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Got less than a week now until I head to OCS. All I want for the new year is to not be the annoying new ensign.
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Jan 1, 2017 20:09
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Got my bags backed and my ticket ready, I officially leave for Newport tomorrow! Thank you everyone for your advice and help I've really appreciated it. All goes well in 12 weeks I'll be a fresh O-1!
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Jan 7, 2017 02:26
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Hey hey everyone! Three months later and I just graduated OCS! Next stop Pensacola Florida for aviation training! I wanted to thank everyone here again for all the advice they gave me for making it through the program. My next goal is to be a competent JO who doesn't bumble through everything or screw things up badly for the people I might end up in charge of.
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Apr 1, 2017 23:35
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Wingnut Ninja posted:Congrats. How lovely was Newport in the winter? Pretty goddamn cold, and somehow my duty section always seemed to be on deck the days we had snowstorms roll in so we had to shovel. One day we had about 10 foot visibility with sidways blowing snow forcing us to make a long human chain from Nimitz to Ney to get chow. And the crazy thing, apparently this was a mild winter! I can't wait to get to Florida thats for sure. orange juche posted:Lmao good luck bud. All butterbars gently caress poo poo up, just try to not gently caress it up too bad. Your saving grace is being an aviator, you won't have to deal with enlisted for a while. Thronde posted:Oh I have full faith you will be, at least for a while. But learn from those missteps and you'll be cool. Also, congrats. Thank you! And good to know!
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Apr 2, 2017 00:30
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So, dumb question, my orders say my report date is to be no earlier than the 3rd and no later than the 7th. I'm flying down to Pensacola today. Does this mean if I get to base today I'm allowed to just chill in the Gateway for a couple days while I wait for the rest of my classmates to trickle in so we can report all at once, or do I have to report to the quarter deck right away on the 3rd?
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Apr 2, 2017 13:27
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Major Minor posted:Hey Jimmy, I read this thread everyday but never post because I’m retarded and not funny. I’m on the SNA side so I can’t help you with much post-API but I have NFO buddies at every stage of training and in every community so feel free to give me a shout with whatever and if I can’t help, I’ll get you someone who knows better. Thanks for the heads up and advice! I'll definitely drop a line if I have any questions!
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Apr 3, 2017 01:49
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Anita Dickinme posted:I like being water soldiers. I know I'm still new, but the Coast Guard ODU seem pretty useful for being practical and looking okay. Could the Navy have just added a cuff or a crease or something to make it "navy unique" and have just used that rather than going to type 3's? Since the Coast Guard already uses them wouldn't the logistics have been simpler and streamlined?
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Jun 5, 2017 18:17
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I honestly don't see why we have to be like every other branch except worse with the type III's vomit green. Wish we had either taken the marine's camies or just kept the blue with the Type III material.
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Mr. Nice! posted:SEA WARRIORS I was wondering that too, we have flame resistant coveralls and it seems like people on ship wear them a lot or all the time, why not have them do it on land too, especially if they'll be working in that uniform as well. It'd be one less thing for the seabag. I understand they'd be uncomfortable in warm weather, but that seems kind of minor.
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Jun 5, 2017 21:50
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Seeing all those stories about India and deploying in the poo water has reaffirmed my desire to try and get P-8's once I'm through training.
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Jul 30, 2017 00:38
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vulturesrow posted:I don't think it sucks more. I think whats driving it is the much lower O4 selection rates combined with the borderline insane rate at which airlines are hiring right now. If those two things weren't a thing, I think VFA aviators would find their lives much more palatable. Another thing I hear too from some of my instructors here at the squadron is that for strike, it can be pretty hard to balance work/family life. With long deployment times and then the usual extensions that can get placed on them, some guys can go almost a year without seeing their families. Work ups and training can also play a pretty big role too, especially if you're on a Growler ( I have a family friend whose a Growler pilot and I think he's getting out since he keeps getting put on extra work and his wife just had a baby a year ago). All the married guys keep telling my class that if you go strike, its usually good to stay single (jokingly, but still some truth). I still need to ask around some more but after hearing that from a lot of strike guys, I'm feeling more and more happy putting strike as my last choice for selections (still hoping to get P-8  ).
