Deuce130

What's the real story on this? This has to be intentional, on either the part of the Navy or the part of the fliers.

e6bpilot

I highly doubt this was intentional on the part of the O's. There are way easier ways to get out prior to being FOSed times two. You can resign prior to even going to the board. Nobody in their right mind would hang out three more years for a $65-70K buyout (pre tax). Also, most of the 1320’s that go to the board are in it to win it. There are going to be outliers, of course, who have special situations, but they are few and far between.
This, in my opinion, is the unintended consequence of two things. One is the eight year commitment for non-tailhook guys. Now you have more guys hanging out for the O-4 board who either took too long to get through flight school or just don't want to get out of the navy from a non-flying job. The other is the blatant careerism and "golden path" mentality that has permeated the pilot workforce in a time where there hasn't been much opportunity on the outside. It has kept guys around longer in the URL communities that would have quit in years past.
When you have all those guys show up to the board, our numbers look horrible. You can say there are no quotas by designator and I am sure that reads fine on the board precept, but the community managers ensure they have enough folks.
I can't wait to see how this all turns out.

rickair7777

The SECDEF can specify certain skills and experience as being desireable, ie procurement, special operations, cyber, etc which may indirectly favor certain designators (ie SEALs all have SO experience by definition).

The way the community managers (and the community flag leadership) ensure they have enough folks promoted is by arranging career paths so that enough of the right folks get to build the right resumes. If the navy needs to downsize aviators, they don't need to manipulate promotion board proceedings... that's not what they exist for, and it would probably be illegal. There are other ways to downsize (ie remove bonuses or even RIF people).

I kind of doubt that many folks intentionally "blew it", and you're right about 1320s as well. I suspect there was some sort of community screw-up, perhaps years in the making. I don't know of any big aviation force structure downsizing, at least nothing that's a done deal. Can't wait to hear the story on this...

jollygreen07

That makes one of us. I didn't see many guys I expected to on that list. The guys I didn't see were EP performers who instructed at the RAG and wanted a career.

It doesn't leave much hope for the rest of us.

Pilot7576

rickair7777,

That did happen when the P3 community went from 24 active squadrons down to 13 in the early 90s. All of a sudden, the need for 04/05 to man the squadrons was greatly reduced. There is no sense in promoting officers to man positions that no longer exist.

JMO

Pilot7576

e6bpilot

Don't take this the wrong way, but the active duty URL Navy is not where you want to be in 10 years. You would be selling yourself extremely short.

jollygreen07

No arguments here. You know where I stand on the getting out/staying in issue. Its actually good news for folks like me who are punching ASAP. I do know a few guys who had less than stellar paper who really want to stay for the long haul. If EP players aren't getting picked up they have no chance.

rickair7777

Yeah, I was there. Same thing in all the other communities too.

BDGERJMN

Ask Skipper's math and reasoning seems to be spot on...this is all part of a much bigger problem facing the Navy or its very strategic given the future of Naval aviation. One less carrier would mean a lot less need for some 131X's down the road...

Cookenbauer

Like jolly...we have mutual friends on that list who have punched all the right tickets and received the proper paperwork...only to be denied on the list. One example is a first tour EP, RAG instructor EP, and currently on a CVN tour. Didn't make the cut. That is absurd. I can seeing not making department head because of some odd timing...but not making LCDR on the first look with those credentials? Ridiculous

What's ironic is that I have taken a non standard path and have made it clear that I am getting out...but I'm still having to go to a non flying job before I'm let go to fulfill a "milestone" in my career progression. What career progression? The writing was already on thr wall...and this list just hammered it home.