Applying to the March 2013 Board

[J.McGinnis]

No problem. I did all of my training at a FBO on Paine Field, Washington near Seattle and flew the C-152 for most of it also, but I did some of it in a 172n. I love flying 172s when I get a chance they are so much smoother in the air and not to mention faster haha. I got to fly a few of the 185 horsepower 172 models and those planes are a blast to fly. I have always wanted to fly a Cirrus for sure and a Piper cub would be great also. Yea I know that instrument training can separate the men from the boys for sure! I have felt vertigo and it is a very strange feeling. I am sure that those hours will pay dividends in primary and all of your training in Navy flight school so it will be worth the money you spent. Not to mention that your certificate and ratings will help you get selected as well! I wish you the best of luck!

Thanks for the well wishes! Good luck with the NFO/SWO application as well with the ASTB. It isn't bad at all...Just touch up on some simple math calculations, mechanical principles (Mostly common sense), Reading Comprehension is very basic, Just remember the answer for every question is in the text. Spatial App is practice makes perfect, and Aviation Knowledge and the Aviation Supplemental was all basic info that a private pilot can recite in his/her sleep!

 

[manbearpig]

That sucks that your recruiter convinced you that you should take the test right away without you preparing first or even learning more about it! I would take some time to prepare to retake it whether you get picked up or not, and then you will be able to improve your scores if you don't get selected.

It's not that he convinced me to take it that day, but that he's trying to convince me to keep my score. I feel he is trying to have me go SWO by having me keep a lower score. I'm not one to settle and to forget about my dreams.

I haven't used math like what's in the ASTB in six years. I was working off of brain stem power alone. Time to hit the books and refresh. I want to retake it before this next board, I don't like sitting around twirling my thumbs, especially waiting for another board.

And thank you NavyOffRec, your answers to other's questions else where on the site have helped me a ton through my process. It awesome being able to find a community of knowledgeable people, and have them at the tip of my fingers with just one click.

And good luck to all of you in all of your endeavors.

 

[LFCFan]

Hey folks, here are the stats compiled of the folks here on AW who applied to the last board:

http://www.airwarriors.com/communit...g-to-jan-board-2013.39817/page-40#post-726916

Should give you some ideas on how to feel about your ASTBs. If you got a 5 and want SNA, you probably should retake.

 

[LFCFan]

MEPS is never satisfied with any of my documentation for my non-existent asthma. I figured I'd tell the truth on the medical questionnaire when it asked about inhaler use. I used an inhaler in the past to help clear up a cough from bronchitis. I just submitted a third doctors note saying I never had asthma, and used the inhaler for an infection, hopefully I hear back ASAP.

Hmm....I used an inhaler when I was 11 and had Pneumonia, disclosed it, and never had any trouble at MEPS. Might have been that I was so young and stressed that it had nothing to do with asthma. Let's hope that NAMI feels the same way when the time comes.

 

[manbearpig]

Hmm....I used an inhaler when I was 11 and had Pneumonia, disclosed it, and never had any trouble at MEPS. Might have been that I was so young and stressed that it had nothing to do with asthma. Let's hope that NAMI feels the same way when the time comes.

If it was before you were 13 then there is no problem in their minds. I never had asthma at any point, so im just confused about any issues they have with me. They had no issue with my appendectomy I had a month ago though.

 

[VFRonly]

Thanks for the well wishes! Good luck with the NFO/SWO application as well with the ASTB. It isn't bad at all...Just touch up on some simple math calculations, mechanical principles (Mostly common sense), Reading Comprehension is very basic, Just remember the answer for every question is in the text. Spatial App is practice makes perfect, and Aviation Knowledge and the Aviation Supplemental was all basic info that a private pilot can recite in his/her sleep!

Thanks a lot for the advice! Every tip and bit of insight on the test helps. I am in progress of brushing up on doing word problems and the math knowledge stuff. My OR keeps warning me that people have said that the math portion is a lot harder on the real test than the practice tests but from what I have read in the "1001 questions about the ASTB" thread, the real problems are supposed to be easier. For the most part I am probably just letting the MST psych me out haha but I am making sure I am prepared. I know most of the nautical knowledge stuff but I found my self guessing on a lot of it on a practice test, so I need to study that for sure.

 

[VFRonly]

It's not that he convinced me to take it that day, but that he's trying to convince me to keep my score. I feel he is trying to have me go SWO by having me keep a lower score. I'm not one to settle and to forget about my dreams.

