Im a 13f (forward observer) in an infantry battalion in the 82nd and im putting together a flight packet. i need to reenlist for the time remaining needed and im getting the bonus too. also when i reenlist im trying to think about what if i dont get accepted so i have a question. i heard any mos can be a door gunner and i was wondering how hard it would b to get them to reassign me to the 82nd's aviation unit as a blackhawk door gunner for reenlisting. i know there is a qualification test and i had heard they are always needing door gunners but then again but the time i get back from afghanistan they will have only been back a few months.
The only MOS that could assure you of being in the position to be a door gunner is 15T. Theres 2 crew members in the back of the 60, one is gonna be the crew chief, the other could be another 15T or someone filling is as a door gunner. Sure, any MOS can sit in the seat, but you'd have to know the right people and be in the right place to be able to do that. It's not something that you are going to be able to acquire during reenlistment. And you probably wouldn't end up in the 82nd CAB. You should just reenlist 15T and go from there.
15Us also have Crew Chiefs (who man the 240s in the doors).
Everything else is spot on though. Brand new repairers spend time in maintenance first, then after proving one's mettle in the hangar, one can be selected for Flight.
1. If you are E5 or higher it is very unlikely that you will get a flight slot. E5+ 99% of the time will be squad leaders, and it's difficult to place an inexperienced E5 in charge of a bunch of E4's who know their sh|t. Most likely you will oversee daily maintenance and possibly phase maintenance, depending on how quickly and how well you learn the aircraft.
2. You will go to AIT for 16 weeks, then your new unit, see #1.
3. If/when you go downrange, you can then request to go on missions as a gunner if you are not already a CE. You will need to go through the same RL progression that the CE's go through to be qualified for flight.
4. You can try to get the the 82nd in your reenlistment contract, that is not unheard of, and definitely a possibility.
Kinda stupid to send a tango out as a doorgunner isn't it? Just make him a crewdog. Why waste the MTOE slot? We got fobbits to fill doorgunner downrange.
Originally posted by Saltyfish: Kinda stupid to send a tango out as a doorgunner isn't it? Just make him a crewdog. Why waste the MTOE slot? We got fobbits to fill doorgunner downrange.
Would you mind explaining your post? Is being a doorgunner bad?
No. I'm sorry that I don't have time to explain this in greater detail but I told you to do some research on this forum. All 15T crewchiefs are door gunners as well. If we need extra people due to reduced manning we will pull people out of other jobs to fill in as door gunners. Of course we prefer to use 15t's but their are not enough usually. Door gunners can't fix the birds but they clear the aircraft, help with basic tasks and man the weapons. When we rotate home they usually go back to their previous jobs. How a unit picks their door gunners in Iraq is completely different from one flight company to another. So no, you can't be assured of being a doorgunner unless you are a 15T or 15U and are selected for a flight slot.
Do some research on this forum, all your questions will be answered.
Additionally, 15Us in Flight Company here have to go to the range to qualify with the M-240H and also have to do aerial gunnery. So those on the guns actually know what they're doing and how to do it. Anyone can spray & pray...
I am an 11B, I am a Sgt. and my re-enlistment is coming up and i wanted to be a door gunner. What would be the best idea to re-up for: to stay 11b and go to avaition bde or to re-class to a different mos so it is a gaurenteed????
Originally posted by johvan: If you reenlist for 15T UH60 Helicopter repairer:
1. If you are E5 or higher it is very unlikely that you will get a flight slot. E5+ 99% of the time will be squad leaders, and it's difficult to place an inexperienced E5 in charge of a bunch of E4's who know their sh|t. Most likely you will oversee daily maintenance and possibly phase maintenance, depending on how quickly and how well you learn the aircraft.
2. You will go to AIT for 16 weeks, then your new unit, see #1.
3. If/when you go downrange, you can then request to go on missions as a gunner if you are not already a CE. You will need to go through the same RL progression that the CE's go through to be qualified for flight.
4. You can try to get the the 82nd in your reenlistment contract, that is not unheard of, and definitely a possibility.
Good luck
While it's true that a lot of E-5 become TI's in Delta companies, saying that 99% of E-5's are not flying is incorrect.
Line companies are MTOE for CE's up to E-5. Certain units are MTOE'd up to E-6.
Originally posted by Saltyfish: Kinda stupid to send a tango out as a doorgunner isn't it? Just make him a crewdog. Why waste the MTOE slot? We got fobbits to fill doorgunner downrange.
This doesn't even make any sense. Crew chiefs are door gunners. They are in an MTOE slot as CE's.
If you meant this in reference to bringing in non-15 series guys to perform the duty, there's not really a need when you can always pull a second CE from Delta company.
Some units even used their flight ops guys if the shortage was that severe. There are a lot of ways to bypass this without having to go outside of your battalion.
Originally posted by infantry09: I am an 11B, I am a Sgt. and my re-enlistment is coming up and i wanted to be a door gunner. What would be the best idea to re-up for: to stay 11b and go to avaition bde or to re-class to a different mos so it is a gaurenteed????
Unless you're in the 82d or 101st, you're not going to an AVN BDE as an 11B.
Even then you wold be going to a Pathfinder company and doing infantry work.
If/when you go downrange, you can then request to go on missions as a gunner if you are not already a CE. You will need to go through the same RL progression that the CE's go through to be qualified for flight.
Just saw this.
I would think RL prgoression would move a lot quicker due to the optempo in theater.
If APART/RL Progression requirements weren't waived by the commander, the amount of hours being flown would see to it that you turn out RL1 CE's in a quarter of the time. The SI would be pulling his/her hair out, but it could be done.
okay, well i am in 1st cav. for starters and not 82 or 101. So what would be the best decision for me to get a spot as a door gunner. to reclass to become a crew cheif or a 15t or to try like hell to stay infantry and go to aviation bde and get qualified for flight and get a slot as a door gunner????
also i am in the infantry and have no idea what your acronyms are. like RL1, CE's, SI, TI's, MTOE'd, so if you dont mind helping me out with those. much appreciated. thanks
