owensdad, you appear very competitive. Please note that the boards take a "whole person" approach.
Don't assume that because you know Spanish that you would fit in more with the Coast Guard :icon_wink
Some advice:
- You need to know in your heart of hearts why you want to be a Naval Officer and to be able to convey as such on paper in your motivational statement and during your interviews.
- During my initial due diligence period, a Navy Captain gave me sage advice and I will pass it along: go into this with your eyes wide open and realize that the absolute worst-case scenario is that, after your training (~ 2 years) you will be deployed to the sandbox; nothing else to say in regard to this. I'm not trying to scare you, but knowing and understanding the absolute worst-case scenario helps. It's not a guarantee, but only a possibility.
- I see you are in Texas. Your first order of business should be to contact your local Navy Reserve OPO (Officer Program Officer) and to set up a face-to-face meeting with him. You will more than likely be told that you need to take the ASTB; take it and do your best. Show up and look sharp (i.e., suit, haircut, etc.). Some people balk at this, but every time I visited my recruiter I had on a suit.
- During this time, ask the OPO for the contact information for the CO's of the Navy Reserve Intel units in your area. Contact each one of them and schedule a face-to-face interview, if possible. Otherwise, then resort to the phone.
What you are doing here is telling them that you are a perspective applicant and are trying to gather more information. During your meeting, tell them about yourself (you know Spanish, your Intel experience, et al.), ask about the unit, how you would fit in, etc. This shows your motivation and that you actually care about where you are going to be placed, if selected.
This will also benefit you because when it comes time to do your interviews, you could very well interview with the same people that you reached-out to when doing the above research: rapport.
Take this bull by the horns. Don't be a pest, but don't wait on a phone call either
If you have any other question or require help with your package, please PM me; I would be more than happy to help.