April 15 Selection Board

[jt71582]

In the end, it's your decision to make. My only advice can be TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED. If the only thing you want is SNA, then go for it. My choices were SNA, SNFO, SWO - and they are in that order for a reason, but the greatest honor would be to serve as an Officer...'nuff said.

NFOs sure seem to have an awesome gig. I would put them both down.

 

[PJ81]

advice?

So here is my situation. I thought I was up for the April boards, after having been delayed two months in a row due to my NRD having a rough time getting my prior service records. Now I can't get a straight answer from my recruiter on if I have been selected. All he has told me so far is that he hasn't heard, but that there were a lot of 'hold overs' this month. He said that these hold overs will have to wait for next months board. I asked him why there would be so many people delayed and he said that that is all very hush hush. I have waited patiently (or as patiently as I could), but don't know what to do at this point. I really would just like to know if I even made it before the board last week.

 

[jt71582]

PJ81,

This sounds very strange indeed. The "hush hush" thing makes me nervous. I hope they aren't changing something around. Apparently this month was awfully selective.

 

[OUSOONER]

why does this selection board seem to bring out all of these "horror" stories...ive been on here a while (under an old name..forgot the PW) and ive never seen so many stories of recruiters being this AFU, assuming the applicants are spot on with their stories.

 

[Insomneo]

Tyler,

Can you see yourself doing anything else outside of the military? If not, put down three things.

For me, I cannot see myself doing anything else. About 2 years back I realized that the military is what I want, flying or not. It's even to the point that if some freak event happens that makes me unable to become an officer, no matter what I do, I'll enlist. If you feel the same way, put down three.

 

[jt71582]

why does this selection board seem to bring out all of these "horror" stories...ive been on here a while (under an old name..forgot the PW) and ive never seen so many stories of recruiters being this AFU, assuming the applicants are spot on with their stories.

I won't place any blame on anyone. My OR did his job I can't expect him to be around all weekend to get me the results. This is probably just one of those things with the Navy. Sometimes there's nothing you can do but suck it up and try again.

 

[Harrier Dude]

why does this selection board seem to bring out all of these "horror" stories...ive been on here a while (under an old name..forgot the PW) and ive never seen so many stories of recruiters being this AFU, assuming the applicants are spot on with their stories.

Big assumption.

Also remember, there are a TON of highly qualified people busting their ass to become officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. The recruiters don't have to bust their asses for each and every one of you. They do, generally, because they're motivated people.

Remember, you need them a whole lot more than they need you. These aren't folks trying to hit their quota at an army recruiting station (no offense to soldiers). They can afford to be picky.

And while I'm on a somewhat asshole-ish rant.......why do so many of you wait until such a late age to start this whole process? Seriously?

I keep reading these stories about how folks suddenly realized that they always wanted to be a naval officer at age 26 (or 30 for that matter) after a somewhat lackluster college career. They frantically start assembling waivers and scrambling for academic redemption in hopes of getting that "one last chance" at OCS.

Why do so many of you wait so long to try?

Sorry if I came off like a dick, but I'm honsetly baffled.

 

[jt71582]

Well-put Harrier Dude.

My process started at age 22, in August '07, at 245 ish lbs. 70lbs and 8 months later, I'm shooting for my second selection board.

I was NROTC at Virginia Tech but family financial issues and my gpa not meriting a scholarship forced me to come back in-state. Majored in something I knew I would like, and voila! Here I am, applying for Officer Candidate School.

*BTW - wasn't said in a tongue-in-cheek manner, just giving you all some background as to why some guy at ASU with a Music Industry degree would all of the sudden want to be an Officer.

 

[Biscuit69]

Before you go off on everyone remember that some of us had to earn the money to go to school by enlisting in the military. Then we had to turn around work full time and go to school full time to get where we are. I've always wanted to be a Naval Officer, it didn't take me reaching the golden years of my life to have this revelation, I wanted to earn it on my own terms, on my own two feet. We all have the same goal, it doesn't matter how old we are or who we are.

 

[Tyler]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement, everyone.

...I keep reading these stories about how folks suddenly realized that they always wanted to be a naval officer at age 26

...Why do so many of you wait so long to try?

Well, I can't speak for everyone obviously, but here's my spiel:

My college career wasn't perfect, but it was a bit above lackluster, I feel. I completed my BS in Finance in 4 years at the age of 22 with a 3.27 gpa.

