a time, but that for FTS its even worse? do you know anything about the wait time? or if you experienced any ?
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Old 10-06-2014, 07:26 PM   #113
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^ Exactly what SanDiego said... ATF just means he has follow-on training past "A" School and will be advanced to Petty Officer 3rd Class automatically upon completion of training. Right now the most likely option for him out of NACCS, assuming he's active duty, will be the Naval Aircrewman (Operator) rating, which is a sensor/radar operator on maritime patrol and reconnaissance planes.



Yes he will be active duty - the advancement to Petty Officer 3rd Class would be after he has completed "A" school and NACCS correct? Thank you so much for answering all questions, it is very helpful....
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Old 10-06-2014, 08:25 PM   #114
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oh! last question, i heard also that for active duty aircrew women people get put on a hold because there are only a certain amount of women put in to candidate school at a time, but that for FTS its even worse? do you know anything about the wait time? or if you experienced any ?
When I got to NACCS in January, 2013 the backlog wait was about 1 month... in the nearly 2 years since then, it's been as little as 4 days, and as long as 3 months. It all varies... but yes, Reserve and FTS generally class up slightly slower than AD.

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Yes he will be active duty - the advancement to Petty Officer 3rd Class would be after he has completed "A" school and NACCS correct? Thank you so much for answering all questions, it is very helpful....
This is where you need to break out his contract paperwork and take a look at the specific details. His Agreement to Extend Enlistment is the form that grants him automatic E-4 in exchange for an extra 2 years of service... the standard form for AIRC states that advancement is authorized upon completion of NACCS, "A" School, and FRS... but some people got the standard ATF contract, which authorizes advancement upon completion of "A" School. Assuming he gets the most likely option of AWO, this would mean either advancing out of VP-30 after about 2 years in service, or advancing upon arriving at VP-30 after about 1 year of service.
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Old 10-07-2014, 02:44 PM   #115
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Default Leaving soon for aircrew.

I am leaving in six days for Naval Aircrew, but I just flew for the first time and honestly I did not like it. I still want to leave on my date for basic. I am under a full time support naval aircrew contract. What are my options as far as unvolunteering from aircrew and rerating? What route do I take to do this once I'm in? Do I need to wait til after basic to rerate? And will I lose my FTS status and go back part time by doing so? Any advice is appreciate. Thanks!
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Old 10-07-2014, 04:22 PM   #116
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I am leaving in six days for Naval Aircrew, but I just flew for the first time and honestly I did not like it. I still want to leave on my date for basic. I am under a full time support naval aircrew contract. What are my options as far as unvolunteering from aircrew and rerating? What route do I take to do this once I'm in? Do I need to wait til after basic to rerate? And will I lose my FTS status and go back part time by doing so? Any advice is appreciate. Thanks!
Being a Navy Flyer is completely voluntary, and you can DOR (Drop on Request) at any time in your career. It usually means you'll go PACT/Undesignated... I don't know how it will work as FTS.

For the love of God, drop now if you don't like flying! This is a very challenging pipeline that's going to push you beyond your limits... your wasting your time, and everyone else's, if you wait til NACCS to DOR. You're also going to be thrown into hold until the Navy can figure out what to do with you... expect a long wait if you're Reserve and DOR.

Best thing to do is just don't sign the forms volunteering to fly when you go back to MEPS... let them sort things out while you can still be at home... rather than scrubbing toilets and pulling weeds in Pensacola in a hold status.
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Old 10-07-2014, 04:46 PM   #117
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That's exactly as I was feeling, I thought flying was something I would like and it's absolutely not. Have you ever heard of any one dropping flight status or rerating at basic? I'd really like to leave on my original ship date regardless, but I don't want to screw myself or others in the process. Is that possible at basic, or is that just an absurd question?
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Old 10-07-2014, 05:00 PM   #118
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That's exactly as I was feeling, I thought flying was something I would like and it's absolutely not. Have you ever heard of any one dropping flight status or rerating at basic? I'd really like to leave on my original ship date regardless, but I don't want to screw myself or others in the process. Is that possible at basic, or is that just an absurd question?
They're not going to drop or re-rate you at RTC unless you are medically disqualified from flying (Something you have no control over)... the reason being is that RTC is designed to pump you out 8 weeks after you arrive; they don't have the time or facilities to hold you while you voluntarily wait for a new rate. If you try to DOR, they're gonna tall you to talk to the folks when you arrive at NACCS... and NACCS is just gonna put you on hold cleaning toilets until they can figure out what to do with you (Assuming they can't just send you across the street undesignated).

