Accepted a CSO slot

[jhoof24]

Anybody ever hear of a NFO successfully doing an inter-service transfer to the Air Force to become a CSO?  It seems that there are a lot more air frames to chose from as an Air Force CSO as opposed to the choices we select from as an NFO.

[08Dawg]

News to me.  I've known a couple of Navy pilot to AFRC pilot types, but that'd be a new one.  You looking at active or Guard/Reserve?

[ATIS]

On 9/6/2018 at 2:40 PM, jhoof24 said:

Anybody ever hear of a NFO successfully doing an inter-service transfer to the Air Force to become a CSO?  It seems that there are a lot more air frames to chose from as an Air Force CSO as opposed to the choices we select from as an NFO.

Q: What is your status/service?  Are you in the Navy thinking about jumping?  Are you winged yet? 

About 15 years ago I made the jump from USN NFO to ANG WSO (my Navy platform while fun to fly had the writting on the wall in the long term...aka, dying).  Then the bottem fell out of the squadron that accepted me and I departed the pattern, jumped back into the Navy as a Reservist and found myself an initial cadre OP1/backseater in the U-28 program.  Started that program with some buddies as the intial CSO group (pilots were all USAF types; all fantastic guys+2 gals), then after 3 or so years and two very long IA's...went back to being a normal desk flying Navy Reserve NFO type (unfortunatly still flying a desk...but would drag my nuts through broken glass to go back to the U-28).  

I knew of three A-6 BN's that went WSO back in the day.  Those were active Navy to ANG (one after a pep tour with F-15E's).  Not active Navy to active USAF.  

If you are a winged NFO, MC-12 CSO might be an option in the Guard (Oklahoma I believe) if you are thinking of jumping at the end of your NFO commitment.  Start trolling the B-1 or B-52 Reserve orginizations.  EC-130's out of PA ANG maybe.  Unless there is a demand signal from the active USAF, there is no place to go (maybe I am wrong...maybe a question for AFPC).  I don't know/recall a call out for active F-15E, BUFF, BONE, or Gunship/U-28's right now, so showing up on the doorstep of the USAF with Navy double anchor wings might be a dry hole.  

Being a NFO/CSO limits options more than a pilot, that's just the ground truth.

ATIS