I haven't used math like what's in the ASTB in six years. I was working off of brain stem power alone. Time to hit the books and refresh. I want to retake it before this next board, I don't like sitting around twirling my thumbs, especially waiting for another board.

And thank you NavyOffRec, your answers to other's questions else where on the site have helped me a ton through my process. It awesome being able to find a community of knowledgeable people, and have them at the tip of my fingers with just one click.

And good luck to all of you in all of your endeavors.

Alright I understand. I guess I was assuming to much without knowing your actual situation. I am in the same boat with you on the Math portion, because I haven't done most of that stuff in over six years either. If you can remember, how many of the math questions do you feel confident that you got correct? Just curious. I wouldn't settle for SWO either. Good luck to you as well!

 

[BleedGreen]

If it was before you were 13 then there is no problem in their minds. I never had asthma at any point, so im just confused about any issues they have with me. They had no issue with my appendectomy I had a month ago though.

Not necessarily true, the NAMI aeromedical waiver guide says for a history of asthma, a PFT and a negative MCT (Methacoline challenge test) are required. I told each doc I spoke to that I haven't experienced any symptoms since I was 10 years old. Two of the doctors told me an MCT isn't necessary and one doctor said I needed to get it. Chances are a doctor at OCS will recommend an MCT and OCS isn't the place you want to take it.

 

[manbearpig]

Alright I understand. I guess I was assuming to much without knowing your actual situation. I am in the same boat with you on the Math portion, because I haven't done most of that stuff in over six years either. If you can remember, how many of the math questions do you feel confident that you got correct? Just curious. I wouldn't settle for SWO either. Good luck to you as well!

I feel confident about half of them from what I can recall. Being multiple choice answers, it was easier to rule out wrong answers when I was unsure of the method to solve the problem If that makes any sense? Some numbers just didn't belong together..lol All the math I have seen in high school and college, but I had zero interest in it because I thought I would never need it, so it never stuck with me. There is some great gouge on the site here. Some with some questions are are exactly the same except for the numbers involved. Im currently sitting here with a beer working on a packet full of questions I saw on the ASTB now.

I always wanted to be an officer in the military. But was steered away from it while I grew up. I wanted to go to a military academy for college or ROTC. My parents figured that me being a 17 yr old at the time, it wasn't a decision I could make. I would need to be older and more mature. I appreciate the protection from my parents, but now I set myself back. I've tried everything else to try to get rid of the itch to serve my country. But I always keeping walking into other branches recruiting offices, till I found the Navy.

 

[BusyBee604]

No disrespect to the program, but this sort of thing truly makes me question how much of the "competitiveness" surrounding the process is purely illusory to deter the unmotivated from applying.

I get the feeling you are ''over-thinking" the application process here. Given the horrible state of the economy, and the uncertainty of the Navy fiscal future, keen competition for available OCS "slots" most certainly is not illusory.

I won't discount the efforts of the selection boards or recruiters, but I have a hard time believing (or finding anecdotal proof) that someone whose recruiter allows them to go through the motions of pulling together about two months worth of paperwork and meeting the minimum requirements does not get selected for OCS. Sure, things change when you incorporate allotting $1M of the national defense budget to educate a pilot, but for most of the other areas, is there really a large enough pool of applicants or a demand for officers minuscule enough to prevent otherwise over-qualified individuals from serving the country?

The simple answer to your question is YES. No one is preventing anyone from "serving the country" as you allege. But you are displaying a bit of the 'entitlement syndrome' which has become so prevalent in today's society. There are many ways to serve... but probably what you want in particular, may not be available at this time... for whatever reason (usually involving grades/test scores).
BzB

 

[exNavyOffRec]

No disrespect to the program, but this sort of thing truly makes me question how much of the "competitiveness" surrounding the process is purely illusory to deter the unmotivated from applying. I won't discount the efforts of the selection boards or recruiters, but I have a hard time believing (or finding anecdotal proof) that someone whose recruiter allows them to go through the motions of pulling together about two months worth of paperwork and meeting the minimum requirements does not get selected for OCS. Sure, things change when you incorporate allotting $1M of the national defense budget to educate a pilot, but for most of the other areas, is there really a large enough pool of applicants or a demand for officers minuscule enough to prevent otherwise over-qualified individuals from serving the country?

There are many officer recruiters who are officers that have been straight up told how they do on recruiting doesn't matter so they just go through the motions I have seen several who did bad as an OR get selected for Dept Head, one put in 2 people in 2 years.