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Aug 13, 2017 15:55
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Wingnut Ninja posted:Well, the safety stand down today was pretty much as expected. Let's review ORM, because if there's any human error component to these mishaps, then by god it must mean that more ORM will fix it. Let's gloss over the fact that the human is a lot more prone to make errors when he's dealing with a slew of equipment failures and degrades on his old as poo poo jet after having flight hours and maintenance slashed to a bare minimum. I particularly loved the chart that shows mishap rates steadily climbing after 2013, when sequestration started some of the most egregious cuts to readiness. Haha you got that chart too? Some of the higher ups at our stand-down talked a bit about that, but didn't really say why that was happening or offer any analysis, they just said to ORM better. It wasn't all bad though, we found out our CO likes to goof around on reddit, and to tie into ORM he gave a ten minute speech spoiling the ending of the Game of Thrones season finale, so that was kind of fun.
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Aug 30, 2017 00:40
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I'll just throw in an echo to the would-be nuke to please listen to the guys here in the thread. You have people from all walks of life in the Navy, including the field you are looking at saying don't do itKetTarma posted:Well, we tried. I've only been the mall down here in Pensacola a handful of times and I swear to god I see at least a half dozen dudes and chicks rocking this look. Whats in those bags? Also why wear the dress uniform to the mall, are they not allowed to wear civvies or something?
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Nov 7, 2017 05:00
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MancXVI posted:When I was at A-school in Pensacola we had to wear dress blues off base for the first couple weeks before getting our liberty cards. It was dogshit, especially since there wasn’t a legit navy fed branch at NATTC so if you wanted to do any banking or get your poo poo in order after getting there you had to suit up like a dickhead. Ouch, that sucks, when you were waiting for A-school did they make you guys do sweepers at the API building? When I was going through I usually saw some airmen and rescue swimmer aspirants sweeping/moving crap/standing random I.D checks in the hallway and felt bad so I'd sneak them candy bars when no one was looking. Going through primary right now is really weird among the SNFO's, everyone is fighting to try and get slots at VT-4 to fly in any of the big wings, but people keep getting jet drafted even though VT-86 has a five month wait time to class up, you'd think with that giant pig in the python they'd slow the flow there.
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Nov 7, 2017 22:49
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LingcodKilla posted:The fort and lighthouse are great and be prepared to spend a full day at the naval air museum because it's out-loving-standing. Just when you think there can't be more you realize there's a whole second building. When I was waiting to class up for API a few of us got cached in the museum to help out for a few hours a day, best job ever that place is awesome. vulturesrow posted:Wanting to go big wings is dumb. Hey man, some want the pointy end of the spear and some feel the call of the majestic sky RV.
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Nov 9, 2017 04:18
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For skipping the PRT next cycle does that happen automatically if you made the right score or do you have to get cleared by someone first? Wanted to make sure I was reading BUPERS right.
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Nov 9, 2017 13:34
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Dingleberry posted:On a lighter note Looks like someone didn't know which type of entry they wanted to do for their holding pattern 
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Nov 17, 2017 05:05
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The fact that he had a Navy furry badge makes me wonder, did he make it himself, or are there enough furries in the Navy that conventions have special IDs for sailors?
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Dec 5, 2017 17:35
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Nick Soapdish posted:Get ready to shovel snow, boot. If they give you black boots get extra polish, salt from de-icing chewed mine up bad.
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Dec 13, 2017 03:50
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Stultus Maximus posted:The key is being in a command where nobody with authority cares. Since we have holidays coming up, our command came up with some light BS week long field day so we get to muster in sweatpants everyday.
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Dec 14, 2017 03:55
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Wingnut Ninja posted:It would be even more dysfunctional than than the ship manning; we've got an assortment of NFOs and aircrewmen, and a few pilots who fly aircraft that don't use NFOs. I'll take the coffee maker, its about the only thing I'm qualified on right now! If we can kludge a catapult to launch an Orion this Goonbote will be rocking.
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Jan 4, 2018 03:30
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Wingnut Ninja posted:Don't forget the renowned MV ~~~~~~~~. In Pensacola we have some navigation points that have names the look odd. I think the best one is point INBRD. Its supposed to be inboard but we call it inbred.
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Jan 10, 2018 15:41
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Wingnut Ninja posted:It's pretty fuzzy by now. All I can remember is the fix over Mobile bay that you can cheat just by flying towards the oil platform (TRADR). JERYS? I remember a few times when I was flying out over the bay they wanted me to do a point to point to that one, but since the VOR was like 30 nm out, everyone just used TRADR since it got them close enough to make MIF.
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Jan 11, 2018 17:25
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LingcodKilla posted:That’s why I doubt their rail gun is anything more than a Firefly prop. The real question is will Chinese Fox cancel it after one season?