Trust me, dude... you'd rather delay your ship date and re-rate prior to leaving than sit on hold while the Navy drags its feet to find a purpose for you.
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Old 10-07-2014, 05:31 PM   #119
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I appreciate all your help man, means a lot! Thank you!
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Old 10-07-2014, 07:22 PM   #120
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Default Thank you!

ive been asking questions on here for a couple months about aircrew and you've answered all of them and definitely eased my mind a lot! Thank you so much!
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Old 10-10-2014, 03:07 PM   #121
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No problem, guys! I could barely find anything when I was in DEP for Aircrew, so I wanna do anything I can to help keep future AW's updated on what to expect.
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Old 10-10-2014, 03:37 PM   #122
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Yes thank you so much Haasino - I know I've asked a few questions and you are always willing to answer.. My son did get sworn into DEP on Monday and got AIRC contract that he wanted, ships out June 25,2015 so I still have time to bug you with questions
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Old 10-10-2014, 03:41 PM   #123
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By all means, ask away.
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Old 10-14-2014, 09:32 AM   #124
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What level of security clearance is required for Aircrew?
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Old 10-14-2014, 12:32 PM   #125
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What level of security clearance is required for Aircrew?
You're required to have a Secret in order to attend AW "A" School and SERE. If you end up an AWO, or get orders to certain Fleet Air Reconnaissance squadrons, you will get sponsored for a Top Secret w/SCI eligibility. If you can't get the TS/SCI, you may just end up on another crew within the squadron, or you may have to go to another squadron altogether. In my squadron, not being able to get read-in just means you don't fly on certain crews doing certain missions.
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Old 10-14-2014, 11:34 PM   #126
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What does aircrew do when they aren't flying but still on duty? Does that even happen?
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Old 10-15-2014, 10:18 AM   #127
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What does aircrew do when they aren't flying but still on duty? Does that even happen?
It largely depends on your rate... AWF's and AWV's here in the P-3 community spend time in the mech and tron shops assisting the maintainers and airframers. AWO's mainly just hang out in our secure spaces and "watch YouTube" (Study current Intel), "play video games" (Fly missions in the simulators), or discuss our zombie survival plans/what guns we've purchased or are planning on purchasing. Aside from guns and zombie plans, we're basically just professional studiers... discussing tactics, threats, and current events.

This is all while on home cycle... during deployment or dets, you basically just show up to fly or attend a brief, then leave.
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Old 10-15-2014, 12:34 PM   #128
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Thanks man
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Old 10-17-2014, 10:47 AM   #129
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Default FTS to active duty

In your opinion, how hard would it be for an FTS to switch to active duty?
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Old 10-17-2014, 02:08 PM   #130
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In your opinion, how hard would it be for an FTS to switch to active duty?
Going purely off of this month's BUPERS manning, your chances of converting to Active Duty Aircrew are, unfortunately, zero... AWF is closed completely as it continues to reduce its total billets by 57%... AWV is also closed completely as it reduces by 45%... and AWO is only open to AWV's in Year Groups 2005 and 2006, plus Recruits coming in via RTC. AWS is also closed as the Navy tries to figure out what to do with its aging MH-53E fleet.

The only Aircrew rating open for converting in is AWR... but that's limited to Sailors in Year Groups 2005, 2006, and 2008 who are trying to reenlist, but C-WAY is forcing them to re-rate. They will also need to compete a PST and go through the whole SpecWar pipeline.
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Old 11-05-2014, 07:18 AM   #131
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Default general questions.

hey first i want to start by saying thank you for all the info, it's really appreciated. So my question is how would u compare aircrew life to that of another rate? Also between the different aircrew rates which is the funniest per say? I'm currently 25 and have a pretty good job, however i want chance and adventure and feel aircrew is the best route for wat i seek. If u know of any other rate aside from spec ops that also provides this please feel free to give u're opinion... once again thank you!
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Old 11-05-2014, 03:38 PM   #132
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Default Is it Possible?

Is it possible to volunteer for aircrew after A school, (that's how it used to be done, right?) or do you have to go into boot camp AW?

For example, can a guy graduate boot camp, go through AE school(s), then get on an aircrew?

Thanks!
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Old 11-05-2014, 06:30 PM   #133
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hey first i want to start by saying thank you for all the info, it's really appreciated. So my question is how would u compare aircrew life to that of another rate? Also between the different aircrew rates which is the funniest per say? I'm currently 25 and have a pretty good job, however i want chance and adventure and feel aircrew is the best route for wat i seek. If u know of any other rate aside from spec ops that also provides this please feel free to give u're opinion... once again thank you!
You're welcome, glad to help!

