Failure the First Time Around

[Surf]

Hello everyone, this is my first thread on AW but I've been a visitor for a while. I just finished all the paperwork for an SNA/SNFO packet, and my recruiter sent it up last week. Throughout the process I've identified my reasons for applying, and feel great about them. I was fortunate to get an interview with O-5 Pilot, when he asked me a poignant question: What will you do if you don't get what you wanted? I told him that I'd keep trying, that I could try and get a higher ASTB and more letters of recommendation. If I don't get it this time around, I will try again the next time. My question is, has anyone on AW known of scenario's where this has happened, and someone eventually got it? I'm just looking for advice... This board has been great in answering many questions I've had along the way, it is a great resource.

Thanks, Alex

 

[Renegade One]

Throughout the process I've identified my reasons for applying, and feel great about them. ...What will you do if you don't get what you wanted? ...I will try again the next time. Thanks, Alex

Fair question..and here's my $.02:

What is it that you really want? Is it to be a serving military officer in a time of war (or hopefully peacetime), or is it just to be a military aviator? Those are two very different answers to the question.

I think you need to answer that…to yourself…first and foremost.

But…what you really want to hear: "Yes, persistence is a good thing, and trying to improve every time is great…" until, for potentially myriad reasons, the window passes you by.

So…if you were offered another warfare specialty RIGHT NOW…would you jump at the chance…or say "no thanks"…and bet on your personal come line?

 

[Surf]

First and foremost I want to be a Naval Officer, then a want to be a Naval Aviator second. If offered SWO or Supply, I would not sign on. I made the decision to pursue Naval Aviation because I wanted the challenge. I am fully aware of how competitive the field is, but that is why I chose it, not because I could probably get in but because it would take some serious effort. Aviation is what I truly want to do, in order to look back 20 years from now happy I have to either try and succeed at it or try and fail. I just won't settle. Thanks for asking that question.

 

[BackOrdered]

First and foremost I want to be a Naval Officer, then a want to be a Naval Aviator second. If offered SWO or Supply, I would not sign on. I made the decision to pursue Naval Aviation because I wanted the challenge. I am fully aware of how competitive the field is, but that is why I chose it, not because I could probably get in but because it would take some serious effort. Aviation is what I truly want to do, in order to look back 20 years from now happy I have to either try and succeed at it or try and fail. I just won't settle. Thanks for asking that question.

*Reads......*
............. *Big Smiles*

The first bolded statement is a contradiction, I would advise against saying that in a reconsideration letter, motivational statement or interview.

The rest, again "Big Smiles" , is kind of a slam on the Surface and Supply bubbas, professional and personal difference aside . If you want to be a Naval Officer first and foremost, I would say SWOs and SUPPOs still count towards that metric, no?

 

[Surf]

I see what you mean tiz84, it is a difficult question that I may not have fully answered yet..Not knocking supply or SWO either, they are great communities for those that want to be in them, as I think is the case for every community. You get out what you put in..How does one answer that question then, if you say you just want to be a pilot you may come across arrogant or ignorant, and if you say officer first but really just want to be a pilot then maybe you are not genuine.

 

[BackOrdered]

I see what you mean tiz84, it is a difficult question that I may not have fully answered yet..Not knocking supply or SWO either, they are great communities for those that want to be in them, as I think is the case for every community. You get out what you put in..How does one answer that question then, if you say you just want to be a pilot you may come across arrogant or ignorant, and if you say officer first but really just want to be a pilot then maybe you are not genuine.

You need to look at the fundamentals of why you want to be a Commissioned Officer in the first place. The Commission doesn't exist to make you a pilot and shouldn't be taken lightly. The question is, how are you going to use that Commission to serve the Navy as an Aviator and why is Aviation the optimal way for you to serve?

Second, there are many steps to the cockpit and mastering each and every one is key. With commissioning being one of those steps, master and focus your efforts there for now and communicate that to the board. That really goes for any community and life in general. "Be brilliant on the basics."

If you really feel strongly about it, you may tell the recruiter to only list you for NFO or SNA, no harm no foul. However, I do feel you need to do a little more research on what that Commission is going to mean for you once you accept it.

 

[Surf]

I appreciate your advice, I understand what your getting at. Earning my commission will enable me to serve, and I would like to serve by flying for the Navy. (A certain JFK speech rings a bell) This process has been a huge learning experience for me, I'd say even more than college itself. I know I've made mistakes, but I'm glad no one held my hand.

