In the movie, Danny Glover must play the CAG or the Air Group Commander, and Jake Grafton must be the squadron commander or leader, since Danny leads the meetings in the Ready Room, and Jake has that one guy come to him in the hanger deck about getting married and such.
Camparelli (Glover) was a Commander.
Grafton was only a Lieutenant.
A Lt. is not going to be a squadron commander, he's a Jr. Officer.
Camparelli was not the CAG, he was the Squadron C.O.
Grafton was just one of his pilots. Maybe an element or section leader.
The guy coming to him about the marriage chit was an Enlisted sailor.
All Jr. Officers are going to have some sort of collateral duty in addition to their flying duties. Grafton was DIVO or Division Officer. He is the Officer in charge of an Enlisted Division.
If so, Why, at the end do they talk about Danny Glover getting his own ship and making Admiral? Never been in the navy, but isn't the flying part of the navy, separate from the sailing part of the navy?
Why would the CAG or Group Commander have right to being a Admiral or Captain of a ship?
You cannot fly forever and as you promote up, Flying positions are less and less.
Admirals don't fly planes as active pilots, though many will keep "current" and take training hops to maintain proficiency from time to time. However as an Officer, you will promote up in time if you merit it.
CAG is probably the last Flying gig an Officer will get before becoming deskbound. CAG is general a Cdr/Cpt position in ranks (O-5/O-6)
Most aircraft Carrier COs are former Naval Aviators, Not regular Surface fleet Captains.
I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!
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dubyahsrobotminion
10 years ago
CG, all Carrier COs and XOs are Naval Aviators. I recently learned that they only exception pretty much since 1939, is the XO can be a SWO during overhaul, decommissioning or pre commissioning. The difference has been that since 1996 both need to be SWO qualified as well. Since 1992 they all have to be Nuclear Power qualed as well.
You're taking a dump and they call GQ do you pinch it off or finish your business?
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whjones79-1
9 years ago
CG and Dubya are both right.
Grafton was most likely the enlisted guy's DIVO (although most DIVO's are Ensigns or JGs. LTs normally have different collateral duties such as safety or operations functions)
You do need to be an Aviator to command a CV/CVN. The commanding a carrier and Admiral talk was mostly the wrap up of the movie for the historic thing Camp did as the CAG. CAGs don't fly. They certainly don't fly out to fish for downed crewmen. Even at the CAG level they already fly desks.
If you follow Coons's books Grafton himself eventually becomes an Admiral then later is turned into a high level spy. (I've got all the Coons/Grafton books)
K/H D
If there's a way to screw something up..."O'Commie" will find it.
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dubyahsrobotminion
9 years ago
Squadrons are broken into divisions just like shipboard departments are. So calling Grafton a DIVO would be appropriate. All LT. and above in squadrons are going to be assigned a lead on something. Airframe, Hydraulics, Avionics, Safety, Ops, Admin, Weps, LSO and Training/Readiness/Tactics are all possible DIVO tours. Squadron type to type will have some different duties, like a Attack Squadron would have different jobs than a VAW. The VAW might not have enough officers to fill DIVO roles where they may use Chiefs. Aviators like their Surface and Submarine counterparts will have the same DIVO, Dept. Head, Command, Sea and Shore Tour type rotations.
CAGs and DCAGs both actually do quite a bit of flying. Both the CAG and DCAG will have a dedicated A/C in one of the squadrons with the Air Wing. Since 2 A/C in a deployed Air Wing simply cannot go to waste ceremoniously, the CAG and DCAG both pull rotation. Honestly the rotation will be more limited than a typical pilot in the Air Wing.
-If a CAG is a rotor head which is a possibility his/her A/C may be a Helo and he/she will pull Plane Guard, Replenishment and even Mail duty. Most CAGs and DCAG are fixed wing, most are fighter/strike-fighter jocks, most are pilots not NFOs. However occasionally they break the mold. Currently I know of 1 CAG who is a Hawkeye/COD type and an NFO to boot. He is not a pilot but he still flies. So as an NFO CAG he would need to check out in all fixed wing types...in the back seat. I have also seen CAGs that were H-60 pilots and S-3 pilots.
-CAGs and DCAGs will not only fly in their designated A/C but will also fly Air Battle Management rotations which are usually
in E-2s, EA-6Bs and now in EA-18Gs.
Will the '100' bird get a 5 Wet Configuration to do tanking? Most likely not. Will it do bombing runs? Sure thing.
You're taking a dump and they call GQ do you pinch it off or finish your business?
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whjones79-1
9 years ago
The CAGs do need to keep their quals valid. They usually do it during training cruises. But since Vietnam was an active environment It's possible he'd fly sometimes.
K/H D
If there's a way to screw something up..."O'Commie" will find it.
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dubyahsrobotminion
9 years ago
See we are talking about a role the existed in the past and still exists in the present. When you say they do need not did or they do it not did it, you are either referring to the role in general or just in the present. What I have posted is entirely accurate for both the past and the present.
CAGs fly now regularly for sure. I know this from professional experience with carriers in the right now as I am stationed aboard a carrier. CAGs during Vietnam also definitely flew missions. Its especially true in the sense of this movies main theme 'going north'. During Linebacker and Linebacker II CAGs led all the initial strikes. During the 'going north' phase entire carrier air wings flew, even multiple airings flew together, sometimes up to 4 at the same time. CAGs led those air wings in the air flying the missions. CAGs led missions all the time and CAGs still do lead missions all the time not sometimes.
You're taking a dump and they call GQ do you pinch it off or finish your business?
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gc18
8 years ago
Also a captain in the navy is the equivalent of a colonel in the army, marines or Air Force
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