Part I
Navigator trainees,
Trainees have nine months from the time they graduate school to become a qualified navigator. It has been brought to my attention that many of the trainees have been taking a lot longer than the allotted amount of time. Nine months is more than enough time to get qualified if you are making an effort. As the navigator in charge of the training department I am going to make sure that things are getting done on time. If you go past the nine month grace period without getting qualified there will be repercussions. If you are overdue you will be staying after the normal workday for an additional two hours to study on your own time. You will come in on your non duty days and be prepared to go flying with an instructor. Every fourth night you will be staying the night with the qualified personnel. These are just a few of the things that will happen if you do not progress through your syllabus as you should. If you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to ask.
AET2 Brown
Part 2
Becoming a qualified navigator takes a lot of time and effort. Everybody that has gone through the navigator syllabus knows what a trainee goes through during that process. I can honestly say that nobody really enjoys going through the training process but everyone has to get it done. If the trainee just puts forth the effort it will benefit the trainee, the qualified navigators and it will keep the trainee out of the hot seat.
I know that I struggled through my syllabus. I figured that I had nine months to accomplish it so I put it off. Once month six rolled around I realized that there was no way I could get through the entire syllabus in only three months, let alone actually learn the material. When you graduate school I strongly suggest that you start on your syllabus right away. You wont feel rushed, you will actually be learning the material which will make you a go to navigator and because you went through the process correctly you will feel proud of what you accomplished.
As the new guy or girl in the shop it can be intimidating. There are a lot of people that have been around for a long time and it seems like everyone knows more than you do. One of the best ways to get on good graces with the navigators is to try your hardest to get qualified. Nobody likes when a lazy person comes into the shop but everyone loves when a hard working enthusiastic person comes in. By the trainee getting qualified on time it lightens the load for the already qualified navigators, which in turn makes them happy and gets you on their good graces.
One of the smartest things to do in the Coast Guard is to look out for number one. A lot of the time good work goes without notice but bad work is noticed by everyone. The best thing a trainee can do is come in with a good attitude and want to learn what they have to. It shows