To go in Enlisted or as an Officer . . .

[cricechex]

Your reading comp skills need improvement. Brett clearly said that he thought the enlisted route was a bad idea...which would include any and all ratings.

As do yours, or Bretts, one or the other (I doubt it is his), I never endorsed going enlisted, just gave the guy suggestions should he go that route, and I seriously doubt Brett thought I was endorsing the enlisted side. He has better comp skills than that as well. My last paragraph of the original post on this thread is spoken pretty clearly when I stated that he should go OCS vs. enlisted, even with the pay cut.

I think Brett's problem with my post is that he simply doesn't agree with my opinion of the best enlisted jobs (as does the other nay sayers about my post), so they attack my post to say that I don't have a clue about the enlisted community b/c I simply have a different OPINION than they do.

All of these guys do have valuable input since they too have been enlisted at one time or another. However; it has been a very long time since they were a junior enlisted guy and might not remember what my friends tell me about shipboard life in the junior ranks, as well as my observations at the present time.

 

[scoober78]

as does the other nay sayers about my post

Well I'm not going to say anyhting about your comprehension skills...but when trying to defend yourself in such an argument, it might help to work on composition.

 

[Brett327]

I think Brett's problem with my post is that he simply doesn't agree with my opinion of the best enlisted jobs

I think you're on to something - here's why:

...what my friends tell me about shipboard life in the junior ranks, as well as my observations at the present time.

Your assessment about the state of the enlisted ranks could not be more uninformed. This isn't a matter of differences of opinion, but about you stating your flawed opinion as fact. You clearly don't have enough experience in the Navy to be doling out advice of this kind.

For starters, your assertion that all the "good" rates in the Navy are locked up and that nobody is getting advanced is preposterous and does not reflect the reality in the fleet, nor does your informal sampling of a couple of your Airmen friends.

Second, your claim that one's chances will somehow be increased by being a PR (or any aviation rate for that matter) is wrong. There's no magic "hook-up" just because you deal with officers more frequently than other rates, and as a matter of fact, you're statistically more likely to be selected for a commissioning program through a non-aviation rate. The only magic bullet in the selection process is sustained superior performance, regardless of rate.

I could go on (and on, and on), but it's a moot point. This is about more than you giving out bad gouge to the original poster, who we've already determined would be better off NOT enlisting. It's about other people who might read what you've written and draw erroneous conclusions or make a bad decision as a result.

Brett

 

[The Chief]

... It's about other people who might read what you've written and draw erroneous conclusions or make a bad decision as a result. ...

Very well put.. mega vrep pts to Brett.

 

[FMRAM]

I never endorsed going enlisted, just gave the guy suggestions should he go that route

If you don't agree that he should go enlisted, then why would you give him suggestions on the best rating? Why don't you stick too your guns?

 

[Gatordev]

Ugh. I'm going to use Squeeze's internet stabbing machine and turn it on myself after reading this thread.

 

[insanebikerboy]

As a guy who went enlisted with the intention of becoming an officer, I'll weigh in on this. In high school I was accepted for USNA, but got in some serious trouble and got the offer pulled. In addition, some Major in admissions told me I'd never be an officer and probably couldn't even get in the Navy as enlisted.

Long story short, I did enlist with the sole intention of going to the Academy. Some called me stupid b/c it was nowhere near guaranteed, but I worked hard, was first in my A-school, Nuke School, and Power School classes and got EP's on my FITREPs. Result? Got into USNA again and now I'm in week 5 of API.

All of that said, go officer if you have the choice. You CAN enlist and go officer, but believe me, from personal experience, it's a lot lot lot harder once you're enlisted to get it than compared straight from the outside (I saw it from both perspectives). The main reason I saw was because there are so many enlisted guys trying and there are so few slots, somewhere in the range of 1 slot per 100 or so applicants, if not less

Dude, with your grades and education anyways, I'd venture to say you'd have no problem getting a contract as it stands. Go officer now if you want to fly.