Pro Rec'd for OCS (& BDCP??)---What's next?

[NavalAviatorDad]

This is my first post, but I've been reading the boards for a couple of months. Let me thank all of you for your service to our country, and for the great info on this forum.

And please excuse the screen name; I don't mean to be presumptuous but we are thinking positively and supporting our son by faith all the way. I've been wearing a "Naval Aviation--Pensacola" (NA) T-shirt for years.

Here's the deal: My 21 year old son was told today by his Officer Recruiter that he has been "Professionally Recommended" by the review board for a pilot slot after OCS. He only put SNA on his application to OCS / BDCP, as his dream since childhood has been to become a Naval Aviator.

I'm not sure but I think the Pro-Rec status applies to both OCS & BDCP--son said "...results from my BDCP application" but please correct me if I am wrong. Son is offline and out of touch at his summer job so I am going only by what he said in the voicemail he left me.

He said his Medical now has to go through (he's been thoroughly checked out by MEPS, including sign off on his PRK corrected eyes 12/17/07 to 20/15 vision), and his Security Clearance has to go through. If he "passes", his Officer Recruiter Lt. will draft the papers, he will sign in / swear in to the U.S. Navy, and upon college graduation (with a BS in Electrical Engineering in 18-23 months) head to OCS; upon graduation from OCS head to Pensacola for pilot training. His Lt. told him to give it about one month for the clearances to come through.

Questions: 1. Does he just "...wait for the clearances to come through"? I know that he submitted all the detailed info needed for them to run the security clearance check. I THOUGHT he had done all the medical examinations, but could there be more?

2. I recognize this is a huge hurdle he just cleared. What are the probabilities of success / failure on the clearance hurdles? There are no security skeletons in his or our closets (no arrests, traffic violations or even jaywalking). He is physically fit (passed his PTs on the high end of the scale). Is he on the one foot line, or the 10 yard line?

3. Down the road, God forbid but if he washes out of flight school, say he is for some reason physically disqualified (PDQ?), where does he go from there---back home? or assigned somewhere in the Navy to complete his obligation?

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks. Dad

 

[Goob83]

CONGRATS DAD
ALL sound pretty good i did not read in detail but seems like you actually have a good recruiter helping your Son. The PRK thing will be the show stopper if there is one. Not seeing the medical records he had to meet the pre op standards for PRK if he did not meet them it does not matter if his eyes are good now. On a good note i have only seen ONE person out of about 30 that did not meet the pre op standard so he should be fine.

The real reason i wrote you is becaues my mom lives in Metairie too
HAPPY DAY

This is my first post, but I've been reading the boards for a couple of months. Let me thank all of you guys for your service to our country, and for the great info on this forum.

And please excuse the screen name; I don't mean to be presumptuous but we are thinking positively and supporting our son by faith all the way. I've been wearing a "Naval Aviation--Pensacola" (NA) T-shirt for years.

Here's the deal: My 21 year old son was told today by his Officer Recruiter that he has been "Professionally Recommended" by the review board for a pilot slot after OCS. He only put SNA on his application to OCS / BDCP, as his dream since child hood has been to become a Naval Aviator.

I'm not sure but I think the Pro-Rec status applies to both OCS & BDCP--he said "...results from my BDCP application" but please correct me if I am wrong. Son is offline and out of touch at his summer job so I am going only by what he said in the voicemail he left me.

He said his Medical now has to go through (he's been thoroughly checked out by MEPS, including sign off on his PRK corrected eyes 12/17/07 to 20/15 vision), and his Security Clearance has to go through. If he "passes", his Officer Recruiter Lt. will draft the papers, he will sign in / swear in to the U.S. Navy, and upon college graduation (with a BS in Electrical Engineering in 18-23 months) head to OCS; upon graduation from OCS head to Pensacola for pilot training. His Lt. told him to give it about one month for the clearances to come through.

Questions: 1. Does he just "...wait for the clearances to come through"? I know that he submitted all the detailed info needed for them to run the security clearance check. I THOUGHT he had done all the medical examinations, but could there be more?

2. I recognize this is a huge hurdle he just cleared. What are the probabilities of success / failure on the clearance hurdles? There are no security skeletons in his or our closets (no arrests, traffic violations or even jaywalking). He is physically fit (passed his PTs on the high end of the scale). Is he on the one foot line, or the 10 yard line?

