Originally Posted by Afterburner

There are 3 pipelines you can go down after primary fixed wing training which are fixed wing jet, fixed wing turboprop, or rotary wing. Fighter slots are generally given to the top guys, but the number of slots per class can vary from class to class, so a lot of it is just luck as well. Unless you're in the top 2 or something.

My dad was an S-3 pilot, which he loved but they're retiring all squadrons soon if it hasn't been done already. I'm finishing up an aerospace engineering major right now and I'm well aware of the studying required to fly military aircraft, as well as the lifestyle. I've talked to a lot of different Navy pilots and even my recruiter was a chopper pilot in the Navy. Most of them say there's a lot of good and a lot of bad to the career, but in general the good parts definitely outweigh the bad.