Shortly after finishing, I started working on the application process in 2004, but then, for the sake of simplicity, I'll just say "life" happened. A few family issues arose, along with school debt becoming due, and I ended up taking a job as an accountant. By the time I was back in a position to return to pursuing my dream, BAM 3.5 years had gone by.

Excuses, I realize, but what's it matter? I'm still "within" the age range, and if it's a possibility, why shouldn't I give it all I have left? For what it's worth, now I can say all of my T's are crossed. I'm debt-free, I have several years of degree/career-related experience, my plate is clean, and my family situation is finally at a point where they are self sufficient.

I understand my chances aren't as good as a 20 y/o, but if I never applied, I'd never know.

 

[Harrier Dude]

Before you go off on everyone remember that some of us had to earn the money to go to school by enlisting in the military. Then we had to turn around work full time and go to school full time to get where we are.

That wasn't necessarily directed at guys like you. Not everybody has an equal path to take. I get that. But there are many opportunities to start the process of becoming an officer at a fairly early age, regardless of income. There's USNA, NROTC scholarships, and STA-21/MECEP (for those that do enlist). If all of that fails to pan out and you find yourself 26 and still trying to get into OCS, then fine. Go for it, and best of luck to you. Keep trying if that doesn't work the first time. I'm all for persistence.:icon_mi_1

I've always wanted to be a Naval Officer, it didn't take me reaching the golden years of my life to have this revelation, I wanted to earn it on my own terms, on my own two feet. We all have the same goal, it doesn't matter how old we are or who we are.

I hope that 26-30 isn't "The Golden Years".....if so I'm screwed. But in the end, though, while there are many paths to take to get there, they are ALL "Uncle's Paths". They are HIS terms. OCS after college is the LAST path. You are putting all of your eggs in one basket hoping that it works. I hope for all of you that it will. But, for many of you it will not. That's the breaks of naval air.

And as amply discussed on this board, "how old we are" does matter. It matters a LOT. Why? Because Uncle said so. Time doesn't stop for any of us. If you are old enough to read this post, you'd better be working towards your commission in some way, shape, or form or you might be left holding a rejection letter at age 27 and 1/2 thinking "what might have been".

Good luck to you all!

 

[Insomneo]

Harrier has a point . . . one that I thought of while writing my 400 word essay (even though I'm 22.)

Put yourself in the boards shoes. First thing I would think of (for even a 22 year old) if the applicant put down "Flying for the military has been a lifelong dream" or something along the lines of that would be "then why didn't the go to the Academy or ROTC?"

However, everyone also has their own story and I'm sure the board both knows and understands this. Some people just got that spark to ignite the fuel a bit late.

 

[Tyler]

...OCS after college is the LAST path...

I didn't take offense to your question, fwiw. After all, the words and wings above your avatar give you the right to ask something like this.

I realize my age is probably the factor working against me the most, and I'm trying my damndest to justify or mitigate it within my motivational statement. At the same time, it is what it is, and I can't turn back time.

What is that they say about hindsight?

Good luck to you all!

Thank you.

 

[jt71582]

it's 20/40, correctable to 20/20, or NPQ

 

[OUSOONER]

yeah I was in NROTC from 19-21..my grades went FUBAR...so i took leave to really look in the mirror at myself.. keep in mind i went from ~ 3.4ish to ~1.3 in a hurry..if anyone is familiar with Egypt Air Flight 990...picture that being my GPA..that being said I took a year off which would put me at 23 and two years later of kicking my ass with 4 semesters of 3.2-3.75 GPA's to get back "up" to a 2.4..and with this last semester (3 weeks left) on track to being a 3.75 + 1 summer course I'll be 25 (26 in AUG) with a 2.6 to show for everything. Going from a 1.3 to a 2.6 is a big jump but all that show's is that I was smart enough from the beginning and that I just got lazy which in turn beg's many questions, but thats neither here nor there at this point.
I started school at 19 because i lived in Spain for six months to play soccer after highschool, that opportunity just fell in my lap so I took it. This is the reason im 25 and "scrambling" for OCS...my grades were very sub-par to continue pursuing my ROTC scholarship. All I can do now is make the best of my situation. Fortunately for me, I have a back up plan of going into ATC and have been getting my ducks in a row there should I not select.

This is my story in a nutshell. So to all you "youngsters" KEEP YOUR GRADES UP!!!