As the SWO in the group, I certainly don’t have a strong practical or cultural feel for the issue of pining wings on guys/gals who haven’t shown the ability to land on a carrier, but the issue of the aircraft selection bothers me: another drive to go with a nominally cheaper joint aircraft that doesn’t address Navy requirements. I’ve been around long enough to remember the F-111 mess but this time we apparently don’t have a Tom Connely (“Not enough thrust in all of Christendom…”) to save the Navy from itself.
For a radical thought: why not hold up winging the student pilots until they get to RFS and actually demonstrate their ability to fly the aircraft? Surface and submarines don’t do final quals until the nugget performs in the fleet (SEALs used to do this too, but have gone down a different path) and if the final key capability to be a naval aviator is held pending performance in a fleet setting, why not delay the final designator change until then? (I realize the RFS isn’t actually the operational fleet, but still close enough.) I assume the first push back on this idea will be that responsibility for the final blessing of the new aviator will shift from the training command to the RFS Commanding Officer, but so what? That final blessing by the CO having observed the officer in the field is a valuable endorsement.
From: Marc Liebman <marc@marcliebman.com>
Date: Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 05:20
To: "Michael G. Brattland" <mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com>, HeloBubbas <helobubbas@helobubbas.com>
Subject: [Helobubbas] Re: CG Change
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I remember the ruckus when CQ for all SNAs was eliminated after basic. Back then, SNA’s CQ’d in the T-2 or the T-28. I can buy the argument that SNAs going to the helo, transport or maritime patrol communities don’t need to land on a boat. However, eliminating CQ for the strike guy and E-2 guys, gimme a break.
This is all being driven by money and CV availability. We don’t have enough CVs and budgets are tight. How about saving $$$$ Navy Leadership buy fixing the systemic problems in procurement that cost us taxpayers beaucoup bucks.?
All the magic carpet systems in the world are great when the work. But what happens when they don’t? Does anyone remember MOVESLAS?
Or when a SNA actually slams into the runway during FCLP training? Or worse, screws up a day VFR approach in the RAG and either crashes into the boat or punches out. The loss of an F-35 or F/A-18 during CQ will make a dent in the potential savings and fixing the cost of a ramp strike that damages the boat and takes out people, planes and equipment will punch a hole in the purported savings.
Remember, the black shoe community eliminated the school that taught JO SWOs how to run a bridge watch and that were a contributing cause to at least three collisions, billions in damage and worse, sailors getting killed.
From: Mike Brattland <mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com>
Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 8:17 PM
To: HeloBubbas <helobubbas@helobubbas.com>
Subject: [Helobubbas] CG Changes
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