Post College Plans

[AntiHippie]

Different they are. Different ways of telling time, too - for example, "on-scene at 1015" from an aircrew ACTUALLY means "I'm going to be butt hurt when I finally show up o/s 30 minutes before lunchtime and you call off the training evolution because feeding your own crew is more important to you than whatever I couldn't give you the courtesy of a heads up I was going to be an hour and a half late for".

I'll tell you what, though, some of the HH-65 drivers are nuts out west. The first time I did hoists with them and they asked me how fast I could go in the sea state we had (10-12 big fat wide rollers), they asked for at least 15kts. These crazy bastards hoist at night at 15kts in a 10+ ft swell. I get along MUCH better with these guys than most '60 drivers (at least the ones with manners). They drive their helos like we run our Motor Lifeboats.

 

[AntiHippie]

I think blackhawks look cooler than Dolphins too... And remember, the first rule when being cool is looking cool.

Mike

As much as it pains me to give them credit for anything (I'm a Motor Lifeboat Heavy Weather Coxswain, so it's against my very nature) - having worked with 60's and 65's, I've seen Dolphin drivers pull some shit that I've NEVER seen from an HH-60.

 

[Picton]

Looking to do active and leaning more towards enlisted than officer. I have found that officers spend more time behind a desk, which is something I am looking to avoid.

Who told you this? As long as you're in a maneuver unit (not necessarily MPs), when the unit goes to the field the whole unit goes. You'd expect more desk time when doing staff work as a captain or major, but there are lots of SPCs and NCOs with staff jobs as well.

As I recall, here's a major difference: when in garrison, officers and senior NCOs sit at desks. Meanwhile, the junior EMs are painting rocks or mowing lawns. You decide which you'd prefer.

 

[ochmude]

Who told you this? As long as you're in a maneuver unit (not necessarily MPs), when the unit goes to the field the whole unit goes. You'd expect more desk time when doing staff work as a captain or major, but there are lots of SPCs and NCOs with staff jobs as well.

As I recall, here's a major difference: when in garrison, officers and senior NCOs sit at desks. Meanwhile, the junior EMs are painting rocks or mowing lawns. You decide which you'd prefer.

It wasn't all painting rocks and mowing laws when I was in. We frequently pulled all of our gear out of our warehouse, laid it all out, inventoried it, packed it up, then put it all away. We did this several times a week, sometimes twice a day. At least when you paint rocks you have something to show for it when you're done .

 

[AntiHippie]

Good points.

Even enlisted, eventually it catches up to you and you get a desk. I dodged that shit for over a dozen years, and it finally caught up a few years ago. Doesn't mean you won't still be involved in operational stuff - just means you get a shit-ton of administrative duties on top of that. Like explaining why one of your subordinates did something stupid while you were on leave 3000 miles away...or a never-ending brutal cycle of enlisted evaluations.

 

[gvd0006]

MP's = buddy ****ers and no one likes a buddy ****er.

OP look into another MOS, don't short sight your self. You may or may not find something else you would rather do.

 

[Andy in NH]

It was the progression of the "up or out" (i.e. get promoted of be discharged) mentality and the resulting increase of paper work and meetings that in part predicated my departure from the service.

I was in several units where the lack of creativity in the leadership resulted in numerous worthless working parties.

I was also in unit where the Plt Sgt said, "Get the weapons out of the armory and go practice squad tactics in the woods across the street. The 1st Sgt. won't be able to find you out there. Be back in time for liberty call." We did our fair share of police-call and field-day, but we spent more time practicing our trade.