Air Crew

[Glenn Jones]

I have a daughter in Starbord D in P'cola waiting to class up for Rescue Swimmer School. She has already passed her initial Air Crew basic qualification. As you know, RSS is not a walk in the park, about 70% fail or DOR, and there are very few female RSS's. From what I have learned, if you wash out of RSS, you are put in an "undesignated seaman" classification, and you are dog meat awaiting a decision on what's in the best interest of the Navy, but in any case, you will NOT be placed in a dry Air Crew designation. Does it seem cost effective to put someone through Air Crew basic and then not let them proceed in a dry Air Crew rating if they want, if they don't make it through RSS? Doesn't seem right to me...... comments anyone?

[Charles Charmichael]

This is a very unfortunate situation for the RSS candidates.  My son DOR'd from RSS and spent a lot of time in no-man's land.  No counseling on a job in the navy, no information on what he can do.  Nothing.  The navy "leaders" were silent.

 

As a dad, I watched my son work diligently for nearly 2 years leading up to RSS only to have his dreams crushed.  And this is after passing every test they gave him, and finishing NACCS.  He did not fail anything at all. No discipline problems, no disrespect.  Just one day a chief walked in and hammered him till he quit.

 

Yes they should get to go into dry aircrew school.  In hindsight - my son says - RSS is a very bad choice for a rate right out of boot camp.  If you want to be RSS, go do something else first, then strike for RSS after you already have a rate.

[Charles Charmichael]

After this ordeal, I have done some reading on the Navy public websites, and it looks like you can find out how "full" a rate is by reviewing the CREO list.  1-undermanned, 2-manned, 3-overmanned.  Basically you want to get in a rate that is a 1.

 

Guess what rescue swimmer is ranked.

        

        E1-E4,         E5,     E6

AWR -  3,              2,       2

 

Wish we had known about this before going in.

[NavyDads Admin (Paul)]

ALL rates are virtually over-manned these days according to the powers that be.........