Senior AFROTC Cadet Applying for Navy OCS

[cowdog]

Hey all,

I'm a senior in Air Force ROTC, on scholarship, but I'm on a 5 year program for engineering - so I won't commission until next May. Last week I found out I was not selected for any rated (flying) position for the Air Force. My detachment commander was surprised that I didn't get picked up, because I have high pilot aptitude scores, a perfect 100 physical fitness assessment, and a decent commander ranking. Perhaps the reason I didn't get picked up was because I was ranked low at our summer field training. At this point, I won't be flying for big blue unless I get picked up later during the supplemental boards (when people get DQ'ed for medical at Wright Patt).

Anyways, I want to keep all my options open for flying at this point. This past year, AFROTC has given seniors the option to be voluntarily released, with no option to owe back any scholarship funds or service. They're really trying to downsize hardcore. I think they will probably be giving us the same option next year, when I am eligible for it. I want to look into Navy OCS, as a way to still pursue my dream to fly. My only issue is I would need laser eye surgery to be qualified. The AF waived up to 20/70 uncorrected, which is what I'm at. It is my understanding, however, that the Navy only waives up to 20/50 uncorrected. How early would I need to get PRK before I submit a package for OCS? I have plenty of time to get this done, I just want to approach it the right way.

Also, as a civilian, and a student still in college, what are the major factors that the aviation community are looking for? I think I should be fine, I have a 3.6 GPA as a civil engineering major. I'm not sure what flight aptitude test the Navy uses, but I'm sure it's not much different than the AFOQT and TBAS that I had to take for the AF. Would I need letters of Rec? I could probably get one from my Det commander if that's the case

At the end of the day, I wont lose any sleep over not flying for the AF - they'll probably stick me in as a Civil Engineering Officer. However, I do really like the Navy. My dad flew P-3s for 20 years, so I have a lot of admiration for the Naval Aviation community. I just want to approach this the right way, I don't want the leadership at my ROTC detachment to necessarily know I'm considering thinking about jumping ship at this point in the game. I just want to open up a dialogue with you all, because Navy OCS is one of the few commissioning programs I know very little about.

 

[cowdog]

Also, will the Navy care that I'm in Air Force ROTC right now? As long as I can get properly released.

 

[MikeMillerUK]

Hey all,

I'm a senior in Air Force ROTC, on scholarship, but I'm on a 5 year program for engineering - so I won't commission until next May. Last week I found out I was not selected for any rated (flying) position for the Air Force. My detachment commander was surprised that I didn't get picked up, because I have high pilot aptitude scores, a perfect 100 physical fitness assessment, and a decent commander ranking. Perhaps the reason I didn't get picked up was because I was ranked low at our summer field training. At this point, I won't be flying for big blue unless I get picked up later during the supplemental boards (when people get DQ'ed for medical at Wright Patt).

Anyways, I want to keep all my options open for flying at this point. This past year, AFROTC has given seniors the option to be voluntarily released, with no option to owe back any scholarship funds or service. They're really trying to downsize hardcore. I think they will probably be giving us the same option next year, when I am eligible for it. I want to look into Navy OCS, as a way to still pursue my dream to fly. My only issue is I would need laser eye surgery to be qualified. The AF waived up to 20/70 uncorrected, which is what I'm at. It is my understanding, however, that the Navy only waives up to 20/50 uncorrected. How early would I need to get PRK before I submit a package for OCS? I have plenty of time to get this done, I just want to approach it the right way.

Also, as a civilian, and a student still in college, what are the major factors that the aviation community are looking for? I think I should be fine, I have a 3.6 GPA as a civil engineering major. I'm not sure what flight aptitude test the Navy uses, but I'm sure it's not much different than the AFOQT and TBAS that I had to take for the AF. Would I need letters of Rec? I could probably get one from my Det commander if that's the case

At the end of the day, I wont lose any sleep over not flying for the AF - they'll probably stick me in as a Civil Engineering Officer. However, I do really like the Navy. My dad flew P-3s for 20 years, so I have a lot of admiration for the Naval Aviation community. I just want to approach this the right way, I don't want the leadership at my ROTC detachment to necessarily know I'm considering thinking about jumping ship at this point in the game. I just want to open up a dialogue with you all, because Navy OCS is one of the few commissioning programs I know very little about.

