Yes, I've seen the other letters. Here's what I've got. It's a first draft, a little long and I need to better structure the paragraphs, but here goes:
If someone had told me anytime before the last few weeks that I would be applying for OCS, I would not have believed it. For me, the possibility of becoming an officer has always been something beyond reach. After all, my recruiter had to pull strings to even get me enlisted because I was a high-school dropout. Commissions were for those who had taken life seriously prior to joining, and I had not. I began to regard officers with awe. The officers did inspire me, like my NAS Whidbey AMDO who’s motto of “By the book, every time, no exception EVER!” has shaped many decisions I’ve made over the years. Yet, the thought of earning a commission was still, in my mind, beyond reach.
This sense of unreachableness played a huge part in my not considering OCS until recently, over a year since I finally received my degree. I think my inspiration had its germ during a conversation I had recently with a younger friend. I learned that he was giving serious thought to enlisting in the Navy, so I shared my experience. It was easy to point out all the virtues of an enlistment since I had realized so many benefits during mine: money for college, vast opportunities to excel, and marketable skills to name a few. But, before ending that discussion I added that if it were at all possible to get his degree prior to joining, he should do it because joining as an officer has so many advantages.
In reflecting on our conversation, and looking at where the Navy has brought me, I am faced with the question of why I should not give my best shot at a commission. The Navy has played a huge part in shaping my character, inspiring honorable goals and helping me achieve those goals. Though it took a long time to finish my degree, having begun classes on ship during my 2nd carrier cruise, I finally graduated with honors in 2006. The core values of honor, courage and commitment helped me persevere in the struggle to balance a full time career, family and college life. Those were the same core values that, during boot camp, had turned my careless attitude toward life into a strong motivation for excellence. This motivation helped earn 2 meritorious promotions, 2nd class petty officer in less than 4 years, commendable service as a work center supervisor, a college degree and a successful civilian career in the tech industry. So, it is with a deep sense of gratitude and obligation that I respectfully request permission to rejoin the Navy by way of an OCS selection.
