What the hell, I'll add my stuff. Doesn't seem to be many military folks on this website.
About half way through high school, I decided I wanted to fly for the military. Now I had wanted to be a pilot since as long as I could remember but flying for the military became a goal as a sophmore/junior in High School. Unfortunetly, up to that point, my grades were barely adequate so I worked hard to get good grades my last two years. I was able to at least get into a local state school but not good enough for an NROTC scholarship, which I had set my sights on as the best way to earn a commission. I did pick up colleg program however. Good thing I was motivated for I went to Cal Poly Pomona while drove at least 2 days a week for NROTC drill/classes etc. That was a 100 mile round trip in LA traffic. I did that for 4.5 years, crazy. I worked hard my first two years in college and picked up a 2 year NROTC scholarship. I was a business major so the extra classes required by the scholarship put me 2 quarters behind. I picked a student pilot slot and was commissioned in March 93.
There was a long wait due to pilot pools in Pensacola, so I was stashed at Top Gun in San Diego. I started Aviation Pre-flight Indoctronation (API) in Oct 93 and blew my knee out the second day, surgery two months later, med down for 6 months after that. I was stuck in P-cola the entire time so when I was med-up, I requested to go to Corpus Christi, Texas for primary. I checked into VT-27 in Aug of 94. I came into the program wanting jets and if not jets, at least fly off carriers. I was never a high academic achiever and didn't do so well in API. Certainly below average. Not much better in primary for ground school. However, once I started flying, that's where I made ground. I was lucky in that I didn't have to study very hard; stay up all night studying or work in groups to prepare for flights. I did have issues with partying though. Flight school is one of those times in life where the only pressure is to earn your wings and other than that, your life is your own. There were party's, bars, wingings, every weekend...be it Corpus or P-cola. I partied my ass off, maybe too much. Anyway, at selection, you put down your choices, of which you had three. I put Jets, E2/C2 and P-3's. I figured, if was going to fly Navy, might as be off carriers. I really didn't want E2/C2 but you got jet time with that community and thought, that would be not so bad. Sure enough, I selected E2/C2 and was not happy. I was #6 out of 15 and there were 5 jet slots. Sometimes in life, success is doing what you have to do and not what you wanted to do.
I went on to VT-31 to fly T-44A's then followed on to advanced flight training at VT-4, flying the T-2C Buckeye jet trainer. VT-4 and the T-2C was absolutely one of the best times I've had in the Navy. Remember, no ground job, get to party and fly a little, old hot rod like the T-2C. I CQ'ed on the USS Kitty Hawk in July 96 and earned my wings the same month. Reported to VAW-120 in Oct 96 and picked C-2A's over the E-2C. Unfortunetly, I spoke up about a medical problem and ened up being med down for 9-12 months, no flying. That was really the result of a inept flight doc but I'll save that story for another day. I finished VAW-120 in July 98 and reported to VRC-30 the same month.
VRC-30 was flying nights to the boat at the time and spending the entire deployment on the ship. For those who don't know, C-2A's (COD's) historically would follow the ship around, staying on shore and never trapping at night. For 5 years, that changed at VRC-30 and we did just the opposite. I'll never miss night traps but I'm glad I did it for a short time. Without a doubt the hardest thing I've ever done as a pilot.
After VRC-30 I was supposed to go to VT-9 and instruct in T-2C's but those orders were pulled at the last minute and I mean last minute. I went to VAW-120 as an IP in the C-2A. Hated every minute of that tour. VAW-120 is run my E-2 NFO's and generally, a sorry bunch. From there, went to VRC-30 again....I love southern California, grew up there. After that tour, I wanted to keep flying so I chose to come to Pensacola for my current job. I turned down both the T-45 and T-6 to fly T-34C's but the job I've got is great. One of a kind in the Navy. I'm my own boss, come and go as I please, fly as much as I want, etc. Nobody looking over your shoulder, a rarity. Quality of life was more important than aircraft. I'm in charge of the prep school for Royal Saudi Navy pilots.
I've now got 4 years left and to remain in P-cola and fly what I want, which is T-6 Texan II's, I have to volunteer for an Iraq tour, a GSA. I should hopefully get 3 year orders flying the T-6 until retirement. I've got a rare career path in that it looks like I'm spending the majority of my 20 years in the cockpit. Not the norm anyway. My old CO's, coming from the 80's/90's were 5000 hour guys who never left the cockpit. The Navy has moved away from that. They want joint officers, with JPME quals, joint tours, out of the cockpit tours. You can fight to stay in the cockpit like I did but it will most likely cost you O-5, like it did for me. I knew it but chose my path. I'm extremely happy where I'm at currently and hopefully things will work out where I can retire in P-cola flying the mighty T-6 Texan II and move on to bigger and better things down the road. I'll always have the experience of the fleet, the ports, flying into a dozen different countries, some not so nice and almost 600 carrier traps with over 100 at night (left and right seat). That's just experience you can't and won't get anywhere else and I'll always treasure it. I'm also half way through with my masters from ERAU, of which the Navy is paying 75% of the bill. I'll get that 20 year retirement as well (hopefully), so I've got that going for me as well. I'm crossing my fingers