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Feb 3, 2018 19:41
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Dr. Arbitrary posted:Apparently there are multiple people who have spent significant chunks of their enlistment in boot camp medical hold. I went through boot in 2003. Not quite the same but at OCS we had a few dudes and dudettes who'd been in the medical holding company for almost the better part of a year. One of the girls was telling us about one girl who'd been there for nine months due to getting her hip hosed up bad during Fast Cruise. Apparently they'd merged the medical holding company with the general "H" class (the place they put the people who rolled back due to PT or evolution fails) a little before her time after some person went out on medical liberty and came back smashed and passed out on the quarterdeck. I miss those guys, they were like our version of Red from Shawshank Redemption, they knew their way around the base and make sure we didn't screw up too bad.
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Feb 16, 2018 18:19
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Godholio posted:I'm not sure if there's ever been a decision that would be LESS popular DOD-wide. We talking hypotheticals? Mandatory cheese and vegetable MRE's for a month, with the skittles taken away and given to Fat Leonard while you have to come in during the 96 to implement a new pay system that will not pay you for 2 months? Jimmy4400nav fucked around with this message at 03:14 on Mar 14, 2018 |
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Mar 14, 2018 03:10
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Doing some global good there!
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Mar 18, 2018 19:23
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Madurai posted:We asked some pointed questions about that in Desert Storm, when it looked like there was a real chance we could take a prize. If a P-8 drops a sono buoy on a ship to get it to surrender, does the aircrew get the prize? 
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Mar 21, 2018 02:35
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poopkitty posted:Eh. Some folks love Whidbey. Praying to Jebus, Odin and Vishnu that once I finish VT-4 and complete training at the RAG I'll get a Whidbey posting.
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Mar 27, 2018 04:04
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When I was checking into Pensacola last April they gave us the option of Summer Whites or SDB for check in. Even with 2 uniform options people still messed up, the best was when a group of about 12 rolled up in their choker whites like they were going to Navy Ball. They had to do a uniform inspection the next day.
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Apr 6, 2018 13:51
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vulturesrow posted:loving ROTC grads The sad thing was most of them were my buddies from OCS, we told them summer whites, but they thought it was meant as full choker whites. It sucked for one of my friends who checked in in proper SDBs, but rolled in at the same time as Navy Ball group so even though she had been in a correct uniform, she had to do the inspection too But yeah the ROTC grads looks like rear end in their uniforms the whole while I was in schools command.
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Apr 7, 2018 06:23
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Wonder Free posted:I checked in with khakis and then just did the A-pool muster thing in PT gear for a few months in 2009. Though every 6 months or so some new hilarious Ensign fuckup makes them knee jerk some new bs for everyone. For us it was endangered bird hunting and breaking into the schoolhouse to steal tests. drat, that's crazier than our for sure. We mustered in khakis with mandatory group PT 3 times a week (too many dudes were coming in from OHARP with an extra 20-40 pounds and failing the APIT), but in terms of trouble the worst we had were a couple guys sneaking into the survival pool to practice tread and float and the institution of a mandatory 4 hour parking lot watch in khakis to make sure students didn't park in instructor spaces. Also we had so many people getting pink sheets in IFS testing because the proctor liked to change questions from the study material to mess with the students. Killing birds and stealing tests though, that sounds like a story.
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Apr 7, 2018 20:39
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Wingnut Ninja posted:Hahahahahahahahahaha. God drat that place is run by a bunch of chodes. I got lucky, the pool was down to like 20-30 people and I managed to avoid all the major bullshit watches (parking lot watch and 8 hour quarter deck watch), worst watches were random one hour RAM checking the bags and IDs for 0-6's coming to the command. Museum watch was fun though. Love the last line of the article: quote:The source said the squadron commander pulled all of the students and reminded them not to be stupid.
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Apr 10, 2018 04:25
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Should have just snuck in a second, personal gun. Good luck man. Jimmy4400nav fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Apr 16, 2018 |
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Apr 16, 2018 04:28
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Red Crown posted:Oddly enough, I've never met an autistic chief, but I've met many autistic officers. We're they crypto/intel officers? A few folks I went through class with seemed like they might hang near the spectrum and all of them were in one of those communities.
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May 5, 2018 05:22
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Got my selection tomorrow! I'll be finding out if I'll be on a EP-3 or a P-8, hoping for the newer shiny plane, though the EP-3 is kind of cool and it'd be guaranteed Whidbey island. Anyone here ever work with EP-3's?
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May 14, 2018 03:42
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And selections complete! Managed to snag one of the P-8 spots! Now I just have to actually finish training and get my wings!
