Is AW (naval aircrewan) a good rating in the navy?

Question

AW or previously known as aviation warfare systems operator seems like a great rating. I do have one complaint though, there seems to be extensive training for this rating, from what ive read you would have to go to at least 3 or 4 schools to become a AW, and thats about 2 years of training before u can get ur first assigment. that sounds tough, being in a classroom for 2 years?
why is training so extensive for this rating?
does those 2 years count towards ur 4 or 6 year contract? how does that work?
is it a good rating?
can u move up faster in rate here or as same as other ratings? it seems that u would have a higher rate when u get ur first assignment, at least an E3 since ur "loosing" 2 years already in training.

ANY PERSON WITH EXPERIENCE. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE UR ANSWERS. THANK YOU.

Answer 1

I WAS an AW... YES, it's a LONG LONG road to get your Wings of Gold (Aircrew) and to finally have an NEC (Naval Enlisted Code) that shows you to be a QUALFIIED AW. At least back as far as 1998, the pipeline (training) was:



Bootcamp - 2 months

Aircrew Candidate School - 1 month

RSS (Rescue Swimmer School for those headed to SAR) - 6 weeks

AW A-School - 10 weeks

SERE (Survival Evasion Resistance & Escape) 2 weeks

Basic Acoustics - 4-5 weeks

Type Training at the Fleet Replacement Squadron to learn YOUR aircraft - 3 months to 6 months depending on the bird



ONLY about HALF of that training is in a classroom... a lot will be in the pool, running, in simulators, on the flight-line, and in the bird.



THEN you get to your Fleet Squadron as a winged aircrewman !! You'll spend a month or so to meet Squadron and Wing qualifications.



YES, the time counts to your contract... that's why AW is a 6 year contract so they can get you through a full sea-tour after training.



It's a GREAT rating... I spent 8 years as an AW before getting my commission.



You'll make rate quickly at first... but then it slows down in the E-5 to E-6 to E-7 path. LOTS of smart folks reaching for fewer slots. Then again, with the skills you gather as an AW, if promotion doesn't arrive I knew any number who got out and sucessful careers (typically with a degree the Navy had paid for).

Answer 2

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Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.



RE:

Is AW (naval aircrewan) a good rating in the navy?

AW or previously known as aviation warfare systems operator seems like a great rating. I do have one complaint though, there seems to be extensive training for this rating, from what ive read you would have to go to at least 3 or 4 schools to become a AW, and thats about 2 years of training before...

Answer 4

Answers to your questions:



* The schooling counts towards your contract. But, like stated above you may have a contract that's longer than normal to compensate for the long schooling

* If the school is long, there's a good reason. Do you really want to be one of a handful of crew members up there, and not know what you're doing? There's not lots of room for on-the-job training

* And yes, you're not in a classroom the whole 2 years. You're being sent to school, not death by powerpoint.

* AW advancement, like all advancements and promotions, is governed by current and future manning levels. The Navy uses CREO, Career Reenlistment Objectives

http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/EF874E40-3C46-431C-952E-F2CF9A32FDF2/0/NAV08263.txt

AW is currently 1/2/3, meaning undermanned for E1-E4, manned at current levels for E5, and overmanned for E6. Of course, CREO changes frequently so you need to look at historical trends.

* Two years in the Navy, not even factoring ratings into this, with no operational experience you will probably be an E-3 unless (like above) you get a deal written into your contract.

Answer 5

If you really want to go for Aviation, do it. To find out a little more about what the job is like, there's a show on PBS.com called Carrier, and it focuses a lot on what the Aviation crew does. Personally, I'm going into the Nuke program, and we definitely have a 2 year program for school. We have to sign up for 6 years, and the first 2 are schooling, and the other 4 are regular service. I didn't think Aviation school was that long, but I didn't pay much attention to it at MEPS. I'm automatically going into Boot as an E-3, and getting out of A school as an E-4. Your contract will tell you the details of that if/when you sign up.

Answer 6

To me, any rating with the letter A in it bites. That's brown shoe navy, and I was black shoe - destroyers.

That being said...

Any rating in the Navy is a good rating, if it's what you want to do.

You won't just be in a classroom, unless you think of being trained on an actual flight deck a classroom.

If the trainings extensive, there's a reason. Accept it. And accept the challenge of it.

Yes, the years in school count towards your contracted obligation.

I don't know the advancement chances in this rating, but you're probably going to be an E-4 or even (depending on your performance) an E-5 before you get to the Fleet.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Navy It Rating

Answer 8

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/awFYz



The Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare Operator flies as a crewman in a variety of aircraft such as the P-3 Orion, S-3 Viking, and H-3 Sikorsky in pursuit of enemy submarines. Using equipment such as Sonar, Magnetic Anomoly Detection, Sonobuoys, Bathythermographs, and others the operators detect, analyze, and classify submarines into catagories such as type, location, country of origin, etc... The H-3 Sikorsky (helicopter) AW also doubles as a Search and Rescue (SAR) swimmer.

Answer 9

Aircrew program will perform crew duties and in-flight maintenance jet, turboprop, and helicopter aircraft. What they do: operating tactical weapons, sensors, and communication equipment preforming in-flight maintenance of aircraft electricaland mechanicle gear Working with pilots to operate and control aircraft systoms operating mine countermeasure detection and explosion euipment providing resue of downed pilots and emergency first aid and survival swimming performing duties of flight attendandts and load masters. AW should have an interest in aviation and working on and around aircraft with no fear of flying . AW should be in exellent physical condition and motivated toward physical and mental challenges. Working enviorment: AW may be assighned to sea or shore duty in any part of the world. When not airborn they work in airaft hangers, on flight decks, or on flight lines at naval air stations usually around high level of noise. Schooling: AW candidate school is at NAS pensacola FL and is 5 weeks Rescue swimmer school is at NAS pensacola FL and is 4 weeks Class a tech school is at NAS pensacola FL and is 7-23 weeks depending on source rating Fleet replacement quadron is at variuos naval air stations and is 6-32 weeks depending on type of aircraft. Hope this helps.

Answer 10

first it's AW (a) school, then air crew school which is very physical (lots of swimming) with jump school/ejection seat training depending on what type of aircraft they want you on and maybe SEAR (not sure if that's the right acronym) but basically it about what to do if your plane crashes behind enemy lines and you have to escape and it's pretty intense...by the time all that's done you should be at least an E4 and ready for a squadron...I was an air traffic controller but had a lot of buds who went through the training and I think that's a pretty accurate picture of what you can expect...Pensacola ain't a bad place to be for most of that time

Answer 11

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