3. Down the road, God forbid but if he washes out of flight school, say he is for some reason physically disqualified (PDQ?), where does he go from there---back home? or assigned somewhere in the Navy to complete his obligation?

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks. Dad

 

[NavalAviatorDad]

Goob: Thanks for your comments. Our understanding is that he met the pre-op standards for PRK. We exchanged emails with Dr. Stephen Shallhorn, the opthamology surgeon who worked with DOD and the Navy to develop standards of laser eye surgery for the military. He is the one who directed us to have "wave front guided PRK" done by our eye surgeon and his friend in Metairie.

Greetings to you and your Mom!! I hope she was OK during and after Katrina.

 

[SWCS242]

I believe if he is done with MEPS and everything checked out, he only has to wait for that security clearance and can swear in.
Unless he lied on his form or has some skeletons in his closet, he will probably pass that no problem. I had a drinking ticket and speeding ticket and had no issues.
If he is in BDCP, which Im guessing he is by the sounds of what you are saying, he can't just drop out of OCS. If he is NPQd down the road, I'm guessing they will get him another job. He can't just quit though because BDCPers have to pay back the Navy for all that money we are getting.
If he drops out of OCS he will be sent to Great Lakes and have to serve 2 years enlisted active duty.
Just make sure he reads all of the contracts and paperwork.

Tell him congratulations and I think now he just needs to "hurry up and wait" until all the paperwork goes through. I am sure his recruiter will let him know if anything else needs to be done...his recruiter seems to be on top of things as Goob said.

 

[NavalAviatorDad]

SWCS242: Thanks for the input. No skeletons or lies on his application, I promise. I expect his security clearance to go through. I figured that BDCP $$$ was a strong hook. I have already advised him to read the contract thoroughly, then re-read the fine print, before signing. If possible I want to read it before he signs anything (no I'm not a lawyer but as a CPA I am detail-oriented and have spent a lot of time in the legal arena of the tax code, among others). I just want him to go in with eyes wide open and know on the front end what happens on the back end.

He won't voluntarily drop out of OCS, or flight school. They would have to throw him out, especially flight school, and he won't give them a reason to do that.

He has been focused on this goal since about 8 years old, never wavering. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. The closest thing to his dedication and commitment to a dream I have ever seen, is a professional baseball player friend of ours who dreamed of making it to MLB; which he did at the age of 26. Not for long, but he made it and is still playing in AAA.

Thanks again.

More insight is always welcome...

 

[mcmurray]

My husband just went through the same thing your son is doing. He was, as you said, "professionally recommended" for an NFO slot. Once he accepts the position he is in. There will be another PFT before they send him to OCS but he will be sworn in almost immediately after accepting the slot. My husband was in the BDCP also which was great: full military benefits immediately and the pay. Also, his pay increased on the day he graduated until he went to OCS. He will actually be on active duty from the day he swears in. IF he were to drop out of the program before going to OCS he would just have to repay any money already given to him. IF you have any other questions that I might be able to help you with feel free to ask. Congratulations!

 

[NavalAviatorDad]

Thanks for sharing your husband's experiences. I may need you to talk with my son's girlfriend at some point in the future.

All the best to you and your girls, and your husband.

 

[Goob83]

My husband just went through the same thing your son is doing. He was, as you said, "professionally recommended" for an NFO slot. Once he accepts the position he is in. There will be another PFT before they send him to OCS but he will be sworn in almost immediately after accepting the slot. My husband was in the BDCP also which was great: full military benefits immediately and the pay. Also, his pay increased on the day he graduated until he went to OCS. He will actually be on active duty from the day he swears in. IF he were to drop out of the program before going to OCS he would just have to repay any money already given to him. IF you have any other questions that I might be able to help you with feel free to ask. Congratulations!

A little misinformation here he will not just pay back money. he will go to BOOT CAMP as enlisted. if you drop due to academics it is off to bootcamp or perhaps if you fail out off OCS for certain reason or DOR you go to boot camp. it is in the agreement and each person signs it to acknowlede this. It happens not often but it happens

 

[Goob83]

Greetings to you and your Mom!! I hope she was OK during and after Katrina.[/quote]

thank you. just last month her new house was finished and she moved in still not completly furnished but it is nice for her to get out of the Trailer

 

[Goob83]

SWCS242: Thanks for the input. No skeletons or lies on his application, I promise. I expect his security clearance to go through. I figured that BDCP $$$ was a strong hook. I have already advised him to read the contract thoroughly, then re-read the fine print, before signing. If possible I want to read it before he signs anything (no I'm not a lawyer but as a CPA I am detail-oriented and have spent a lot of time in the legal arena of the tax code, among others). I just want him to go in with eyes wide open and know on the front end what happens on the back end.

