OCS 02Nov20 SNA/SNFO (Pilot/NFO) Board

[Marcus_Aurelius]

Best of luck to you for all of that, brother — that’s an impressive list of options.

I appreciate it. If God and Fortune permit, you and I will be wearing the same wings. If not, I just hope to continuously serve my country in a meaningful way. Good luck to you as well.

 

[oadams2]

I appreciate it. If God and Fortune permit, you and I will be wearing the same wings. If not, I just hope to continuously serve my country in a meaningful way. Good luck to you as well.

Thanks, I couldn’t have said it better!

 

[villo0692]

Lasik. PRK used to be the only one allowed, I think, but mine was approved by both Navy/MEPS and the FAA. I just had to do a ton of paperwork and follow-up exams.

when I was in the Navy I convinced a guy I worked with to not get PRK because everyone who did had 40% chances of getting AIDS

cannot make this shit up

 

[villo0692]

I respectfully disagree. I'm concurrently going through the process for Army Aviation, FBI Special Agent and Secret Service Special Agent. For most of them, I'm nearing the end phase and close to an offer. Naval Aviation is my absolute top choice, however, if one of these other organizations offers me a job first, it would be a very difficult decision. A one in the hand, two in the bush, type of decision.

On top of this, I do not like having to string four respectable and perpetually busy organizations along with my applications, if I end up having to turn them down in the end. I know how much time and resources hiring and selections consume, and it is not optimal for the taxpayer or the organizations for me to be clogging up the pipeline for a long period of time. However, my current situation (which was supposed to have been resolved prior to graduation but COVID and prior misdiagnoses slowed my application down by over a year) necessitates that I apply to all organizations simultaneously.

My future regarding whether or not I will be a Naval Aviator may not come down to whether or not I was selected, but even if I was selected, who offered me the job first?

can you have a ongoing application with two different branches at the same time? how does the whole MEPS process works with that? isn't there any overlap? with the Army one has to be a Warrant Officer to fly right? I talked to them, and they told me I was too old to do it and even if I applied I was most likely going to get rejected, and that my best course of action was to enlist and apply from within..... (same for Army OCS). Needless to say I did not talked to them again.

 

[Ghost SWO]

can you have a ongoing application with two different branches at the same time? how does the whole MEPS process works with that? isn't there any overlap? with the Army one has to be a Warrant Officer to fly right? I talked to them, and they told me I was too old to do it and even if I applied I was most likely going to get rejected, and that my best course of action was to enlist and apply from within..... (same for Army OCS). Needless to say I did not talked to them again.

I went in to chat with the Army about the Warrant officer route. They thought I couldn't have an active application in with the Navy and also be applying to the Army. They said they would check on that and if it was possible they would contact me, they never contacted me afterwards.

 

[Marcus_Aurelius]

can you have a ongoing application with two different branches at the same time? how does the whole MEPS process works with that? isn't there any overlap?

Yes, one can have multiple applications in, one for each branch. For the Army, as far as I'm aware, you can have a Warrant Officer packet in or an OCS packet in at a time.

with the Army one has to be a Warrant Officer to fly right?

No. Warrant Officers do most of the flying, and they are the Subject Matter Experts on flying. But Officers can fly as well. Officers start off flying quite a bit, but have additional duties as well (commanding/administrative). As they gain rank, they fly the desk more and only fly to maintain qualifications.

I talked to them, and they told me I was too old to do it and even if I applied I was most likely going to get rejected, and that my best course of action was to enlist and apply from within..... (same for Army OCS).

How old are you? No, your best course would be to apply to WOFT. It is a more difficult and foreign concept to recruiters, but if selected it is a guarantee. Whereas, if you just enlist, you may waste time and never fly. Regardless, where there is a will, there is a way. Make them tell you no, then make them tell you no again.

 

[Marcus_Aurelius]

I went in to chat with the Army about the Warrant officer route. They thought I couldn't have an active application in with the Navy and also be applying to the Army. They said they would check on that and if it was possible they would contact me, they never contacted me afterwards.

Well, I can guarantee you that you can, because I have a packet in with both. If Navy Officer and Army Warrant Officer (as well as my other options) don't pan out, then I will reapply to Army as an Officer and hope I can find my way into Aviation.

I will say, however, that Army recruiting is quite different than Navy recruiting, from my experience. The Army recruiting effort is primarily led by Non-Commissioned Officers for enlisted applications, Warrant Officer applications as well as Officer applications. Enlisted and Officer applications are regularly processed by the Army recruiters, so they are far more familiar with that process. Warrant Officer Aviation applications are infrequently processed and the Army Recruiting Command has not efficiently disseminated the proper procedure for that application process. As a result, most recruiters don't know how to do it off the top of their head and they have to research it. Even then, they sometimes don't fully understand the process.