Jimmy4400nav fucked around with this message at 04:00 on May 15, 2018 |
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May 15, 2018 00:33
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Nick Soapdish posted:Congrats! Neat to be on the newest platform. I can't remember, are you an NFO or part of the IWC? Thanks man! I'm NFO, do a lot of IWC guys work with P-8's? Wingnut Ninja posted:Nice. Enjoy the comfy seats on your mil-spec airliner. Everytime P-8s came in for the fleet fly ins, the comfy chairs were the top 5 things people talked about for the P-8s, along with the air conditioning. The pipeline is starting to pick up steam, they had me in the pool for about three and half months after I graduated Primary at the end of November and class started mid March and is projected to wing at the end of July. With the MCS we're sharing a common core with the E-2 guys, but apart from a couple appreciation events, we mostly train for double S C and the E-2 guys break off after the common core to practice AIC and other Strand training. Common core lasts about two and a half to three months where we learn navigation and sensors and get introduced to fleet events. After that the E-2s split off for their specialized training while the MPR, EP-3 and E-6 dudes go to do Common Nav (learning to travel using DR. GPS, INS and Radar fixes and international transitions). This takes about two weeks. After Common Nav, we split into our Strands, so MPR. EP-3 and E-6. E-6 guys stay an extra 3 to 4 weeks before winging, EP-3 takes about a month and a half and MPR takes 2 months. The MCS is really cool, but they are still working to do more integrated training, connecting machines to do more multi-seat events. As is, most practices are still 1 instructor to one student. The funny thing is, the MCS looks a lot like CMANO.
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May 15, 2018 01:41
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BIG HEADLINE posted:Congratulations on getting free training on one of the most popular airliners in the world. Major Minor posted:Congrats!! My best friend is a P-8 pilot and loves it; sounds like a great community for NFOs too. We're both from Seattle so I'll throw a shameless plug for getting stationed up at Whidbey when you have the option. Thanks guys! Fingers crossed for Whidbey! From what I hear a lot of dudes and dudettes don't want the base and prefer Jax so the odds are good I'll get to come back to the Northwest (I'm from Portland so going back North would be awesome)! Still eight weeks until I get my wings, just gotta make sure I pass the rest of advance and then SERE.   Wingnut Ninja posted:Yeah, everyone talks about how nice it is. I really need to try and get a tour if they bring some up to Fallon next month. They usually try to bring some MPRA/ISR guys out for a few events with the air wing. That reminds me of the E-6 guys who came to visit with their plane. The first slide of their community brief powerpoint literally said "Oklahoma: Its Not As Bad As People Say" yet when we visited them in their plane one of the JOs kept staring outside at the EP-3 with this sad look in his eye. Wonder Free posted:The sims are a full motion 737 flight station that can link up to the "tube trainer" with the tactical crew for training events. It simulates all that fun stuff to include all the missile avoidance systems and weapons. We had to stop shooting down crews when they were coupled with the pilot trainer because the motion was so violent that it was messing with the mounts in the sim bay. That sounds rad! some of our civilian instructors are former P-3 guys and they keep mentioning that the plane is a lot more versatile than people think so it'll be exciting to see what got folded over to P-8s!
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May 16, 2018 03:08
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wearing glasses)
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Thronde posted:Grew up in the P3 community, I'd love to get to be an NFO on either platform. How hard was the process? It wasn't too bad. I was lucky, when I submitted my packet since they were trying hard to get NFO's for training. I submitted my packet in October, got accepted at the end of November and was in OCS in January. I'm not sure if they still have the spigot turned up, but for the past couple of months they've really been working hard to ramp up production over here at VT-4, 10 and 86. The training isn't bad either, its kind of like getting sprayed with a fire hose but as long as you have good study habits and a decent work ethic its pretty straight forward. Flying in the T-6 was pretty cool though being stuck in a small cockpit definitely made me happy I got to go big wing.
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May 18, 2018 04:33
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Wingnut Ninja posted:So I don't know how it impacts overall NFO production, but the E-2 pipeline is trying to plus up due to transitioning to the E-2D; E-2D squadrons have one more plane than E-2C and have proportionally more aircrew. I'm not too sure, I'll have to check with my buddies in the E-2 strand training. At least over on this side, filling E-2 slots has been a bit of a challenge since most folks tend to put them lower on their preference sheet. At least one of each class coming out of VT-10 has an E-2 selectee, but most of the time they're one of the guys who got drafted for Pri 2 and really didn't want to go jets (though we've had a few E-2 first choicers come through).
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May 18, 2018 05:15
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