 

[USAF_WX2USN]

I understand where you're coming from. Since I've joined the military back in 2003, my goal was to always become an officer and more specifically a weather officer. However, in finding out that the navy takes maybe two weather officers a year, I knew I had to expand my horizons a bit. I also found out I can eventually can get back into weather by also applying for SWO-oceano and SWO to possibly lat-xtfer. But I never took my eye off the prize that I wanted to be an officer first.

I made sure I put together the best kit possible, with strong LOR, strong interviews, and a well written motivational statement that expressed what I had to offer the navy, not only as an officer and a leader, but through in what I had to give the weather community, if given the chance.

Anyways, if all you want is SNA, then only put that down and nothing else. If you fail and truly want this, apply again. Put all you have to give into your kit. If you already told that officer "you could take the ASTB again, because you know you can do better" then take it again and do better! Don't half-ass your stuff.

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

Yes, some people have applied multiple times to STA-21 before being accepted.

 

[LFCFan]

Another question to ask yourself: would you want to do any of those other jobs if you weren't qualified to be an aviator? My class was hit very hard by NAMI whammies at OCS and no one quit, myself included (still in redesignation process post OCS). If the answer is "yes" then there is nothing wrong with sticking with going for brown shoes on your application, but if you doubt you'd stay otherwise you might need to rethink what you're getting into.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

LFCFan has a very good point, just because you go to OCS as a SNA doesn't mean you will leave OCS as one.

 

[SynixMan]

Maybe I'm dense, but I don't get the OP's question. What do you want to do? Be an aviator? Apply to be an aviator. The OCS application doesn't (or at least didn't in 2009 when I did it) require you to put more than one designator.

My guess is that O-5 wanted to ask you how bad you really wanted to be a pilot. If someone told me they'd hedge their bets and take SWO if they got it instead of Pilot, I'd seriously question their motovation. Sounds like they don't know much about what they're applying to. Getting your wings off the street isn't impossible, but it also isn't a cake walk. Everyone faces adversity along the way, be it in the application, OCS, NAMI, Primary, Advanced, FRS, Fleet, etc. What are you going to do when something doesn't go your way?

 

[JD81]

I got told no from OCS twice, the third time I got selected for #2 choice of NFO before I heard if I got #1 choice pilot or not, I took the NFO job without thinking twice. Fast forward 8 months later and the 2nd week in A pool I get a call from NASC skipper's secretary to come in his office in 30 minutes, CO says the navy is short pilots and I'm qualified for the slot if I want it, took it and the rest is history. Obviously things worked for me in the end, but I wanted to serve and fly jets, I wasn't going to give up the potential back seat in a hornet while I waited around some more especially since I had got 2 rejections already.

Just keep applying if you don't get it, apply until you reach the age limit if that's what it takes. Like other's have said, if you want to serve in any capacity then options are greater, if you only want to fly you better have a shit hot ASTB and GPA, and some aviation experience won't hurt too. Those things worked for me.

 

[Sonog]

Pursue your backup plan (if you never get accepted) with as much passion as your dream goal, and that in turn will improve your OCS application (better grades, career accomplishments, etc) and also make you a better person as whole. The whole OCS acceptance rate goes up and down over the years, so keep applying if you don't get selected because you might get a board eventually where the acceptance statistics fall in your favor.

 

[BackOrdered]

My guess is that O-5 wanted to ask you how bad you really wanted to be a pilot. If someone told me they'd hedge their bets and take SWO if they got it instead of Pilot, I'd seriously question their motovation. Sounds like they don't know much about what they're applying to. Getting your wings off the street isn't impossible, but it also isn't a cake walk. Everyone faces adversity along the way, be it in the application, OCS, NAMI, Primary, Advanced, FRS, Fleet, etc. What are you going to do when something doesn't go your way?

I would rather endorse a guy who will stick it out regardless of what happens to their pilot/NFO slot vice a guy who is going to DOR at week one of OCS and sit in student pool for 6 months because getting their way took precedence over wanting to serve. I saw a self-righteous guy do just that and I couldn't be happier that he's out. In every sentence, "me, me, me, my, my, my, I, I, I," was all I heard out of him.