The Riddick
IP Officer, USNR
MITEHRE - Did you commission? What state or you out of?
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Commissioned!! - Done Deal!
- Thread starter The Riddick
- Start date
Mitehre
LT
Almost done! Commissioning documents are in. I'm waiting until my father can join my family for me getting sworn in. He was 27 years Air Force and wants to be the first one to salute me.
Question, what can I expect on my first couple of drills? I really want to do a great job but I'm not sure what battalion is expecting. I don't even know what reports are expected. Everyone keeps saying rely on my chiefs which I will, but I really just don't want to let anyone down.
Question, what can I expect on my first couple of drills? I really want to do a great job but I'm not sure what battalion is expecting. I don't even know what reports are expected. Everyone keeps saying rely on my chiefs which I will, but I really just don't want to let anyone down.
Start with not letting yourself and your father and family down...if you do that, pretty sure you won't let any of the rest of down either. Also pretty sure "someone in the Battalion" will gouge you up on what's expected of you. Go forth and slay dragons!
floridaseabee
Member
Your first few drills should be at your local NOSC (anyone have newer gouge?) as you will need to do a sort of Indoc in order to ensure everything is setup properly for you (NROWS access, etc.) as they are responsible for you Administratively. Your OR should be working with the detailer to determine which Battalion you will go to, and that will depend upon your geographic area. Once he assigns you to a Battalion, I would ask who is the current XO and S3 are and make contact with them by a phone call (call in the early evening)...some people would say 'just send an email', but I prefer to talk to my ENSs when they are new onboard via phone as its a lot easier then sending text back and forth over a few days. They will get back to you on what your job is going to be in addition to telling you what is expected of you. Doing this lets them know you are here and ready to help out, and not float around the NOSC until someone notices you and asks 'who are you? when did you get here?'.
R1 is right that someone will gouge you up, but for this 'part time' job...it requires hours each day. If your OR told you that this is 'one weekend a month, two weeks a year', get that out of your head now. The administrative aspects of this job can be staggering as you chase down those people who haven't had a flu shot/GMT/SAPR-L/ESAMS/3M/orders/etc and you won't find yourself driving D7's, nor dual wielding M-16's and firing from the hip at terrorists at many occasions. You will be expected to work...and work hard. Be reachable via phone and email quickly as things tend to happen quickly. Stand out and be engaged...there are 18 ENSs in my unit...there will not be 18 selections to LCDR, so 'don't suck' .
Don't use the "I'm just an Ensign" excuse....you are going to mess up. Thats ok. We've all been there and we understand it. We may ding on you, but we will pick you up and dust you off, see what you learned and send you on your way. Learn from your mistakes and don't expect to be spoonfed taskings or information (this is big for me). Go out and learn stuff...beyond what we give you, as I've had a few ENSs surprise me with what they know and even taught me a couple of new tricks.
One last big thing. Your Seabees come first. They eat before you and sleep before you and are the ones standing watch in that shitty fighting position or building that K-Span or SWA Hut, it is our job to ensure their success.... You may be entrusted with their care....make sure you take care of them.
Let me know what Battalion they send you to.
R1 is right that someone will gouge you up, but for this 'part time' job...it requires hours each day. If your OR told you that this is 'one weekend a month, two weeks a year', get that out of your head now. The administrative aspects of this job can be staggering as you chase down those people who haven't had a flu shot/GMT/SAPR-L/ESAMS/3M/orders/etc and you won't find yourself driving D7's, nor dual wielding M-16's and firing from the hip at terrorists at many occasions. You will be expected to work...and work hard. Be reachable via phone and email quickly as things tend to happen quickly. Stand out and be engaged...there are 18 ENSs in my unit...there will not be 18 selections to LCDR, so 'don't suck' .
Don't use the "I'm just an Ensign" excuse....you are going to mess up. Thats ok. We've all been there and we understand it. We may ding on you, but we will pick you up and dust you off, see what you learned and send you on your way. Learn from your mistakes and don't expect to be spoonfed taskings or information (this is big for me). Go out and learn stuff...beyond what we give you, as I've had a few ENSs surprise me with what they know and even taught me a couple of new tricks.
One last big thing. Your Seabees come first. They eat before you and sleep before you and are the ones standing watch in that shitty fighting position or building that K-Span or SWA Hut, it is our job to ensure their success.... You may be entrusted with their care....make sure you take care of them.
