National OPO Blog

[National OPO]

All - about the security clearances, yes, having an existing clearance does help expedite the clearance process and if you do have a current clearance with non-expired background investigation (Secret BI's last 10 years, TS Bis last 5 years, etc), that does help expedite the process. Since ALL federal govt security clearances are adjudicated through DoDCAF (DoD Central Adjudication Facility) after OPM has performed the background investigation approprioate for the security clearance being pursued (Secret, TS/SCI, etc), it does not matter the agency that might have initiatied your BI and clearance request way back when. ALL officers have to be cleared for at least a SECRET. Intel, IW, Nuke, CWE, and a few other programs require a Top Secret/SCI clearance, which requires a more extensive background investigation by OPM for DoDCAF to then make a decision regarding clearance "level". For applicants that DONT already have a security clearance or background, MOST of our officer programs do not require the process to be started for new applicants until AFTER applicants have been professionally recommended through a PROBOARD, due to the sheer costs to the federal govt the performance of background investigations costs. So to save some $$, we direct the field to hold off initiating the security clearance process until AFTER an applicant is professionally recommended. Your recruiter or officer processor should be able to "talk you through" what you might need to do to satisfy the security clearance and background investigation requirments depending on which program you were Professionally recommended into. Hope this helps explain the process.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

+1. The SF-86/NASIS is used to verify your information to the PROBOARD. Once that's done, your signature pages and fingerprints are sent out to start the actual investigation, whether it's SECRET or TS-SCI.

 

[Hopeful Hoya]

Sir, I just wanted to thank you again for being on here. I know you have answered many questions that I have had, and getting such important information straight from the source is invaluable to those of us pursuing our dreams of becoming Naval officers.

(This is for NavyoffRec and RUFiO too).

 

[Lasoiree]

All - please feel free to pass around this blog site, but wanted to provide some insight into the physical fitness requirements upon arrival at OCS. Your recruiter (if being worked through an NRD) should be telling you that the more in-shape you are upon arrival at OCS, then your time at OCS will be that much easier. Every class we have folks that show up not in good shape and getting rolled over into Holding Company to work on their physical conditioning. Dont be one of those Officer Candidates. During your first week, the staff at OCS will be yelling at ya, waking you up early, and running you all over the place. On that first Wednesday, you will perform a standard Navy Physical Readiness Test (PRT) in which you will be required to perform push-ups, sit-ups, and perform a run - all timed. Failing any portion of this will result in your immediate rolling to Holding Company. Then again on Friday morning, you will have a cardio event (not a standard Navy PRT), but more along the line of scissor kicks, 4-count burpees, squat thrusts, etc. Stuff that makes you want to throw up and uses muscle not normally used. But like with the Wednesday morning PRT, should anyone fall out or be unable to keep up, they will be rolled back to Holding Company to work on their cardio fitness. So please take serious getting into shape prior to shipping to OCS to minimize your chance of 1) being rolled back, and 2) getting injured. Work on upper body strength as well as cardio. Dont limit yourself to just push-ups, sit-ups, and straight-stick running (although good to be proficient in each of these) but instead consider some cross training to get the majority of your muscles ready for OCS. Otherwise your legs and back and under-used muscles, coupled with sleep deprivation, are going to be hurting after the first week at OCS.

My advice...if you have a gym membership that offers drop in exercise classes, take them. I am doing so many weight and aerobic exercises I would never do on my own and using all muscle groups. Guys, the classes may be mainly ladies but don't judge, they are hard!

 

[BackOrdered]

My advice...if you have a gym membership that offers drop in exercise classes, take them. I am doing so many weight and aerobic exercises I would never do on my own and using all muscle groups. Guys, the classes may be mainly ladies but don't judge, they are hard!

Who's judging? After the recent "Winter Vortex" I became a true believer of aerobic exercises. I did nothing but aerobics all winter and ran a 1.5 mile tarmac run cold in under 11 minutes.

 

[National OPO]

All - update on the next Pilot and NFO board. It will be held on Tuesday, 06May with results expected out no later than the end of the day on 12May14. Good luck to all going in front of the board. As for expected selection rates, would once again expect a fairly positive chance for selection - above 75%. So even though applicants that maybe didnt do as well as hoped or thought on the ASTB/ASTB-E will still have a decent chance of being selected. The board takes into account ASTB-E scores, GPAs, and degree types as the first "cut" to determine quality of the applicants (since the ASTB/ASTB-E does represent a great indicator of propensity for success as a Pilot and/or NFO), but then does also take into account whole person to include extra-curricular activities/athletics, leadership opportunities, aviation experience, what did you do OUTSIDE of the classroom, and if already graduated, what have you been doing since graduation, Letters of Recommendation, prior service or family military heritage (you understand what military life is like), etc.

 

[Connie]

Any update as to when the IDC board will be meeting?

 

[dmamula]

Good After noon sir,

I wondering if you can provide us with some info about the IDC boards? (Almost what A_Longo88 asked but for the IDC community)

Since the April board got pushed back will the July 14th board still on schedule?

What was the selection percentage like for the last boards for IW/IP?

What are some of the stronger qualities that they look for?(technical degree, OAR, GPA, evals, etc.)

How highly is the OAR weighted and what is the advance going to the board? (I have heard different answers on this one)

Any help that is not asked also would be great. Just found this blog so I figured to ask since finding any of this information that is 100% accurate is hard.

