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Aw Rating merger and Today's ASW
Well - in keeping with the recently posted NG charter for this joint,
I offer this up: Do group members here think this is a good idea?? My days as an AW (S-3A's & B's) concentrated on sub-hunting and aviation acoustic analysis, ISAR RADR, MAD, et al. But merging the rating with mechs and metal smiths seems to me is kinda broad-based. What are the rating exams going to look like? In my day, we had AW's in the following specialties: - acoustic - non-acoustic - helo This article would leave one thinking that the AW rating will now have numerous sub-specialties; none of which are related to any of the others, except that they all have gold wings and draw ACIP. What is the current status of aviation ASW in the fleet today? Is it even done anymore - even by P-3's? When was the last time any AW's actually analysed any "grams"? If there's anybody out there who is closer to the community than I am, it would be interesting to hear from you. Regards, The following was in the latest Navy Times: Career aircrew sailors merged into AW rating By Mark D. Faram Times staff writer Navy officials approved the merger of all career aircrew sailors into the Aviation Warfare Systems Operator rating May 2. As a result, nearly 1,000 career helicopter enlisted aircrew sailors currently in one of nine aviation maintenance ratings will be automatically converted to AW by the end of December, unless they ask not to. The move will only involve those with one of six helicopter Naval Enlisted Classifications. It will have no effect on fixed wing enlisted aircrew … yet. That could change in the next year, with a proposal being worked to merge those sailors into the community. “We need to have a professional enlisted aircrew cadre as the Navy transitions into the multi-mission helicopters of the future,” said Chief Aviation Machinist’s Mate (AW/NAC) Brad Hoel. The merger grew from the Navy’s decision to consolidate its helicopter fleet from seven different aircraft to just two versions of the MH-60. “With the work anticipated for the helo aircrew of the future, it was just too much to expect these sailors to perform the warfare missions while flying and then ask them to be maintainers as well,” Hoel said. With the shift to the MH-60 Romeo and Sierra airframes, Navy helicopters will spend more time on war-fighting missions than hauling supplies and mail. Sierras are already in the fleet. The first few Romeos were delivered to the Navy this year, and are expected to deploy aboard carriers by 2008. The creation of a rating to handle all of the onboard aircrew duties of the two airframes will mean better career progression and a greater variety of billets for enlisted fliers. Hoel said an advisory panel of senior enlisted aircrew will meet May 17 to begin the process of merging the fixed wing NECs into the community as well. “It wasn’t part of the original plan, but now it only makes sense to look at consolidating the entire community into a single rating,” Hoel said. Training pipeline expanded During the rating transition, those flying in jobs that are more logistical than warfare-related won’t be expected to cross-train. “If they’re in a fleet support squadron delivering supplies and mail, this won’t really do more than just change their title and rating badge,” Hoel said. Still, the training pipeline is being expanded to handle more students expected in the future. The first advancement exam for the combined rating will be the January 2006 chief’s test. Hoel said advancement tests have been rewritten to reflect more of the aircrew portions of the rating. The merger started in March, when career aircrew E-8s and E-9s were converted to AW. Chiefs will convert in September, and the rest will make the switch in December. Sailors will be automatically converted to AW unless they opt out in writing by July 31. “If they don’t want to convert, they must submit a form 1306 before the deadline in July,” Hoel said. Those opting out of the switch will be taken out of the aircrew program and get their next orders from the detailer in their current source rating, he said. “If they are in a critical specialty, they could be allowed to finish their current assignment as aircrew and then revert to their source rating after that,” he said. Also, anyone opting out will be allowed to continue wearing their gold aircrew wings, Hoel said, although they will no longer be eligible for career aircrew billets or enlisted aviation continuation pay. Who’s affected The merger of helicopter aircrewmen into the Aviation Warfare Systems Operator rating will affect sailors holding career aircrew Naval Enlisted Classifications of 8205, 8211, 8207, 8215, 8225, 8226. Sailors holding those NECs come from the nine aviation maintenance “source ratings” previously designated as prerequisites for career aircrew duty. Those ratings a • Aviation machinist’s mate. • Aviation electrician’s mate. • Aviation ordnanceman. • Aviation electronics technician. • Aviation structural mechanic. • Aviation structural mechanic (safety equipment). • Aircrew survival equipmentman. • Two compression ratings: aircraft maintenanceman and avionics technician; E-9 aircrew in these ratings were converted to AW in March. More information is available in NavAdmin 092/05 at http://www.npc.navy.mil/ReferenceLib...ils/092_05.htm. Back to top |
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