Question about Navy OCS...

[buck_naked88]

Hello. I'm a new member to the site. If anyone has any advice or feedback about my situation, it would be greatly appreciated.

I recently separated from the Army after 8 years of service. I was an E-5 chinese linguist. Now I am looking to switch services and join the Navy doing the same thing I did in the Army. I'm waiting to get my enlisted packet approved so that I can get a ship date to do my 2 week training at Great Lakes, Michigan. However, I also have a bachelor's degree and am putting in an officer packet at the same time. My recruiter and I talked about delaying my ship date until the officer selection board reviews my packet. Currently, I am unemployed and not sure if I can wait until the board has reviewed my packet. I'm wondering if I should go ahead and get the earliest possible ship date which should be in about 2 to 3 weeks from now and send in my officer packet after I have officially enlisted in the Navy or wait to see whether my packet gets approved before I ship out. If any of this doesn't make sense, please let me know and I will try and clarify. Thanks.

 

[FLYTPAY]

Work at McDonalds or a temp agency and get your O package to the board. Don't enlist with a bachelor's degree.

 

[lmnop]

Although I don't think there is any reason not enlist with a bachelors degree, particularly if you want to continue on as a linguist, I would delay that ship date until you hear something. There's plenty of demand for your specialty on the enlisted side, so it won't take much doing to get that ball rolling if you don't get picked up.

 

[FLYTPAY]

Although I don't think there is any reason not enlist with a bachelors degree, particularly if you want to continue on as a linguist, I would delay that ship date until you hear something. There's plenty of demand for your specialty on the enlisted side, so it won't take much doing to get that ball rolling if you don't get picked up.

Have you seen the military pay scale lately? His experience and degree make him a prime candidate for a commissioned leadership position in that field.

 

[lmnop]

Have you seen the military pay scale lately? His experience and degree make him a prime candidate for a commissioned leadership position in that field.

Yea, I think I've seen it once or twice. If we were all doing this for the dollars, then the opportunities for an experienced Chinese linguist on the outside would preempt any military career.

I won't speak for the OP, but he was an enlisted linguist, and I'm pretty sure he knows what he'd be getting into.

 

[Spekkio]

Work at McDonalds or a temp agency and get your O package to the board. Don't enlist with a bachelor's degree.

If your true goal is to be an officer, this is the best advice. If you don't care either way, then go ahead and enlist.

Besides, isn't E-5 ---> E-1 a huge paycut? Or can you retain enlisted rank if you switch services?

 

[The Chief]

The answer is no, no E-5. However, back in the day folks with special skills were enlisted and given up to an E-6. Back then, they were called IPO's or instant petty officers. Think best the Nav will do now is E-3.

While there are lots of enlisted with a BA/BS even a fair amount with MA/MS, given your age (assumed) and experience you will be very unhappy as an E-3 it will be a hard row to hoe.

My advice; wait for the O packet, know it will take some time but will certainly be no longer than the process of enlisted to officer.

Best of luck what every you decide.

 

[lmnop]

The answer is no, no E-5. However, back in the day folks with special skills were enlisted and given up to an E-6. Back then, they were called IPO's or instant petty officers. Think best the Nav will do now is E-3.

Not to be a pain, but a NAVCRUITCOMINST says that it is doable:

OSVETS honorably discharged in paygrade E-3 and above, who meet enlistment criteria will be enlisted at one paygrade lower than paygrade last held at discharge, but not lower than paygrade E-3. Requests to enlist OSVETS who were separated from previous service at paygrade E-5 and above will be approved on a case-by-case basis by the ECM.

I've had a few guys that I've worked with that came straight over from the Army as E5s and E6s, so the waivers do get approved. As always, the waiver process is contingent on the needs of the Navy.

 

[Spekkio]

But is that done before or after the person enlists? If it's done after, it's not a sure thing and the OP should be prepared to start as an E-3.

 

[The Chief]

Not to be a pain, but a NAVCRUITCOMINST says that it is doable:.....

Not a pain. To the contrary I appreciate you setting me straight. Bad gouge should be corrected, when ever.

So one would get an E-4 out of an Army E-5, with a waiver? While E-4 is better than E-3, I think the remainder of my argument still holds.

I wonder how long the waiver would take to obtain?

 

[lmnop]

The way it supposedly works is that an other service E5 automatically converts to an E4 upon enlistment, no waiver required. If, prior to enlistment, the waiver is approved by the enlisted community manager of their prospective rate, then the E5 retains E5 rank. The way I've seen it is they retain their rank, but their date of rank is reset to the day they enlisted in the Navy, regardless of previous time in grade.