Aircrew is an easy life. The Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance community... which is most likely where you're going to be going if you go AIRC... has an especially easy life. I work from 8am to 3pm M-F, with a 1.5-2hr break around 11 for lunch. That's our general schedule... sometimes the day is shorter, sometimes it's longer... it depends on if we've got training, an intel brief, a simulator, or a flight. About once a month, we get a 3-day or 4-day weekend... but about once a month there's also a flight on the weekend. If you fly, you don't come to work until your flight, and you don't work for at least 13 hours after landing... if you fly late enough, you don't come in at all the next day. Navy says at least 8 hours, but every Wing and Squadron is different. When you go on deployment or detachment (It's like a mini-deployment of just 1-3 crews), you go to a foreign airbase and either stay in some sort of base housing (Which is rare on foreign bases), or you stay in a hotel on or near base. The only exceptions currently are Bahrain and Djibouti, where you live in CLU's... basically, air-conditioned shipping containers. On deployment, you also generally do things as a crew... socializing with the officers on your crew isn't prohibited like it would be in most other communities... the reason behind this is that we are supposed to be a single, cohesive crew; we work as a unit, and we play as a unit. The saying is, "The difference between the O-6 in the pilot seat, and the E-4 in back, is 1/10th of a second. That's how much longer the E-4 is going to live if we hit a mountain nose-first."

As far as which Aircrew billet is the most fun? That depends entirely on personal preference. I love my job... it's like playing the most intense real-time strategy video game you can imagine, if it was written by Tom Clancy. MPRA has it's fingers in every major military event you can imagine, and we do some stuff that is truly fascinating to me. I am, however, one of the last children of the Cold War... I watched the Wall come down, I grew up playing RTS video games, and I absolutely love Tom Clancy novels. Threat briefs on current world affairs interest me, as does studying the most updated threats coming out of Russia, the PRC, and Iran. There are others I work with who are bored to tears by that type of thing, could give two-s**ts about Russia putting 3 new classes of submarine into their fleet, and actively avoid flying whenever possible. It's all about personal preference... some guys wanna fly in helos and shoot machine guns; other guys wanna sit sideways in the back of patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and hunt submarines and ISIS. Neither one is right nor wrong if they enjoy their job...

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Is it possible to volunteer for aircrew after A school, (that's how it used to be done, right?) or do you have to go into boot camp AW?

For example, can a guy graduate boot camp, go through AE school(s), then get on an aircrew?

Thanks!
Unfortunately, no... the only non-AW rates that can volunteer for Aircrew duties are HM, CT, CS, and MC (The latter two rates are exceptionally rare). There's discussion about going back to the pre-2008 system where AWO/AWR are the only real AW rates, and everyone else volunteers from other ratings like AE... but it's just talk right now.
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Old 11-05-2014, 08:28 PM   #134
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I was just reading your reply about the life of a aircrewman, and ofcourse I am wondering if you know if much is different for an FTS aircrewman? Or if our life is a little bit more boring than that? Thanks !
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Old 11-05-2014, 09:25 PM   #135
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I was just reading your reply about the life of a aircrewman, and ofcourse I am wondering if you know if much is different for an FTS aircrewman? Or if our life is a little bit more boring than that? Thanks !
Assuming you go the likely route of C-130's or C-40's, your living conditions are going to be much the same... but you're job is going to be less academic, and more mechanical. My understanding from my FTS buddy is that you spend a lot of time kind of overseeing the mechs and QA'ing their work. You'll also have flights and dets just like everyone else.
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Old 11-06-2014, 06:36 AM   #136
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wow man that sounds exactly wat I'm looking for. Thanks a bunch for all the info, i go to MEPS next Friday and pray aircrew is available. Quick side question. If AIRC isn't available but AIRR is, would u say they compare or are they to different beast? ?
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Old 11-06-2014, 09:05 AM   #137
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Unfortunately, no... the only non-AW rates that can volunteer for Aircrew duties are HM, CT, CS, and MC (The latter two rates are exceptionally rare). There's discussion about going back to the pre-2008 system where AWO/AWR are the only real AW rates, and everyone else volunteers from other ratings like AE... but it's just talk right now.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, that's what I thought but some of the Navy publications still say you can volunteer for flight crew. I figured the publications haven't been updated, but just wanted clarification.

