I just feel like I want to share something with all of you here at airwarriors, you have been a great asset to me over the years and I feel like I can trust your feedback on this:
Long story short; I just called my recruiter and told him I am withdrawing my application for SNA, when I am supposed to swear in tomorrow and report 29NOV2015. Here's why:
I was initially accepted SNA Dec of 2013, coming on two years ago now. Before that I had been accepted as a Marine aviation candidate but had my OCS class moved from OCT 2013 to July 2014, so my recruiter suggested I go Navy and they'll get my butt there fast. I did and within a month had my selection and OCS date. Problem was I had been training for Marine OCS for months now, I'm 6'5'' and was about 240 then. I was running 3 miles in 18 minutes, but on a treadmill. About a week before Navy ocs my leg began to hurt and after a subsequent run I couldn't even walk on it. Cue in, "oh shit oh shit oh shit I leave for Newport in a week!" So Essentially I rested it and thought I'd be good to go by the IST. Note: I had NEVER had a sports medicine injury before so I didn't understand the extent of what I had done. Got there, getting yelled at, hurt like hell, whatever suck it up, and then on the IST I got to be shuttled away by corpmen. Spent the next days in a drugged up haze in H thinking I was in prison because no one talked to me. fast forward 20 odd weeks in MEDHOLD and then a surprise discharge of me and just about every other MEDHOLDer.
So I find myself out of the Navy, wondering what the hell happened and having my discharge code on my DD-214 changed AFTER we left to a RE-3Q which requires 6 months to even start the waiver process. But screw it, I want to go back and that is my mission. Adapt, overcome, etc. Finally I was reaccepted on the Sept surprise board, got SNA and NFO. But then something hit me. I remembered during my exit interview with the CO him looking me in the face and saying, " oh, if you make it back don't be surprised if you're Nami whammied, so want to be a Naval officer first". So I began to dig. At the time he said that everyone told me not to worry about it, he was probably just saying things. And throughout my struggle I buried that prospect from my mind. But the more I dug the more I remembered the sad souls who ended in Student Pool after being NPQ'ed from aviation and forced to wait in a purgatory of months waiting for someone to pick them up. One girl waiting till the next fiscal year after graduating in May. And a lot of them were NPQ'ed for things much minor than a military discharge for a injury. Even though mine was waivered by MEPS and was just pattelofemoral syndrome and stated as temp on my app. I realized NAMI had not even been clued on to my existence and won't be until I arrive in Newport. And by then I am sworn in.
I know a lot of you might think being a naval officer first is the honorable thing, but I reached a point during the year and a half I was jerked around on applications where I realized this was making me feel small and they were the merciful gods. When in fact I am an individual who has worked hard to get where I am, made myself the qualified applicant and am not willing to go back to feeling like I am at the whim of bureaucracy. And the more I thought the more I knew there would be a NPQ waiting for me there and I'd go through not knowing if I'd even be offered another job. And when I finally broke down and called my recruiter about it it only reaffirmed this. I love avaition, i rebuilt a biplane in high school, have THOUSANDS of hours of volunteer work on WWII aircraft and museums. I am the greatest asset to the military if I am in my element. If I had gone the first time and been NPQ'ed and offered a job I would have set that aside and done it to the best of my ability. But I decided I can step back and take charge of my fate now rather than later. So with all that being said, I am going Air Force. Yes, to the dark side, to join my sister and where my father served as well. I have confirmed and confirmed again that I am afforded a clean start there that the Navy would more than likely not. In this decision I feel like I have control of my life for the first time in almost two years. I want to earn this new spot, not wait to see if the powers at be decide to let me.
I hope all of this makes sense. It was the toughest decision of my life. I lost 10 lbs in a week not eating or sleeping over it. I know some of you will say I took a spot from someone else, and I do feel guilty over it. But we all reach defining moments in our lives and mine hit recently. I'm now without a guaranteed job, no report date, but I am excited to start a new journey I am in control of finally! Thanks again all of you for your useful gouge over the years!