Let me know what Battalion they send you to.
Mitehre
LT
I want to thank everyone for their valuable support and information. I hate to ask more, but I get sworn in next week and I still have so many questions. My OR says he'll generate my orders the day I get sworn in and I'm sure I will be reporting in the following weekend which is Alpha drill weekend at the NOSC. I have no idea who I report to and how. I have no idea who I report to up at battallion and if it should be a phone call or do I have to go in person?
floridaseabee
Member
Again, your OR will work with the detailer to find you a home. You will be able to contact your unit once they figure out your new home. See my previous post. Slow your roll.. when you talk to your XO, he will be able to answer your questions.
You will spend your first few drill weekends at the NOSC making sure everything is set for you administratively.
You will spend your first few drill weekends at the NOSC making sure everything is set for you administratively.
The best thing you can do is to enter into the situation with a good work ethic and a good attitude. That sounds like an oversimplification, but if you can bring anything other than experience, that's what you need. I remember new officers checking into my ship, and you could tell from day one that they really cared. They didn't just talk the party line, and ask me questions about my personal life so that they could fill out the blanks in their division officer binder. They actually cared about how I was doing. They would show up on Saturday mornings with muffins and bagels in port when the enlisted folks were forced to be there wire brushing rust off of non-skid. Those two little things (work ethic and good attitude) would make me bend over backwards to help them out if they needed it.
Mitehre
LT
Done and done! I was sworn in on Tuesday and got my orders to the local NOSC. I was also able to get the names and phone numbers of key admin people in the NOSC as well as battalion. I do need to work on getting a full seabag though. I can't believe how expensive my uniforms are! I hooked up for lunch with my former OIC who just made Commander and he sold me a lot of his old stuff for dirt cheap but there are still items I need to get.
Thanks for the tip about bagels and muffins. Now that you mention it, I do remember my OIC and chiefs sometimes showing up with coffee and donuts every once in a while for the troops. It went a long way to show that they were trying to take care of us.
Thanks for the tip about bagels and muffins. Now that you mention it, I do remember my OIC and chiefs sometimes showing up with coffee and donuts every once in a while for the troops. It went a long way to show that they were trying to take care of us.
Straight dope...read & heed!
BzB
Learning to take good care of your Sailors is more important than learning most of the technical 'stuff' you'll be exposed to. Looking out for their welfare (before your own), will earn their respect, which cannot be demanded. You will find the payback of earned respect, when the time comes when one or more of them goes out of their way to save YOUR bacon. This happens more often than one would think, especially as an ENS/LTjg.
Example: On a Det. away from home base... ensure all your Sailors are assigned comfortable quarters w/ berthing assigned, and transportation/messing arranged; before you arrange/utilize your own!
BzB
floridaseabee
Member
What Battalion did you get?
Congrats and welcome to the wardroom.
Done Deal!!, did the desk side swear in today at the NRD and made it official. I want to thank all those who posted positive feedback and knowledge that made the experience that much easier to navigate, particularly Senor Daz and company. I'll be heading to IDC Mid-Atlantic in Norfolk so if there is anyone in those neck of the woods willing to sit down and chat I'm all ears.
Mitehre
LT
Charlie,
I commissioned back in October so let me give you some advice.
1. Gather up the social security cards and original birth certificates for you, your spouse and any childeren. You will need them!
2. It may take up to 90 days to get you into the system for pay so be patient.
3. Buy your khakis now. Money is so tight with the Navy that any type 1 uniforms that you may be expecting to get issued may never come.
4. Get to DCOIC school as soon as possible. Again, money is tight and the classes fill fast. Learn about NROWS and get some help putting in orders.
5. As an officer, get used to paying for a lot of stuff out of your own pocket.
I commissioned back in October so let me give you some advice.
1. Gather up the social security cards and original birth certificates for you, your spouse and any childeren. You will need them!
2. It may take up to 90 days to get you into the system for pay so be patient.
3. Buy your khakis now. Money is so tight with the Navy that any type 1 uniforms that you may be expecting to get issued may never come.
4. Get to DCOIC school as soon as possible. Again, money is tight and the classes fill fast. Learn about NROWS and get some help putting in orders.
5. As an officer, get used to paying for a lot of stuff out of your own pocket.