I appreciate your help.
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Old 11-06-2014, 10:25 AM   #138
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wow man that sounds exactly wat I'm looking for. Thanks a bunch for all the info, i go to MEPS next Friday and pray aircrew is available. Quick side question. If AIRC isn't available but AIRR is, would u say they compare or are they to different beast? ?
AIRR is helo Rescue Swimmer... it's a Naval SPecial Warfare program and requires you to complete a PST, go through RTC in an 800 Division, and pass Rescue Swimmer School... it's got all the physical demands that would be expected of a NSW program.

AIRC is fixed-wing Aircrew... predominantly Sensor Operators these days... as well as limited billets for Flight Engineers, Loadmasters, In-Flight Technicians, and MH-53E Sea Dragon helo crewmen. AIRC Candidates don't have to complete a PST to sign their contract, they go through RTC in a regular division, and they don't undergo the same level of physical demand RSS Candidates do.

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Thanks, that's what I thought but some of the Navy publications still say you can volunteer for flight crew. I figured the publications haven't been updated, but just wanted clarification.

I appreciate your help.
Yeah... unfortunately the government doesn't like to update it's own paperwork sometimes...
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Old 11-06-2014, 11:05 AM   #139
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Ok. Thanks again it truly means a lot, especially to someone with little navy knowledge. By any change do you know the current need for aircrew? Also what are u're thoughts on not joining if the job u want isn't available?

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Old 11-06-2014, 04:05 PM   #140
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Ok. Thanks again it truly means a lot, especially to someone with little navy knowledge. By any change do you know the current need for aircrew? Also what are u're thoughts on not joining if the job u want isn't available?
I'll look into the latest manning info From BUPERS and get back to you within 24hrs... as far as not enlisting if the job you want isn't available... that's honestly a personal call. I can tell you that I had a few backup options in the CT field had Aircrew not been available... but the list was short and I was fully willing to walk away if none were available. You are a bit older, and have a good job, so you need to ask yourself what it is you want to get out of the Navy. Without sounding elitist or dismissive, I would much rather recommend you walk away if what you want isn't available... rather than come in miserable and end up "that guy" who drags down the Sailors around you.

Having said that, however, I'd recommend against getting scope-locked on just 1 or 2 ratings... do your research and come up with a good 5-10 ratings that interest you. If you end up with nothing close offered... well... then it's ultimately up to you. I would never, however, advise taking PACT or a rating you know you won't like, and then relying on a DAR to get you switched down the road.
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Old 11-07-2014, 07:47 AM   #141
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My wife just reported to Whidbey after she finished A school. We are Reservists. I was informed of the wonderful news that Aircrew deserve is a long stretch of pushing brooms and papers before you even get attached to a squadron. Some guys in the AWF rate have been waiting 6 plus months already. They told her to tell me to go AWO if I have a chance but from what I've seen AWF is pretty much my only option. I know you aren't deserve but does any of that ring true to you?
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Old 11-07-2014, 07:49 AM   #142
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Reserve* not deserve. Flipping auto correct.
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Old 11-08-2014, 12:32 AM   #143
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I've been doing some looking online, and I've seen that all the PST info only lists AIRR requirements. Does this mean that only AIRR has to do a PST and AIRC does not?

Second possibly less air crew related question, BUPERS tells me that all the air crew rates have the ability to operate Unmanned Aerial Systems. Do you know anyone that actually does this or works with them at all even outside of Aircrew ? They're by far my favorite type of air craft because I'm a huge robotics geek and the best way I've seen a drone described is a 'big flying battle bot'.
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Old 11-08-2014, 10:00 AM   #144
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So it looks like BUPERS hasn't changed its manning forecast for Aircrew... it's not as open as other ratings may be, but AWO is still being held open for new candidates coming in from RTC. Beyond that, there is no way to predict if it will, or will not, be available at MEPS.

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My wife just reported to Whidbey after she finished A school. We are Reservists. I was informed of the wonderful news that Aircrew reserve is a long stretch of pushing brooms and papers before you even get attached to a squadron. Some guys in the AWF rate have been waiting 6 plus months already. They told her to tell me to go AWO if I have a chance but from what I've seen AWF is pretty much my only option. I know you aren't reserve but does any of that ring true to you?
AWO as a reservist is possible... I met one. She's basically a unicorn though, and VP-69 doesn't know what to do with her because she came straight from "A" School without going through FRS or SERE. The fact remains though, there is a reserve Patrol and Reconnaissance squadron up here... it's just that 99.99% of the reservist AW's are prior active duty.