Thank you for your time Sir,



Very Respectfully

ET2(SS/IDW) Mamula D M

 

[National OPO]

All - the next IDC board is scheduled to convene on 06May14 with results expected out no later than 14May14. The shift in this current IDC board (from 14Apr14 to 06May14) is not expected to have any impact on the next IDC board, scheduled for 14Jul14. More to follow once we see what the results of this board are compared to expected FY15 OCS IDC accession goals and where the shortages might still remain. This is always something discussed with the communiy at the conclusion of one board and we look ahead to the next few boards to determine if still heading in the right direction with adequate selection volume to fill down-stream OCS shipping seats. As such, we will have the same talk again with the IDC community after the 06May board concludes. The recent selection rates for IDC boards has been less than 20% - the IDC designators are some of our most competitive. Yes, degree types (aligning with IP/IW), GPAs, OAR scores, work experience (if graduated from college), letters of recommendation, strength of officer interviews, military evaluations (if military) with strong hard and soft breakouts among your peers and consistent recommendations for officer/commissioning programs, etc. are all taken into consideration during the board. There is not any one single attribute that the board looks at. And with the competition being so keen over the last few boards, the community has the luxery of being selective in who they professionally recommend. Hope this helps.

 

[Sache]

Tremendously helpful...

 

[dmamula]

All - the next IDC board is scheduled to convene on 06May14 with results expected out no later than 14May14. The shift in this current IDC board (from 14Apr14 to 06May14) is not expected to have any impact on the next IDC board, scheduled for 14Jul14. More to follow once we see what the results of this board are compared to expected FY15 OCS IDC accession goals and where the shortages might still remain. This is always something discussed with the communiy at the conclusion of one board and we look ahead to the next few boards to determine if still heading in the right direction with adequate selection volume to fill down-stream OCS shipping seats. As such, we will have the same talk again with the IDC community after the 06May board concludes. The recent selection rates for IDC boards has been less than 20% - the IDC designators are some of our most competitive. Yes, degree types (aligning with IP/IW), GPAs, OAR scores, work experience (if graduated from college), letters of recommendation, strength of officer interviews, military evaluations (if military) with strong hard and soft breakouts among your peers and consistent recommendations for officer/commissioning programs, etc. are all taken into consideration during the board. There is not any one single attribute that the board looks at. And with the competition being so keen over the last few boards, the community has the luxery of being selective in who they professionally recommend. Hope this helps.

Thank you sir for the information.

 

[OCSHopeful]

All - the next IDC board is scheduled to convene on 06May14 with results expected out no later than 14May14. The shift in this current IDC board (from 14Apr14 to 06May14) is not expected to have any impact on the next IDC board, scheduled for 14Jul14. More to follow once we see what the results of this board are compared to expected FY15 OCS IDC accession goals and where the shortages might still remain. This is always something discussed with the communiy at the conclusion of one board and we look ahead to the next few boards to determine if still heading in the right direction with adequate selection volume to fill down-stream OCS shipping seats. As such, we will have the same talk again with the IDC community after the 06May board concludes. The recent selection rates for IDC boards has been less than 20% - the IDC designators are some of our most competitive. Yes, degree types (aligning with IP/IW), GPAs, OAR scores, work experience (if graduated from college), letters of recommendation, strength of officer interviews, military evaluations (if military) with strong hard and soft breakouts among your peers and consistent recommendations for officer/commissioning programs, etc. are all taken into consideration during the board. There is not any one single attribute that the board looks at. And with the competition being so keen over the last few boards, the community has the luxery of being selective in who they professionally recommend. Hope this helps.

Very, very helpful information. Thanks so much.

 

[National OPO]

All - Pilot board done, NFO kits to be reviewed this afternoon. Still predicting that results will be released to the Fleet and then NRDs NLT 12May. Additionally, and as predicted, we have started issuing FINSEL letters and filling the July-Sept OCS classes - for both Fleet and NRD shippers. If you were a previous Pilot, NFO, or SWO selects from a past board and had an availability date that supported shipping to OCS in the July-Sept timeframe, then you stand a good chance of shipping to one of the four classes that fall in that timeframe (20Jul, 10Aug, 31Aug, or 21Sep). We are issuing FINSELs as quickly as possible and are planning on filling all four of those classes to the max amount allowed, which is 100 shippers per each class. So remain in contact with your OR (if processed through an NRD) or remain engaged with your chain of command (if a Fleet applicant) as we push out these FINSEL letters with assigned OCS ship dates.

 

[Fronch]

Thanks for the update!

If you were a previous Pilot, NFO, or SWO selects from a past board and had an availability date that supported shipping to OCS in the July-Sept timeframe, then you stand a good chance of shipping to one of the four classes that fall in that timeframe (20Jul, 10Aug, 31Aug, or 21Sep).

What about IDC selects?

 

[Sache]

All - Pilot board done, NFO kits to be reviewed this afternoon. Still predicting that results will be released to the Fleet and then NRDs NLT 12May. Additionally, and as predicted, we have started issuing FINSEL letters and filling the July-Sept OCS classes - for both Fleet and NRD shippers. If you were a previous Pilot, NFO, or SWO selects from a past board and had an availability date that supported shipping to OCS in the July-Sept timeframe, then you stand a good chance of shipping to one of the four classes that fall in that timeframe (20Jul, 10Aug, 31Aug, or 21Sep). We are issuing FINSELs as quickly as possible and are planning on filling all four of those classes to the max amount allowed, which is 100 shippers per each class. So remain in contact with your OR (if processed through an NRD) or remain engaged with your chain of command (if a Fleet applicant) as we push out these FINSEL letters with assigned OCS ship dates.

Wow, that fast because the acceptance rate is high? Didn't know that some boards finished within a day.