Hey everyone.

I'm currently stationed at NPTU in Ballston Spa and I've been thinking of going officer and trying out for pilot. The nuclear field has been good to me, but, as of late, it isn't looking like something I want to continue doing.

Does anyone have experience with going STA-21? Any help is appreciated.

Have a fine Navy day!

http://forums.military.com/eve...7331/m/4330033771001


Read this and if you have any other questions put them there.

Are you a SPU or a student? If a SPU for how long and when will you transfer? If a student when do you plan on submitting? The FY-11 stuff isnt out yet and FY-10 is closed

Student. If I decide to do this, I'll submit that day. I'm still tying to decide.

Will submit any furter questions. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by 21690379:
Student. If I decide to do this, I'll submit that day.

It's not a matter of "submitting that day". The application is a mutli-layered, multi-stepped process. Not something you just hand in a piece of paper for and say "hey, lets go".

As you'll find out reading that thread, you have to submit with your current command, meaning the command you go to sea with, just after you report there. (Chances dictate, the online portion of the application won't even be up before you graduate NPTU-has to be completed before the rest of the application), so you will submit with your first boat/ship. Not saying not to do it, just saying you better find a way to stand out now, because the chances of them writing up a stellar Officer appraisal sheet and CO letter just after you report to your first duty station are slim at best. you have to prove yourself tothem first.

As a student, it's honestly hard to tell whether you'll like it in the end. Story: DH hated it, did well in the schools, but still didnt like it. Hated the first couple of years on his boat. Qualified EWS as a second class because he proved he was worth it, made E-6 first time up (EM), got selected as a permanent crew member to NR-1 (look it up if you have questions about her), qualified EOOW and EDO, DAPA, etc. Got selected STA-21 (NFO-can't apply to NUKE from the fleet). Now has 10 years in, totally finishing 20 God willing, and is fighting to go back subs because he has learned he can't stand flyboy mentatily. Just pointing out the fleet is much different than the pipeline. You have no idea how you'll like it or not until you get there.

I certainly hope I didn't have anything to do with Adam hating his boat...

quote:

Originally posted by PO1_Kline:
I certainly hope I didn't have anything to do with Adam hating his boat...

OH no! Quite the opposite, really. He looked up to you. Some others (like the E-6s that qualed EWS after him) not so much

It was just the typical low-man on the todem pole newbie stuff. I had to kick him in the butt a few times to show him what he could do different to help his situation. Guess it worked !!!!

Obviously it did....thanks for doing it!

Apply early and often. I was a surface nuke and no one liked it. Its hard work and even harder seeing the rest of the ship getting a much better deal (granted our "bad deal" is still better than that of the sub force").

Get letters of rec from anyone you can, high school teachers, shift eng (we had them in charleston, don't know what you call them in new your), vol groups, if you get to the fleet before the next round, get pinned, be it dolphins or esws. PINS are the only thing topsiders care about, have a great package, qualified all your nuclear watchstations early great but w/o a pin... youre no bueno. Serious. If you are surface qualify esws while you are in bneq, its the only time you are going to get free time when you are a nub.

Have fun and remember, it (does not ever)gets better after orse!

quote:

Originally posted by PO1_Kline:
I certainly hope I didn't have anything to do with Adam hating his boat...

Ignore what my wife said. You were easily half of it j/k. I do think I only got one checkout from you when I was in quals though. Wonder why that was...........
I still remember it though.

To the OP. I know this is probably all over the boards here already, but something I think is worth looking at are the manning levels of the communities you are considering. For example, pilots are overmanned, and have been for a while. The submarine community is either at or below manning for officers, and has been since forever ago. The effects of the aviation community overmanning problem can be felt as far away as KU NROTC, in that we commissioned an Ensign in December, he went to pensacola in April, found out that the pipeline was backed up almost a year, and got TAD orders back here until he classes up, hopefully in the fall sometime. Meanwhile his obligation clock (8 years) doesn't start until he completes all phases of his training. If that wasn't enough, he'll also find an enviornment very eagar to get rid of all the "non-hackers" because they've got people lined up out the door trying to get in. A couple bad flights, a medical issue, just about anything can be used to disenroll, and when that happens, you've got just about nowhere to go if you want to stay in the Navy, because everyone else is overmanned too. Not that the officer pipeline is a pump, but you already know a lot about what you're doing in that area, and have a good head start against your peers.

Just some issues I've been sorting through over the past year or so (I was originally an NFO selectee, and should be a submarine option next week if I pass the interview). Its good to think about everything, and I think a lot of the pilots we're sending out here haven't considered all the details.

Hope it helps. Good luck.

So what is this new Ensign doing at KU? Is he taking more classes now while he waits? It seems strange that he would be sent back to KU although I guess you can't send an O-1 to do scut work like you can an E-1.

quote:

Originally posted by mturnb:
So what is this new Ensign doing at KU?

No one really knows. I'd put that question up there with what to do about global warming or the meaning of life.
As far as I can tell he takes up a seat in the office, and occaisionally fills in as duty driver when he can't scam one of the active duty students into doing it for him. I'm almost sure its a better gig than he would have had in pensacola. I can't imagine any student hold being too arduious when they can't make you clean though. I know that's all I ever did

I was gonna say getting fat and going on power trips.

You were probably afraid I'd use you to get back at Pat Gorrell for the three week long end-of-card checkout he gave me for EO.....

But I wouldn't have done that. And, after Trethaway's MLPO EOC....I was in enough pain that knowing the name of the system might have gotten you the signature.