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Highest possible rank right after OCS
- Thread starter ard
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May be a bit of a simplification after O-3...
#RightSizing
Brother, I highly recommend that you read up on what an Intel Officer does, because you seem to have the standard delusions about being a spy/James Bond, trigger puller, etc. Long story short, it ain't like that... at all. From what you've told us, you have all the markings of the run of the mill adventure seeker who decided late in life that he wants to be a bad ass, be a SEAL, kill bad guys, yadda, yadda, yadda. You're in for a rude awakening if you don't do some due dilligence on what you're getting yourself into. Use the search function on this site and learn about the profession you're attempting to join. Showing up to your first command touting your CV will earn you additional pain and mockery. Having a PhD is an admirable achievement, but it has zero value added to most of the entry level Navy fields you've been asking about and nobody in your first few tours will care.
Caveat Emptor.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
I should have added to my post that every Intel officer I worked with/knew said they were a Powerpoint guru.
Interesting that the OP's motivation for joining is based on an accelerated promotion opportunity and the possibility of working with the SPECWAR community. And . . . not a mention of wanting to be a "Commissioned Naval Officer" and all that entails.
Just sayin' . . .
Eh, I think people list all kinds of reasons for why they want in. He did indicate he was prior service and wanted to finish a goal of his (i.e., becoming an officer). I'd expect plenty of people want to join the military for reasons rooted in self-interest. When people ask me why I submitted, I generally tell them it's because I'm super bored of the corporate environment and want to do something more meaningful, hands-on and exciting. I've got plenty of additional reasons and sub-reasons, but I don't generally stray toward the typical rhetoric (e.g., serve my country, be a naval officer, etc.) when offering up explanations
And hey, I'm sure joining the military later in life is all the more reason to be concerned about the specifics of the career benefits. But I, like Jon Snow, know nothing.
Calculon
It's Calculon! Hit the deck!
Eh, I think people list all kinds of reasons for why they want in. He did indicate he was prior service and wanted to finish a goal of his (i.e., becoming an officer). I'd expect plenty of people want to join the military for reasons rooted in self-interest. When people ask me why I submitted, I generally tell them it's because I'm super bored of the corporate environment and want to do something more meaningful, hands-on and exciting. I've got plenty of additional reasons and sub-reasons, but I don't generally stray toward the typical rhetoric (e.g., serve my country, be a naval officer, etc.) when offering up explanations
And hey, I'm sure joining the military later in life is all the more reason to be concerned about the specifics of the career benefits. But I, like Jon Snow, know nothing.
I don't think it's entirely the fact that people have self-interest in mind when joining the military - plenty of people do. I think the big thing people are trying to get at is that this is the military. There's a good chance you aren't going to get the plane/base/designator/whatever you want, and the sooner you know that you are going in for the right reasons, the better it is for them and everyone else around them.
Having a few friends from college who went in (to various branches), quite a few (most, in fact) ended up stationed in places they hated or weren't their first choice of designator or airframe or whatever. The guys who went in knowing they wanted to serve are happy. The guys who went in with grandiose dreams of doing this or that and (still) haven't come to the realization that the needs of the Navy (or Marines or AF or Army) comes first are the ones counting down the days
That makes sense. I suppose the critical factor is that no matter what your interests are, and no matter how many of your cookies crumble throughout the process, there should always be an underlying base of, "...but worst case scenario, I'd really just like to be a naval officer."
LFCFan
*Insert nerd wings here*
So that makes at least three people (myself included) trying to escape academia.
I'm sure you all have tons of experience dealing with "adventure seeker" types who hop on here, but in defense of the OP, I generally don't think "adventure seeker" when I think math professor after having known a few of them. And as he stated previously, he has worked in math applications to counterterrorism, which is probably more like what a real intel officer does than James Bond. I think had he never mentioned being a seal from the start the tone of this thread might be a bit different.
ard: Tenure is a hell of a thing to walk away from. I know the life of a prof isn't as cushy as everyone thinks, but I would suggest that you heed Brett's advice and search around here a bit. Also, make sure you check out the intel forum.
This has absolutely nothing to do with what an Intel Officer will do, at least for their first few tours. If he wants to do that, he should work for one of the three letter agencies and use his academic background. It will be wasted (and lost) on a career as an Intel Officer.
LFCFan
*Insert nerd wings here*
Fair enough, you beat me to suggesting the three letter agencies.
I love this thread.
On the one hand, it looks like Brett's out to piss in some guy's Wheaties again.
But in reality: this guy's trying to eat his breakfast out of a urinal, so. . .
On the one hand, it looks like Brett's out to piss in some guy's Wheaties again.
But in reality: this guy's trying to eat his breakfast out of a urinal, so. . .
That word picture's enough to make a few wannabee applicants re-evaluate their aspirations...UGH!
BzB
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