Correspondence Course Review

[RHINOWSO]

Good on y'all for suffering through the VTU... I guess I understand it, trying to eek toward retirement, but watching paint dry for 12 good weekends a year would be like eating broken glass to me... Unless there was a decent path to a paid billet in sight or a promotion (unlikely as mentioned above), I just can't see it and would just drop to IRR. Also put you off the Mob possibility as well. YMMV.

 

[BirdDog]

Hello all - looking for a little help on what double digit point courses might be the most reasonable. Very stoked to have NETC courses vs NKO going into last 5 years.

 

[jagM3]

Getting promoted to O-4 while in the VTU or IRR is realistic and happens, getting promoted to O-5 is 'possible' when in the VTU's but not realistic.

Thanks for the outlook. By the time I go up for my first look at O-4, I will be JPME Phase 1 and Phase 2 complete with about 3 years SELRES and 5 years in a VTU and no mobs. Wonder if that will be enough for O-4. I figure my JPME Phase 2 completion will be the only edge i'll have on a promotion board as most other O-3's won't have Phase 2. Then again, I will also have no mobs.

 

[Flash]

Thanks for the outlook. By the time I go up for my first look at O-4, I will be JPME Phase 1 and Phase 2 complete with about 3 years SELRES and 5 years in a VTU and no mobs. Wonder if that will be enough for O-4. I figure my JPME Phase 2 completion will be the only edge i'll have on a promotion board as most other O-3's won't have Phase 2. Then again, I will also have no mobs.

MOB's have very little if any impact on promotion, not only have several CO's of mine said that explicitly but I have known quite a few folks who have never done a MOB get promoted and plenty who have MOB'd not get promoted. As for getting promoted to O-4, depending on your designator, chances are pretty high.

 

[RHINOWSO]

Proving that MOBs are just a bone job all around. Started because the Army was too busy.

Last time I checked, they weren't too busy anymore.

 

[snake020]

Thanks for the outlook. By the time I go up for my first look at O-4, I will be JPME Phase 1 and Phase 2 complete with about 3 years SELRES and 5 years in a VTU and no mobs. Wonder if that will be enough for O-4. I figure my JPME Phase 2 completion will be the only edge i'll have on a promotion board as most other O-3's won't have Phase 2. Then again, I will also have no mobs.

How'd you scam JPME-2 as an O-3? I thought you had to be more senior.

 

[jagM3]

How'd you scam JPME-2 as an O-3? I thought you had to be more senior.

Actually getting phase 2 as an O2, not even an O3 yet. Applied and was accepted as a federal civilian. Will be done with phase 2 before I even finish phase 1 since they don't require phase 1 completion for civilians as a prerequisite and they have a really quick way to knock it out in a reserve format. Going to send in both certs to PERS for the phase 1 and 2 AQDs well before I go up for O4. Getting retirement points for phase 1 but not phase 2.

Good to hear that mobs dont really matter too much for promotion. I figure being one of the few if only O3s going up for O4 with JPME phase 2 complete should bode well for me.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Every year, I order an updated hardcopy of my point total. This year, I noticed one of my previous years had been reduced by 1 point. For some unknown reason, the powers that be took away 1 of my courses from 4 years ago and my point total was 1 less than what was on the previous hardcopy. I doubt if I will challenge, it is only 1 point - but for those people who only do the bare minimum of 50 points of year, it should be a wakeup call. ALWAYS have a few points cushion and don't risk a good year becoming an unsat year.

 

[RHINOWSO]

knowing a buddy who got 47 pts in a year, it pays to get 55-60 and not worry...

But it's a free country, do as you please...

 

[Sam I am]

Just complete NRTC - 14140 -Trigonometry - 8 points. Good ROI regarding time, but you gotta get your geek on. That's 43 points via course work for the year...plus 15 for breathing...rinse and repeat next year.

 

[Sam I am]

Took about a month, but I did finally receive an email stating my course submission was received and fwd'ed. Frost must have rotated out.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Shouldn't be long...certainly this week unless Frost is on leave. I'm unsure if he's the only one admining the courses...

Took about 90 days but PERS just confirmed all the courses I submitted were good to go. 130 for the year. Go Speedracer Go!

 

[lostSeaBee]

Mine took about 28 days. It was only one small course, and the receipt came from PS1 Boeve.

 

[Former Flyer]

Hello. Just joined - never realized the wealth of information about the reserves available on here! What an amazing resource!

Anyway, I've read the whole thread. I'm currently SELRES and trying to decide between going VTU or ASP within the IRR. When I make the transition I will have 17 years between active and SELRES.

Pros for VTU: if everything else fails, I can just show up to drill and get my points. Keep my CAC card - I can see my points and get into more Navy websites. NOSC support (for whatever that's worth). But the big one is guaranteed points - there's no way for me to not get retirement.
Cons for VTU: all the crap you have to do.

Pros for ASP: can just do courses from home on your own time
Cons for ASP: what if I can't get 3 years worth of points? What if they change the system in 2 years? Seems like coming back from ASP is really hard (going VTU), so if you don't/can't "make it" with your course points, that's it. While reading through this thread, seems in '13 and '14 the Navy really cracked down on what courses you could do without a CAC card. Are people concerned about that happening again?

Thoughts/opinions would be great!!!

Also, I looked through the approved courses and there is a column called "field of study category code", what does that mean? Are Officers allowed to do courses like "Aviation Electrician's Mate (AE)" or "Airman"?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[lostSeaBee]

Hello. Just joined - never realized the wealth of information about the reserves available on here! What an amazing resource!

Anyway, I've read the whole thread. I'm currently SELRES and trying to decide between going VTU or ASP within the IRR. When I make the transition I will have 17 years between active and SELRES.

Pros for VTU: if everything else fails, I can just show up to drill and get my points. Keep my CAC card - I can see my points and get into more Navy websites. NOSC support (for whatever that's worth). But the big one is guaranteed points - there's no way for me to not get retirement.
Cons for VTU: all the crap you have to do.

Pros for ASP: can just do courses from home on your own time
Cons for ASP: what if I can't get 3 years worth of points? What if they change the system in 2 years? Seems like coming back from ASP is really hard (going VTU), so if you don't/can't "make it" with your course points, that's it. While reading through this thread, seems in '13 and '14 the Navy really cracked down on what courses you could do without a CAC card. Are people concerned about that happening again?

Thoughts/opinions would be great!!!

Also, I looked through the approved courses and there is a column called "field of study category code", what does that mean? Are Officers allowed to do courses like "Aviation Electrician's Mate (AE)" or "Airman"?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Former Flyer, I have been in the ASP IRR for 8 years now. To achieve a good year, I have only completed correspondence courses, and yes it has been more difficult over the last few years. However, it is still fairly easy to get points, and I always get more than the 35 + 15 for a good year. When I started, I was in a different position then you, and my thinking at the time was why not it's easy and doesn't take much time. I probably spend a total of 30 or so hours a year doing courses. So the effort is fairly small. I think the courses allowed will change again, but I think they will open back up the NETC non-resident courses. I have 4 more years to go to retirement, and I think I will make it. Plus I have to remind my family that I am still in the Navy, so to me it is worth the risk.