My Story: Desperately want to fly Navy, but have issues? Need advice.

[Afterburner209]

AB209,
Can you put up a ref. for the 6-month post PRK waiting period you mentioned above? Here's what I'm seeing, and it says 3 months....

http://navymedicine.med.navy.mil/PRK/corneal_refractive_surgery_physi.htm

Corneal Refractive Surgery Physical Standards and Waiver Policy in the Navy and Marine Corps (Revised April 10, 2000).

(4) Aviation Warfare. All forms of corneal surgery are disqualifying. PRK is the only procedure that will be considered for waiver. (A) air warfare new accession applicants having had PRK (civilians, NROTC, Naval Academy and enlisted accessions) may be waivered for aviation duty if they meet all the following criteria:

d. At least three months have elapsed since surgery or re-treatment and evidence of stable refractive error is demonstrated by two separate examinations performed at least one month apart.

--I had PRK back in September, and, Lord willing everything checks out, I'll be submitting my OCS packet well within the 6-mo post-op timeframe...Let us know if you have any updated info specifying 6 months vice 3.

Apologies, bad gouge. Deleted it from my earlier post.

1. A minimum of three or six months (determined by preoperative refraction) have elapsed since surgery or re-treatment and evidence of stable refractive error is demonstrated by two separate examinations performed at least one month apart.

I remembered from forum talk that everyone said six-months. However as evident, it is 3-6 depending on your condition.

Usually it's hard to get an address for the NRD, you have to call them most cases because one, you can't always just walk in. Additionally, the closest NRD could be quite far from you. However, sometimes you got to take matters into your own hands and just make a road trip and show them you mean business. YMMV.

 

[Will_T]

I'm reluctant to ask if I actually have a shot with getting in as an officer without going the enlisted path?! The thought of it excites me beyond belief. My PPL should be completed by March. Who would be able to give me advice (or a general direction to follow) of how to go about getting my PRK taken care of prior to the boards? I still don't know if I should do it before or after I enlist (assuming I am enlisting at all haha).

Also, how would I be able to take my ASTB? I really wanna bring my scores to the table in order to help give me more of a competitive edge.

Thanks again, everyone! I cannot emphasize enough how much of a resource this site is.

Most people who become officers have never been enlisted. ROTC, Annapolis, OCS, most the people here are non-prior enlisted. If you can somehow state how that shoplifting has taught you a lesson, and how its changed you, it may work for your benefit. That said, best of luck to you.
Will.

 

[arianjalali]

BrandonJ, I cannot explain what your post did to me when I read it. You addressed my situation very thoroughly and filled me with hope that I did not have before. I appreciate that more than you know. Thanks to you (and others on this site).. I have decided to pursue the option of tracking down an officer recruiter. As I have already called twice and gotten no respose, I anticipate this won't be an easy task to accomplish.. But I will not rest until I make contact with someone.

As far as the shoplifting incident goes.. All I can really say is that I made a stupid decision. A couple of days prior to that.. I had $300 stolen from me, which caused me to become broke for the time being. In that upcoming time of desperation, I took a season DVD of Scrubs (lol) from my local Wal*mart. I was lucky not to be arrested and go to jail that night (I don't know if that will have any positive bearing on my situation). I was issued a citation and paid it off accordingly. I know I have no justifications for my actions, but you know what.. It sincerely taught me something: that I don't ever need to make another stupid decision like that again and possibly jeopardize the rest of my future. I will make the board very aware of this realization. I was also fortunate enough to only have that go into a local police department and not put on a state/federal level. I only hope that having this somewhat recent misdemeanor doesn't bar me from applying for OCS within the next several months..

 

[MattWSU]

In that upcoming time of desperation, I took a season DVD of Scrubs (lol) from my local Wal*mart.

Did you laugh when they caught you?

 

[arianjalali]

Did you laugh when they caught you?

Oh, in no way did I think that what I did was funny on any level.. I was laughing at my own stupidity for taking such a petty item. So please do not mistake what type of laughter that was.. I would give anything to retract my actions.

 

[arianjalali]

Upon taking most of your all's advice, I used the few internet resources available to contact the nearest officer recruiter and submit a few details about myself. Well, 24 hours later.. I received a call from a Petty Officer in Millington, Tennessee and after giving him more details about my life.. He says that I'm still eligible to pursue an officer program despite the misdemeanors. It is safe to say that I am ridiculously excited at this point. If I can achieve my dream in a shorter amount of time than it would take going through the enlisted route, then that would be incredible. He forwarded my information to the closest officer recruiter and said I will be contaced by him within the next couple of days!!

 

[jtmedli]

Upon taking most of your all's advice, I used the few internet resources available to contact the nearest officer recruiter and submit a few details about myself. Well, 24 hours later.. I received a call from a Petty Officer in Millington, Tennessee and after giving him more details about my life.. He says that I'm still eligible to pursue an officer program despite the misdemeanors. It is safe to say that I am ridiculously excited at this point. If I can achieve my dream in a shorter amount of time than it would take going through the enlisted route, then that would be incredible. He forwarded my information to the closest officer recruiter and said I will be contaced by him within the next couple of days!!

Great...the only advice I have for you at this point is be honest and be willing to say "hey guys, I screwed up and I know it". You'll get more respect from using that statement than you'll ever realize.

 

[nugget61]

AB209,
Can you put up a ref. for the 6-month post PRK waiting period you mentioned above? Here's what I'm seeing, and it says 3 months....

http://navymedicine.med.navy.mil/PRK/corneal_refractive_surgery_physi.htm

...quoted waiver guide...