He won't voluntarily drop out of OCS, or flight school. They would have to throw him out, especially flight school, and he won't give them a reason to do that.

He has been focused on this goal since about 8 years old, never wavering. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. The closest thing to his dedication and commitment to a dream I have ever seen, is a professional baseball player friend of ours who dreamed of making it to MLB; which he did at the age of 26. Not for long, but he made it and is still playing in AAA.

Thanks again.

More insight is always welcome...

The Recruiter can send you an advance copy of the service agreement via email just ask him to do so and they can send it over it will be blank but all the info is there except your sons personal info

 

[NavalAviatorDad]

Now THAT'S good to know. I will get on that right away. Thanks, Goob83, I appreciate you taking a personal interest in this.

 

[NavalAviatorDad]

Greetings to you and your Mom!! I hope she was OK during and after Katrina.

thank you. just last month her new house was finished and she moved in still not completly furnished but it is nice for her to get out of the Trailer[/quote]

Goob: Very glad to read that you Mom is out of the FEMA trailer and into her new house. That's a relief!! Congrats to Mom on that milestone.

 

[NavalAviatorDad]

Thanks to all for the good info. Let me clarify my question:

As I understand it, the contract he will have with the Navy is for OCS / NA/ flight school. Assuming that he graduates from OCS---if he were to (through no fault of his own) washout of flight school, what happens then, where does he go? Is he still in the Navy for X years, assigned as an officer wherever they need him? Or, if he can't fly, is the deal off and they send him home?

I assume that he will still be obligated to the Navy because of the BDCP $$$ and OCS. As far as it depends upon him, he will finish OCS and he will become a Naval Aviator. But I know from reading these threads that there are a LOT of variables in that path. I'm trying to clarify some of those variables and also know what to look for in the contract.

Thanks!!

 

[Tom]

Thanks to all for the good info. Let me clarify my question:

As I understand it, the contract he will have with the Navy is for OCS / NA/ flight school. Assuming that he graduates from OCS---if he were to (through no fault of his own) washout of flight school, what happens then, where does he go? Is he still in the Navy for X years, assigned as an officer wherever they need him? Or, if he can't fly, is the deal off and they send him home?

I assume that he will still be obligated to the Navy because of the BDCP $$$ and OCS. As far as it depends upon him, he will finish OCS and he will become a Naval Aviator. But I know from reading these threads that there are a LOT of variables in that path. I'm trying to clarify some of those variables and also know what to look for in the contract.

Thanks!!

BDCP is the best deal in the Navy (as you may have read). Once he gets to OCS, he will have a little more motivation (not going to boot camp) when the times get tough. I'm not saying he'd quit, but when life is complete crap, he knows that the way out of OCS is by getting a gold bar. Many people don't graduate OCS in the 12 weeks , but nearly everyone graduates the program. The people that get NPQ'ed (and tell the Navy thanks, but no thanks, I want to go home) and the people who DOR (drop on request, quitting) make up the majority of the people leaving OCS without a commission. Very, very few people get attrited (failed or kicked out) and the majority of them got caught doing something stupid or against the rules. In summary, if your son shows up to OCS healthy and in great physical shape and keeps his nose clean, he will probably graduate.

If your son were to get attrited from flight school it's not easy to say what would become of him. It depends if he wants to stay in and if the Navy wants him. If he were to attrite because of grades it's one thing, but say if he were to attrite because of a DUI it's another thing. His contract would probably revert to a 4 year deal, but it's really hard to say specifically. From my experiences so far, Navy flight training has the goal to make people successful. Opportunities are given to every student and and instructors truly care about making great aviators. As with OCS, the majority of people who leave flight training without wings quit, get kicked out or get NPQ'ed. If he gets NPQ'ed during flight training my guess would be that he might have the option to stay in the Navy or leave depending on lots of variables.

 

[NavalAviatorDad]

Thanks, Tom, your insight is much appreciated.