Navy only accepts up to 20/40 uncorrected, and must be correctable to 20/20. I am not positive about PRK, but I know that LASIK requires at least 6 months before you can get cleared through medical, so I would assume something similar. Major factors for aviation applications to OCS would be GPA and ASTB scores (ASTB is the Navy's aviation test, similar to AFOQT). Other factors are still important, such as letters of recommendation, major (STEM generally preferred but not required), etc.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Wait, so were you offered other non-aviation contracts/jobs through the Air Force? If that's the case, be ready to explain to the selection board why you passed up the Air Force for the Navy. The board will see that you prior Air Force (even as a ROTC Cadet) and want to know why you turned down an opportunity to serve as a commissioned officer. Remember, Officer first, designator/job second.

 

[cowdog]

Wait, so were you offered other non-aviation contracts/jobs through the Air Force? If that's the case, be ready to explain to the selection board why you passed up the Air Force for the Navy. The board will see that you prior Air Force (even as a ROTC Cadet) and want to know why you turned down an opportunity to serve as a commissioned officer. Remember, Officer first, designator/job second.

I won't be offered a non-rated job until next fall. I have plenty of reasons why I would prefer the Navy over the Air Force; Navy was initially my first choice, but I ended up getting a Air Force ROTC scholarship and not a Naval ROTC scholarship 4 years ago.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I put a person in that was in your same circumstance, but they applied AFTER they were fully discharged, it was actually very easy since it was due to downsizing.

your biggest issue is vision, you don't meet the requirements for the USN.

 

[EODDave]

Get LASIK now. And am I the only one getting tired of hearing Navy Officer first! No offense, but I would not have joined to become a SWO, SUB, Intel, Jag, etc... Wings or bust.

 

[Uncle Fester]

For your question, I don't see anything that would be a red flag for an OCS board. You'll need to get your eyes zapped, as mentioned. Might consider NFO. It's very different, career-wise, from how the AF treats its CSOs. But your basic story, "They were downsizing and offered a free out, and the AF was always my second choice over the Navy anyway," seems okay to me.

You'd be making a bit of a gamble, turning down a commission. Deputy Gym Towel Officer in the AF is still a job, and pretty well-paid, as entry-level jobs go. The pay and benefits you get on active duty are very hard to beat in the private sector. If they're offering what you've described - out the door with no obligation - at worst you got a free education, and that's nothing to sneeze at, provided you majored in something marketable. But I'd weigh things very carefully before pulling the handle, particularly evaluating how many bodies Navy OCS will be taking. We're generally not as draconian with downsizing officers as the AF, but we're not exactly expanding, either.

If you were in the Navy and frustrated in pilot ambitions, my advice would be to take the commission and try to redesignate in a few years. Generally speaking, it's much easier to do things from the inside than from the outside. I can't say for sure that's how the Air Force works. But look at it this way: if you take the AF commission in the civil engineers or whatever, then you can do your time and get out and you're college debt-free, employed for a few years, and have a nice resume. Or you can try to get your eyes zapped and go for a pilot/CSO; either that works and you get to fly, or it doesn't and the result is the same as scenario A. Or you punch out of the AF and apply for Navy OCS; if you don't get it, you've got the free school but no job or resume. So I think in all, your best odds are with patience sticking with Big Blue for the time being.

 

[mareid2]

Slightly diff story, but I got dq'd from AF pilot training on the color vision standard and put into the logistics community as a result. I agree that taking the commission might be a good option to guarantee yourself a position in the military with a good job and it still leaves opportunity to get selected on yearly AD pilot selection boards as well as inter-service transfer. Obviously being medically dq'd, supplemental boards weren't a option for me but next Tues is my last day in the AF before joining the Navy and heading south for SNA training. Feel free to pm me for info regarding the transfer and/or boards.