What's up with the new PMEL guys???

[flew-da-coup]

I have noticed that the new guys out of the military lack a bunch of the basic knowledge. One of the things that come to mind is that they don't even know what the difference is between RG58, RG59, RG62 cables. Another is that some of them don't even know how to solder. What's going on? I have even seen one guy who did not know how to setup a power meter and sensor. Last year at Happy Valley a newbie was about to adjust five 8640B's because he said the AM was out of tolerance on all of them. I went to check it out, low and behold he was using RG62 (93ohm) video cables. Did I just run into a bunch of bad eggs or is everyone else seeing this? I have even seen a few that did not know how to use a spec-an. I remember learning these things in school. Please tell me these are isolated incidents.   

[flew-da-coup]

On top of all that, we are going to be screwed when it comes to Phys.D. I have yet to meet one fresh guy out of the service with any real clue about Phys.D. and it's the easiest part of our job. I guess it's all OJT from now on. I've seen a noobie try to calibrate a PRT with a 5500 for God Sake!

[flamy78]

Cable types they don't really go into - it least not in my eperience. RG58/59 was about all they mentioned that I remember.

Oh and the fart in the skillet you are probably referring to doesn't pay attention all that much sometimes.

Flynn must have told him to get back to work a good dozen times yesterday. Hell even I told him to get rid of that crap he had. He tries to multitask too much.

[flew-da-coup]

I will admit I have seen one or two new guys that were pretty impressive with the K3 & K4 side of the house, but as for an all around tech I am just not impressed with what I've seen coming from the military.

[MIRCS]

On top of all that, we are going to be screwed when it comes to Phys.D. I have yet to meet one fresh guy out of the service with any real clue about Phys.D. and it's the easiest part of our job. I guess it's all OJT from now on. I've seen a noobie try to calibrate a PRT with a 5500 for God Sake!

Your kidding right???

And yes Phys-D is a problem that has been recognized by the AF, they realized with the disolving of the Instrumentman rating in the USN that having IC and EM ratings continue the training that the experience would be lost. It is leaving fast also.

Why would you expect a person just out of the service to know anything about Phys-D?? Last I checked no service teaches this in their basic schools other than a mere glimpse.......If they don't work with an experienced K6 person they will not learn anything about K6. Also labs need to quit sticking the sh!t bags into K6 cause they think they can't hurt anything there.

[flew-da-coup]

My point exactly... They used to teach Phys.D. I want to know why they stopped. I want to know why they don't atleast teach the basics. This was the whole point of the topic. They are not equiping them with the basics anymore. Why?

The Navy had it right until the early 1990s. I was an ET and went to IM school. The IM school if I remember correctly was about 16 weeks long and of course my ET school was even longer. Now none of the branches of the military teaches Phys.D.

Your lucky to be a IM because there is not a lot of us out there who spent 4 months in school to learn Phys. D.

I know for a fact that Marine and Navy Calibrators aren't even aloud to solder now.
What is up with that? My point is that we are going to have real problems finding qualified people in the near future. Hell, it's easy to get a job now because no one can find Phys.D techs.

[MIRCS]

They still teach Phys-D at Keesler correct??.....the old Navy NEC 1820???

When I went through school in Pensacola the A school was 22 weeks long, however it was self paced to an extent.

I remember when I went through A school there was an ET3 going through also.

[flew-da-coup]

I had 3 ETs including myself in IM "A" school. From what I gather they are only showing them a micrometer and a torque wrench now. Hoopty should know maybe he will weigh in on this. I was talking to a ex-navy AT who went through the Navy's cal school just a few years back and he said that they only spend a week or so on Phys.D.

But you know the Navy. They have a way of quiting something only to start back later. All I know is that Phys.D. has been put on the back burner. Look back at my first post and you will see that the Electronics side of the lab is not all that either. I may have just run into some bad eggs. I hope that this is true.

[Thraxas]

Last year at Happy Valley a newbie was about to adjust five 8640B's because he said the AM was out of tolerance on all of them. I went to check it out, low and behold he was using RG62 (93ohm) video cables.

Maybe he's one of those guys that doen't have formal PMEL training. Maybe he's really a former electrician, flightline guy, or cabinet maker...

(If you don't who those refer to, then you haven't been paying attention, flew-da-coup.)

[Hoopty]

Yeah, we've still got the Phys-D school.  I can't vouch for what they teach down there, but I was under the impression that it was a pretty good course.  I'll try and find out more specifics if you want.

[flew-da-coup]

No Thraxas, it was a night shift guy who was ex-airforce PMEL. I like the guy personally. Hint: K.B. is always trying to get him fired. Takes too many smoke breaks.
He does not have a hard time learning things, but he should have already had the knowledge.

Hoopty, I am wanting to know the extent the school house is teaching Phys.D. I would also like to know how long the block is. Maybe I am expecting to much. 

[flew-da-coup]

Thraxas, there are a few guys like you, Brent and Greg that are under 10 years that actually have skills that I have seen. Working at Happy Valley you see a lot of fresh noobies right out of uniform. Come to think about it, maybe I am focusing too much on the lower percentage. I just can't understand how they made it through school.

Hoopty, are you guys seeing alot of guys that should not be at the school house? If so, how are they getting through and not washed out?

[flamy78]

I test good ... most of the time. Plus I had a foundation of basic electronics going in. I did try to get out of it but that's a longer story that my memory is hazy on. But I pissed off a few civilians there along the way.

[Thraxas]

No Thraxas, it was a night shift guy who was ex-airforce PMEL. I like the guy personally. Hint: K.B. is always trying to get him fired. Takes too many smoke breaks.
He does not have a hard time learning things, but he should have already had the knowledge.

Aw, I know who your talking about.  From what I understand, he's doing much better since he's resolved some personal issues. I haven't heard too many stories of John McEnroe bugging him lately.

Working at Happy Valley you see a lot of fresh noobies right out of uniform. Come to think about it, maybe I am focusing too much on the lower percentage. I just can't understand how they made it through school.

I think your misremembering. Many of those guys have been in the civilian workforce for years. Some of them just didn't seem to have the skills to match the experience, and I'm not talking about about the ones fresh out of the military. Although I will admit that many of them seemed like noobies with their atrociously bad calibration habits. Statistically speaking that is (inside joke).

[PMEL_DEVIL-DOG]

The new techs have no discipline and don't care. Far as soldering, in the Marine Corps, 99.9% of techs aren't solder qual becuz there is a seprate shop for that. Speaking of which, is there a school or class I can take for that?