Also, every Sailor who is in a training command waiting to start class pushes brooms... it's just that Aircrew spends up to 2 years going through 4-5 training commands, and spend anywhere from a week to several months at each command waiting to start class. AW's and other aircrew ratings all do the same amount of cleaning and sweeping... the only difference I can think of between active and reservists, is that some of them weren't aware of the training pipeline when they joined and were expecting to be away from home exactly as long as their info sheets listed... 6-8 months later, they were starting to get anxious.

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I've been doing some looking online, and I've seen that all the PST info only lists AIRR requirements. Does this mean that only AIRR has to do a PST and AIRC does not?

Second possibly less air crew related question, BUPERS tells me that all the air crew rates have the ability to operate Unmanned Aerial Systems. Do you know anyone that actually does this or works with them at all even outside of Aircrew ? They're by far my favorite type of air craft because I'm a huge robotics geek and the best way I've seen a drone described is a 'big flying battle bot'.
Correct... only AIRR is required to take and pass the Naval Special Warfare PST. You will take "PST's" while at NACCS... but they're just PRT's that you have to score Good in all categories for Sit-ups, Push-ups, and the 1.5mi run.

As far as UAS'... short answer is yes. AWO's and AWR's can take special programs billets for UAV operations within the Naval Special Warfare community. With the MQ-4C Triton UAS coming online and VUP-19 being established for unmanned ISR, there are going to be new opportunities coming up... however I haven't seen any of the details published yet, so I'm not going to discuss future plans. I will say that you can expect some opportunities by the time you finish your first enlistment if you go AWO.
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Old 11-08-2014, 05:28 PM   #145
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Thanks for the answers, it's cool to know I have a chance at working with/on UAVs. I'm also in a super curious mood so I might be hitting this thread over the next couple days.

This one is mostly curiosity, but I've seen on this thread that there is talk of going back to the old volunteer system the non 'O' rates had. Is it actively being considered or just an idea that people are circulating as advancement grinds to a screaming halt? If it would be reinstated, how does that work exactly? Would you go through the standard pipelines for your original rate and then volunteer for Aircrew at your first command and wait for a spot at NACCS? Assuming that's correct if you made it through the air crew pipeline would you then be sent to an aircrew command or is it possible to be 'tabbed' but not scrolled as it is in the Army Ranger program?

I'm sorry if that is a confusing mess of questions I was jumping around the paragraph doing my best to get all the questions in order and understandable.
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Old 11-08-2014, 09:08 PM   #146
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There is currently a... I'm not sure the term... study(?) going on to look at the logistics of what to do about the current Naval Aircrewman ratings. The most likely outcome is going to be a return to AWO and AWR being the only Aircrew-only rating of AW... and the Flight Engineer, In-Flight Technician, Loadmaster, and Crewchief billets being volunteers from surface aviation ratings like AE, AT, etc. If that happens, then FE and IFT billets would most likely be 2nd enlistment opportunities for AE's and AT's; with an occasional opportunity for Sailors out of "A" School to get an assignment... similar to how the Aircrew billets for CT and HM works. Non-AW's who volunteer for, and complete the Aircrew pipeline would perform Aircrew duties full-time... it wouldn't be like Rangers.
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Old 11-08-2014, 11:24 PM   #147
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Mkay thanks again.
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Old 11-17-2014, 10:03 AM   #148
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so i took my physical and somehow didn't score high enough on my depth perception to get into aviation..... so i was wondering what rates would u recommend someone that is looking for a good time and something interesting/exciting? Some things to keep in mind is im currently engaged and will most likely be married prior to boot camp. Also i would love to do 20+ years of service if possible. Thanks again for having this forum and allowing us to ask these questions. Also keep in mindi do understand is all opinion based info but coming from someone that's in is better than reading job descriptions.
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Old 11-17-2014, 11:22 AM   #149
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just a side note i go on friday to pick my rate so any and all info from anyone on here with knowledge is appreciated. Thank you all!
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Old 11-17-2014, 01:26 PM   #150
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so i was wondering what rates would u recommend someone that is looking for a good time and something interesting/exciting?
Unfortunately, this type of question is completely subjective... I love my job, and someone is going to have to pay me a lot of money to do anything else... but other people I've worked with hate everything about being a sensor operator. Likewise, there are BM's who love every minute of their job, whereas I would likely hate every day. It's hard to advise on a job based on marriage or career either... some couples need to be together, and others can handle deployment... manning also changes from cycle to cycle, so a rating that's undermanned now, may become overmanned and prohibit reenlistment in 4 years.

Sorry, I know that's of no help... but the military is full of "what-if's" and "it depends'".
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