The new system gives OR's credit for applications submitted, so of course the OR wants him to submit now he will get immediate credit, if he waits to submit then the OR doesn't get credit.

The competitiveness does vary by designator as each looks at different things, the PFAR scores remain fairly steady for SNA, SWO's are harder to figure because other things factor in.

 

[VFRonly]

I feel confident about half of them from what I can recall. Being multiple choice answers, it was easier to rule out wrong answers when I was unsure of the method to solve the problem If that makes any sense? Some numbers just didn't belong together..lol All the math I have seen in high school and college, but I had zero interest in it because I thought I would never need it, so it never stuck with me. There is some great gouge on the site here. Some with some questions are are exactly the same except for the numbers involved. Im currently sitting here with a beer working on a packet full of questions I saw on the ASTB now.

Yea the multiple choice factor helps with my anxiety a little, because like you said you can increase the odds of selecting the correct one by eliminating the ones you know are wrong. Could you share those questions with me by chance? Did you get them as part of one of the gouge packets on the site?

I always wanted to be an officer in the military. But was steered away from it while I grew up. I wanted to go to a military academy for college or ROTC. My parents figured that me being a 17 yr old at the time, it wasn't a decision I could make. I would need to be older and more mature. I appreciate the protection from my parents, but now I set myself back. I've tried everything else to try to get rid of the itch to serve my country.

You know hindsight is 20/20 because you now have your degree and OCS isn't a bad option. I'm sure ROTC or the academy would have been a slightly easier route but you now know for sure what you want and don't have any doubts.

I had a somewhat similar situation happen to me because I didn't get ready for college half way through high school and ended up enlisting. I walked into a Navy recruiting office one day when I was eighteen and when I told them that I wanted to be a pilot they told me that I didn't want to do that and it takes too long and involves to much school etc. etc.. So I sat there and listened to what he had to tell me about enlisted jobs and talked me into starting the enlistment process a few weeks later and went to boot camp right after high school. I can't say at this point that I have too many regrets because I am now married and have a beautiful six month old daughter who makes me very happy. If I never joined no telling where I would be now and if I would have ever made it to college. Besides I now know how awesome it is to be an officer and I am ready to do whatever I have to do in order to become one! You have your mind set and know how to get where you have wanted to be your entire life. I am sure it won't be to long until you are at OCS doing leg lifts, pushups and mountain climbers in the SUYA pit and hating life LOL! Just my 0.02 cents

 

[manbearpig]

Yea the multiple choice factor helps with my anxiety a little, because like you said you can increase the odds of selecting the correct one by eliminating the ones you know are wrong. Could you share those questions with me by chance? Did you get them as part of one of the gouge packets on the site?



You know hindsight is 20/20 because you now have your degree and OCS isn't a bad option. I'm sure ROTC or the academy would have been a slightly easier route but you now know for sure what you want and don't have any doubts.

I had a somewhat similar situation happen to me because I didn't get ready for college half way through high school and ended up enlisting. I walked into a Navy recruiting office one day when I was eighteen and when I told them that I wanted to be a pilot they told me that I didn't want to do that and it takes too long and involves to much school etc. etc.. So I sat there and listened to what he had to tell me about enlisted jobs and talked me into starting the enlistment process a few weeks later and went to boot camp right after high school. I can't say at this point that I have too many regrets because I am now married and have a beautiful six month old daughter who makes me very happy. If I never joined no telling where I would be now and if I would have ever made it to college. Besides I now know how awesome it is to be an officer and I am ready to do whatever I have to do in order to become one! You have your mind set and know how to get where you have wanted to be your entire life. I am sure it won't be to long until you are at OCS doing leg lifts, pushups and mountain climbers in the SUYA pit and hating life LOL! Just my 0.02 cents

http://www.airwarriors.com/communit...ted-astb-study-guides-gouges-and-links.37407/
Is where I mainly acquired practice stuff.

Attached is one packet which I found to be VERY similar to the ASTB, and aviation battery.

 

[VFRonly]

http://www.airwarriors.com/communit...ted-astb-study-guides-gouges-and-links.37407/
Is where I mainly acquired practice stuff.

Attached is one packet which I found to be VERY similar to the ASTB, and aviation battery.

Thank you I appreciate it.

 

[Daspyp]

Thank you I appreciate it.

Used the Barron books and got a 5/6/5 49... I then decided to retake after using the flash card sites, .pdf gouge, and my books as study material. Ended up getting a 7/7/6 61.