Navy seems to handle recruiting efforts differently, and I have to say, from my experience, I have been very impressed with the Navy Officer Recruiters.

 

[Triumph_MAC]

Well, I can guarantee you that you can, because I have a packet in with both. If Navy Officer and Army Warrant Officer (as well as my other options) don't pan out, then I will reapply to Army as an Officer and hope I can find my way into Aviation.

I will say, however, that Army recruiting is quite different than Navy recruiting, from my experience. The Army recruiting effort is primarily led by Non-Commissioned Officers for enlisted applications, Warrant Officer applications as well as Officer applications. Enlisted and Officer applications are regularly processed by the Army recruiters, so they are far more familiar with that process. Warrant Officer Aviation applications are infrequently processed and the Army Recruiting Command has not efficiently disseminated the proper procedure for that application process. As a result, most recruiters don't know how to do it off the top of their head and they have to research it. Even then, they sometimes don't fully understand the process.

Navy seems to handle recruiting efforts differently, and I have to say, from my experience, I have been very impressed with the Navy Officer Recruiters.

Did you already apply for WOFT?

 

[Marcus_Aurelius]

Did you already apply for WOFT?

Yes. I'm hoping Navy gets back to me first.

 

[Triumph_MAC]

I did the same. I had to apply for age waivers for both but both approved my waivers. Granted that only gets me looked at but at least they were approved. I'm also hoping Navy gives me a green light so I don't have to abandon ship....

 

[Ghost SWO]

Well, I can guarantee you that you can, because I have a packet in with both. If Navy Officer and Army Warrant Officer (as well as my other options) don't pan out, then I will reapply to Army as an Officer and hope I can find my way into Aviation.

I will say, however, that Army recruiting is quite different than Navy recruiting, from my experience. The Army recruiting effort is primarily led by Non-Commissioned Officers for enlisted applications, Warrant Officer applications as well as Officer applications. Enlisted and Officer applications are regularly processed by the Army recruiters, so they are far more familiar with that process. Warrant Officer Aviation applications are infrequently processed and the Army Recruiting Command has not efficiently disseminated the proper procedure for that application process. As a result, most recruiters don't know how to do it off the top of their head and they have to research it. Even then, they sometimes don't fully understand the process.

Navy seems to handle recruiting efforts differently, and I have to say, from my experience, I have been very impressed with the Navy Officer Recruiters.

Gotcha, they never got back to me so I took that as a possible no.

I think their intention was to not waste their time on me for 6 months and then have me ultimately accept a Navy position. They asked if the Navy came back with a position would I take it, I told them yes. I think they were just making sure they didn't double dip with another service and ultimately waste their time.

 

[Marcus_Aurelius]

I did the same. I had to apply for age waivers for both but both approved my waivers. Granted that only gets me looked at but at least they were approved. I'm also hoping Navy gives me a green light so I don't have to abandon ship....

I'm assuming you're either Active or Prior Navy? If so, don't be too upset if you have to go Green. The hardest part of my decision between the two branches wasn't the difference between Officer/Warrant Officer, rotary/fixed, base locations, pay, or mission set (though all of those were factors I considered). The hardest part of my decision between the two has been, and always will be, organizational culture. I absolutely love the Army. I love the history, the language, the humor, the rank structure, everything. If I end up leaving it, it will be a very difficult transition.

But I'm certain the Navy has a very unique culture as well and I'm sure I will come to love the intricacies of it too. No matter what though, even if I fully become a Sailor and adopt that culture, I will always be a Soldier.

If you do go green, just know you will be going into a wonderful organization.

 

[Marcus_Aurelius]

I think their intention was to not waste their time on me for 6 months and then have me ultimately accept a Navy position. They asked if the Navy came back with a position would I take it, I told them yes. I think they were just making sure they didn't double dip with another service and ultimately waste their time.

That is absolutely the most likely scenario. I told each organization that I applied to about the other organizations. When they asked which one I would ultimately choose, I said, "Whoever gets back to me first."

...Gotta make sure everyone's incentives are aligned!

 

[Ghost SWO]

That is absolutely the most likely scenario. I told each organization that I applied to about the other organizations. When they asked which one I would ultimately choose, I said, "Whoever gets back to me first."

...Gotta make sure everyone's incentives are aligned!

Lol great answer. Hurry up Navy!

 

[TheCoon]

For y’all who applied WOFT, did you ever think about the Marines? They have the same medical and aptitude tests as Navy, so it seems like an easy transition. Army has the SIFT and their own medical, right?

If I don’t get picked up this board I’m probably going to try talking to the local OSO again. I asked about processing two packets at once but he balked at it. He had two main reasons: 1) If you want to be a Marine why would you apply for another branch. 2) He didn’t want to potentially waste 6+ months on me, plus the trip to Pensacola they send Air Contract applicants on.

Edit: Clarification