--I had PRK back in September, and, Lord willing everything checks out, I'll be submitting my OCS packet well within the 6-mo post-op timeframe...Let us know if you have any updated info specifying 6 months vice 3.

Apologies, bad gouge. Deleted it from my earlier post.

1. A minimum of three or six months (determined by preoperative refraction) have elapsed since surgery or re-treatment and evidence of stable refractive error is demonstrated by two separate examinations performed at least one month apart.

I remembered from forum talk that everyone said six-months. However as evident, it is 3-6 depending on your condition.

Usually it's hard to get an address for the NRD, you have to call them most cases because one, you can't always just walk in. Additionally, the closest NRD could be quite far from you. However, sometimes you got to take matters into your own hands and just make a road trip and show them you mean business. YMMV.

I ran into this in February 2009. Had PRK NOV2008, met all requirements for 3 month waiver, sent my stuff in, got rejected.
After calling every NAMI/NOMI number that there is (which the docs don't like and I wouldn't recommend) I got to the eye doc in charge of waivers. His words (As of FEB 2009) were that the waiver guide was misleading and that to get the shortened 3 month wait you must currently be serving (bdcp doesn't count). It is to have that written in there in a coming version, but I wouldn't expect it anytime soon.
I reapplied as soon as I hit 6 months and all was good.

Brandon:
You may be able to game the system a bit in regards to your wait. On the application, you have to mark the checkbox that you had PRK, however you don't submit any paperwork about it to the boards. It says to include it all with the physical (meps). So you could apply when you're about 5 months healed, get your pro-rec and 6 months around the same time and get your waiver to take to meps (all assuming that your OR doesn't require meps to be complete before the boards). Just know that the waiver folks can take a long time to return the paperwork (took mine just shy of 2 months).

 

[arianjalali]

Great...the only advice I have for you at this point is be honest and be willing to say "hey guys, I screwed up and I know it". You'll get more respect from using that statement than you'll ever realize.

Don't you worry, jtmedli.. I am more than willing to use that phrase at this point -- because, ultimately, that is exactly what happened. I screwed up and I know it. Thank you for the advice.

 

[flopper]

In that upcoming time of desperation, I took a season DVD of Scrubs (lol) from my local Wal*mart.

You could have watched that on YouTube for free guy.

 

[Schnugg]

I took a season DVD of Scrubs (lol) from my local Wal*mart.

I threw a party and needless to say it got busted by state troopers lol.

No chance IMHO....lol.


You kid about these "issues"?

 

[arianjalali]

Schnugg, I am genuinely sorry (more-so towards myself) for saying it that way.. I was not meaning to kid around about anything. Maybe my humor is skewed because I laughed at myself out of idiocy. I have taken my life very seriously since the occurrence. It showed me that I took things too far that evening. If you (as an officer of the United States Navy) seriously think that I have no chance, then I will take that into account. However, I will not give up on this.. I just don't have it in me. I will continue trying until I'm too old to try anymore.

Also.. In your opinion, do you think taking an enlisted approach (and the passage of time) would serve as a helpful remediation for what I did last year?

 

[LET73]

Schnugg, I am genuinely sorry (more-so towards myself) for saying it that way.. I was not meaning to kid around about anything. Maybe my humor is skewed because I laughed at myself out of idiocy. I have taken my life very seriously since the occurrence. It showed me that I took things too far that evening. If you (as an officer of the United States Navy) seriously think that I have no chance, then I will take that into account. However, I will not give up on this.. I just don't have it in me. I will continue trying until I'm too old to try anymore.

Also.. In your opinion, do you think taking an enlisted approach (and the passage of time) would serve as a helpful remediation for what I did last year?

You didn't ask me, but I'm going to go ahead and weigh in anyway. I think you're the only one who can answer that question. It's not uncommon for people to shoot from the hip while typing on the internet, and sometimes things come across very differently in anonymous text than they would in person. If you think, or know, that you've moved past your mistakes and have the maturity to be an officer now, then by all means go for it. Your maturity and motivation will come through. As others have said, it's up to the board, but the worst thing you can do is not try (sounds like you're not planning on taking that route).

As far as enlisting first, again, up to you. There are pros and cons to that path. There's nothing wrong with being in your late 20s when you commission, and I think that someone who has experience other than college probably brings a little more to the table as far as leadership and experience. I'm not prior enlisted, but I did some other stuff before getting commissioned at 26. I think I'm a better officer now than I would have been at 22, but that's not necessarily the case for everyone. The one drawback to commissioning late is that it can be a little frustrating to look around as an ensign and see lieutenants who are younger than you, but at least by enlisting you can say you did something (hopefully) meaningful with those extra few years. I know good officers who commissioned young, and I know good officers who admit they were dirtbags when they first enlisted but during their enlisted time gained the professionalism and maturity they needed to be successful.

 

[Antigone]

Those aren't "little things", those are "big things" and attest to your character and morality.

 

[yakboyslim]

^I hope I'm not stepping on any big toes, but you should at least have a bio before you post something like that... as your first post.

And they do sound like pretty big things (the stealing more so than the party). Parties get out of hand, and you were a kid then, blah blah blah. Not that that excuses it, but I think it is easier to understand. The stealing is gonna be tough for you to pass with I think (I don't know anything though, that's just what I think) I like to look at it like there is no such thing as a theft of passion. All stealing is because of a moral weakness. Be prepared to explain that.

But you have already heard all that. Now go and apply, no harm in trying.