WOJG shenanigans

magnus017 · January 11, 2017

Warrant Officer Line pilots fresh out of flight school, what are your stories/experiences so far as the WOJG? Immediate duties/initiation/etc? Anyone done anything they think is ridiculous yet?

SBuzzkill · January 16, 2017

Every unit is different but a successful WOJG will be quiet, study, and have a motivated can-do attitude towards whatever they get told to do. That was my experience at least.

UH60L-IP · January 16, 2017

Had a brand new WO1 walk into the company area at 0800 hours. I was sitting there drinking coffee with other pilots like a good warrant officer. Apparently this guy had put on the wrong top and failed to look in the mirror on his way out the door. He had zero patches on his uniform. No name tape, no rank, no unit patch, nothing. He was properly introduced to the company commander and SP without delay.

Everything you think might have been said and done after that did in fact occur.

USCav19D · January 16, 2017

Had a brand new WO1 walk into the company area at 0800 hours. I was sitting there drinking coffee with other pilots like a good warrant officer. Apparently this guy had put on the wrong top and failed to look in the mirror on his way out the door. He had zero patches on his uniform. No name tape, no rank, no unit patch, nothing. He was properly introduced to the company commander and SP without delay.

Everything you think might have been said and done after that did in fact occur.

I wonder if that was a conscious "mistake"... Maybe he thought if he set the bar that low, expectations would be so horrible for him that every day he'd look like he was improving.

Rob Lyman · January 19, 2017

OK...I've done that before. Most of my uniforms have name, rank, and "U.S.Army" sewn on. One or two don't. A few times I have swapped from one uniform to another in the morning and only transferred the shoulder patches over. Luckily I have an extra set in my drawer at work.

And who hasn't gone inside only to find your American flag is evidently stuck to the seatbelt in your friend's car?

METT-TC · January 19, 2017

That sucks. First impressions matter no matter where you are on the totem pole. Technique that I would not teach.

Immediate duties--welcome to the fridge and being an assistant something to someone else (many hold off on that until RL progression is completed as it is the focus (outside of that fridge).

What did I expect of new WOJGs and LTJGs before I started their progression? Book knowledge (no matter if you start progression almost immediately or are in a queue, be ready as you can technically) when your number comes up. Be humble and ready (as you can) are probably your most important guiding principles.

Edit: Ridiculous stuff? There should be zero. You're an Army Officer now and are expected to conduct yourself as such--so should your fellows (bad leadership...luckily in the minority might have you shaking your head a time or two, but nothing warranting more). Spur rides, etc might seem ridiculous (if you're in a unit that does such), but it should all be choreographed (planned with a reason and risk approval was deliberately done). You should see zero hazing and if you do, then put on your big boy officer hat and step in.

USCav19D · January 19, 2017

That sucks. First impressions matter no matter where you are on the totem pole. Technique that I would not teach.

Immediate duties--welcome to the fridge and being an assistant something to someone else (many hold off on that until RL progression is completed as it is the focus (outside of that fridge).

What did I expect of new WOJGs and LTJGs before I started their progression? Book knowledge (no matter if you start progression almost immediately or are in a queue, be ready as you can technically) when your number comes up. Be humble and ready (as you can) are probably your most important guiding principles.

Edit: Ridiculous stuff? There should be zero. You're an Army Officer now and are expected to conduct yourself as such--so should your fellows (bad leadership...luckily in the minority might have you shaking your head a time or two, but nothing warranting more). Spur rides, etc might seem ridiculous (if you're in a unit that does such), but it should all be choreographed (planned with a reason and risk approval was deliberately done). You should see zero hazing and if you do, then put on your big boy officer hat and step in.

Good to hear. I think that by the time we get in a cockpit for the first time we have heard so many horror stories about first duty stations that it has some people anxious about what to expect. I'm not exactly sure what freezing a WOJG's hat in a block of ice is supposed to accomplish, perhaps someone with more aviation experience can fill me in...

I've met a couple of WO1s here who think they're the hottest of hot sh*t, and a few LTs. Loud mouths that rarely have the grade sheet to back it up. I can not fathom how you can come out of flight school anything other than humble. I am not one of those guys with a decade and a half of SOF experience, or a fast-tracker who made E7 in 7 years - but even those guys should recognize that they don't know sh*t any more.

SBuzzkill · January 19, 2017

A lot can be learned about someone's attitude by watching their reaction to "shenanigans." It does no use to argue the point though, because those who don't get it will never understand. There is nothing I went through as a WOJG that I didn't appreciate then or now.

And nobody gets anything frozen in a block of ice for no reason. Keep track of your ID card and don't be a slob and you'll never be taking anything back from the freezer

Edited January 19, 2017 by SBuzzkill

METT-TC · January 20, 2017

Meh. Shenanigans are not hazing. They are part of esprit de corps / team building (are you in, or out, of the "circle of trust" / reliable). And WO1s aren't the only ones to have that done; crewchief don't give a $*^#.

As far as TRADOC and flight school "I'm all that"...you won't see it on the Line. Or at least, they'll only talk tough once certain people leave the room (all the mid/senior PCs and heaven forbid if they do "it" around Stands). Do your job (FLYING and additional), do it well...and it'll come out in the PC Board wash.

Lindsey · January 20, 2017

Duuuuuuuuuuuude. It sucks. I had to walk to the aircraft. Walk. There was no bus like in flight school. It was like 100 meters. Should have joined the Air Force.

USCav19D · January 20, 2017

Duuuuuuuuuuuude. It sucks. I had to walk to the aircraft. Walk. There was no bus like in flight school. It was like 100 meters. Should have joined the Air Force.

WHAT?

NOBODY TOLD ME THIS sh*t! I'M THROUGH!!

CharyouTree · January 20, 2017

Duuuuuuuuuuuude. It sucks. I had to walk to the aircraft. Walk. There was no bus like in flight school. It was like 100 meters. Should have joined the Air Force.

I asked one of my old crew chiefs yesterday if someone was around to carry my things to the airplane. ... it was my Bose headset.