How long are you waiting to class up for API?

[VmiMMXI]

Officer Hometown Recruiting Program.... I guess the alternative to A-pool? Instead of waiting in Pensacola, you wait wherever your recruiter is based.

Are you charging leave while you're in A-pool?

I am not sure if you're in the middle of OCS or waiting to go, but all of us in aviation were told from the first time our Chief talked about it that we would get no OHARP. I believe he said you could apply for it, but "There's no way in hell you're going to get it". If you're aviation, you'll commission and have generally 3 weeks to get down to P'cola. Then get in A-Pool and enjoy until you're told to start doing something.

Edit to answer your second question...
You are banking leave during A-Pool as you're fully active, but no you are not BURNING a day of leave every day in A-Pool.

 

[mfk534]

Good to know, VmiMMXI. I'm realizing it's impossible to plan for anything except the unexpected.....

Appreciate the info, fellas!

 

[wlawr005]

You're not gonna get OHARP in A-pool. A-pool is a muster-once-a-day-so-that-you-will-be-there-in-case-we-find-shit-for-you-to-do kinda thing. Plus you'll have medical appts, anthro, NKO, and other assorted nonsense to knock out while you're there.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

We have had aviation guys doing OHARP, some were actually TAD for many weeks, I will say it goes in cycles, rarely see any from Sept to April, but May to August they seem to show up, most I dealt with didn't come to us from OCS, they reported to Pensacola and were then sent to us.

 

[EM1toNFO]

BTW you "earn" 2.5 days of leave a month. (2.5 and 12 months = 30 day a year)

 

[mid1510]

Time on board to class up currently is 15-17 weeks. This includes IFS/DIVOLC.

Why did my LT just send us options for an "API class date"? I presume this means that is the date they need us down in Pcola?

 

[wlawr005]

Probably more like beginning of summer (immediately after graduation) or the end of summer. They used to give guys the option of reporting June, July, Aug, Sep, or Oct.

 

[acwildcat]

Graduated OCS 16 September, checked into A-Pool 6 October, did DIVOLC and IFS, started API today

 

[jtmedli]

Graduated OCS 16 September, checked into A-Pool 6 October, did DIVOLC and IFS, started API today

Dont drown like me.

 

[Th3HumbleMuffin]

If you have the option, I'd go earlier rather than later. My roommate checked in on 07OCT and is finishing up week 3 of API. I checked in the 28th and won't even class up until later this month. We had a TON of check-ins in late OCT-early NOV.

This translates to: If you like sitting around doing nothing earning an easy paycheck, check in later for more pool time. If you're chomping at the bit, go earlier. Bear in mind this has just been my experience as applied to this fiscal year, YMMV.

 

[Uncle Fester]

The pool usually is biggest in late summer and Jan-Feb, and smallest in spring (Mar-May). Again, YMWDV. As you'll learn in the Program, "What it's been like lately" almost never translates into "what will happen to you".

 

[gparks1989]

Does having a PPL shorten the wait time much?

EDIT: I'm slated to check-in 28 Sept

 

[SynixMan]

It cuts out maybe 3-4 weeks for IFS. If you're thinking about getting you PPL this summer to save yourself some time before starting API, that's about the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

 

[MIDNJAC]

OHARP is not a bad gig, if you can do it. Probably not waiting in A-pool, since they need you there just in case, but maybe later on in the VT's. I did it between primary and advanced, and basically got me 3 weeks of free leave to go home. I worked a total of about 3 days, as the office I went to really just considered it a good deal for me and didn't really need anyone anyway. I filled about 1000 envelopes of fliers, stamped them, threw them in a box my buddy had at his house, brought them back to the recruiter office at the end, and called it a TAD. Funny thing is that about a week later, the box showed back up at my buddies house with all the envelopes. Apparently the clerk at the recruiting office forgot to open the thing and send the letters out individually, so it got mailed back to the address that was originally written on the box. So basically my entire time there was for naught.

 

[Picaroon]

Free weeks in Perdido Key / Downtown Pcola are awesome--especially when spring break hits and then later as it gets warm. If you have a decent wait, realize that either way you're going to get trained and it often won't be fun along the way. Take your free time to enjoy it as much as possible.