What branch of military best prepares you for FAA ATC?

Thorice Newcomer

When it comes to US Military controllers going FAA which branch of service do you think provides the best controllers as far as getting qualified, knowledgeable, and quick learners? I was just wondering because I have met a lot of controllers getting out talking about going FAA and I speculate if people in the FAA think, “WOW, what type of training is the navy providing”! Basically I just want to know how everyone else feels when they are told their new trainee have 12 years of navy experience, do you think quick qualification or hear we go again?

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

US Air Force. end of thread.

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

on a serious note, i haven't heard many negatives about Navy or Marines. the only one that gets the, "here we go again" routine is the Army. some of our best controllers are from the Navy and Marines. volume wise though, there are just a whole lot more Air Force controllers than the other two SISTER services.

Radium Epic Member SoCal Tracon

I think 12 yrs of ANY atc will make it easier... tho that will make it tough to do 12yrs and get in the FAA (ie past 31yrs old).
BUT: I'd take a 4yr AF controller over any other service's 4yr controller.
In my class @ the FAA acad, hands down the best person was ex AF... ofc thats just the acad (which is cake, tracon at least)... so we'll see more later.
With me, there is a Jar Head/Army/AF going to my facility... so it will be something I'll keep an eye on.

towerflower Junior Member Palm Coast, FL

From what I understand, and if I'm wrong I'm sure someone can correct me, is that the Air Force usually trains people in one of the options....say either tower or radar and that is the option you normally stay in. They Navy trains you in both options and at an up/down facility you work both. For the most part I don't feel that you can say that one service is better over the other when it comes down to the individual person. The military doesn't train a controller to be a quick learner, knowledgeable, or a good trainer/trainee. A person becomes knowlegeable by taking the time to learn and open books or having life experience. Being a quick learner is something that is based on the individual. You can have a person who is just the type who picks up on things quickly while another may take awhile longer.

When someone tells me that they have "12 years experience" my first question would be in what area. If you have a trainee that only has tower experience they might shine in the tower training but take the average or longer time while training in radar. Then you have the center experience.....the military doesn't really have options in this area (although the Navy does have FACSFACs which really isn't anything like a center but is a type of enroute facility and I don't know what kind of faciilties are overseas that may or may not fall into a center type option). Another thing to watch out for (speaking for the Navy controller) is the controller who spent their career in base ops. In the Navy they normally send the people who can't certify there and yet they still hold the AC rating. I trained with one of those and they couldn't tell you which way was north on the radar screen--I'm not joking about that one.

It all comes down to judging the person as an individual, ask them about their work experience not neccessarily the branch of service they were in but what they did when they were in. Remember that facilities in the military are just as varied as they are in the FAA, there are busy facilities and slow ones, complex ones and easy ones. Remembering that 12 yrs experience doesn't mean the person knows the books or will be a quick learner.

markthetape Senior Member

navy, marines, and air force are all decent watch out for those army cats though, Ive trained 5 and they are all like training a kid out of the school house.

Nick Senior Member Down Yonderville, TX

You forgot to lock it.

boondr PHD without a degree North of the Equator

Fixed that for you

xVVatc Newcomer DC

AF if you want to learn how to run a 6-7 mile final. Go Navy if you want to learn how to 'run em tight'...

Radium Epic Member SoCal Tracon

like your final like you like your boys eh?