'Cause I got questions! I'm just starting the application process for next year's OCS/AVCAD program. I know I have a lot of work to do so I want to get most of it out of the way ASAP. So far, I've done some of the paperwork associated with the OCS check-off sheet, and gotten a Class I flight physical. I'm going to need some help getting pointed in the right direction for my interview, narritive, and ASTB study prep. I'm not getting much help at the unit level, (my ESO is my OIC at a small ANT with other things on his plate), and gathering reliable, up-to-date, relevant information on the program is hard to find. Anything you believe to be an asset in my quest to put together a successful OCS/AVCAD application package would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!
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- Thread starter Matt77
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mlanore
Livin' the Dream
Matt77,
I had the same Q's about a year ago when I was applying to the program and nearly the same situation, OIC was the ESO and too busy to bother with a wanna-be airdale. Anyway, my best advice to you is to maybe consult your nearest airstation ESO and ask him/her if they can help with getting the paperwork in line. As for the interview, you will need to schedule it with a board that is not in your chain of command. If you want AVCAD, I suggest you get it scheduled with an airstation. Pilots are much more likely to write you up for recommendation to the AVCAD program than are a group of cutter or ops ashore officers. Check out chapter 1 of the PersMan for the interview scope to give you an idea of what to expect. Mine was a blast, the pilots were fun and easy to be comfortable around. The ASTB, get it done! You can find the ARCO study guide at Barnes and Noble or Borders or even an NEX if you have one near you. The narrative, don't be a freakin' cupcake! Be honest about your interest to first and foremost become and officer in the USCG. Then, mention that "as an officer...." you seek the opportunity to attend flight school and pursue a career in aviation. Don't focus too much on getting flight school in you letter, however, be sure to express your interest in aviation. Other ideas for a narrative: talk about your committment to the CG, work ethic, why you want to be an officer. They don't want to hear that you are God's gift the the officer corps, or that you have all the answers and have been the missing link that has hampered the unlimited success of the the CG. Anyway, follow the OCS check off sheet. Be sure not to forget anything on the list. Arrange it in a standard green folder with the check sheet as cover sheets for each side of the folder. Put all the paperwork in order that it is on the checklist and behind the respective side, label the folder neatly with your name and SSN and send it off the the Rec Command. Good luck man it worked for me!
M
I had the same Q's about a year ago when I was applying to the program and nearly the same situation, OIC was the ESO and too busy to bother with a wanna-be airdale. Anyway, my best advice to you is to maybe consult your nearest airstation ESO and ask him/her if they can help with getting the paperwork in line. As for the interview, you will need to schedule it with a board that is not in your chain of command. If you want AVCAD, I suggest you get it scheduled with an airstation. Pilots are much more likely to write you up for recommendation to the AVCAD program than are a group of cutter or ops ashore officers. Check out chapter 1 of the PersMan for the interview scope to give you an idea of what to expect. Mine was a blast, the pilots were fun and easy to be comfortable around. The ASTB, get it done! You can find the ARCO study guide at Barnes and Noble or Borders or even an NEX if you have one near you. The narrative, don't be a freakin' cupcake! Be honest about your interest to first and foremost become and officer in the USCG. Then, mention that "as an officer...." you seek the opportunity to attend flight school and pursue a career in aviation. Don't focus too much on getting flight school in you letter, however, be sure to express your interest in aviation. Other ideas for a narrative: talk about your committment to the CG, work ethic, why you want to be an officer. They don't want to hear that you are God's gift the the officer corps, or that you have all the answers and have been the missing link that has hampered the unlimited success of the the CG. Anyway, follow the OCS check off sheet. Be sure not to forget anything on the list. Arrange it in a standard green folder with the check sheet as cover sheets for each side of the folder. Put all the paperwork in order that it is on the checklist and behind the respective side, label the folder neatly with your name and SSN and send it off the the Rec Command. Good luck man it worked for me!
M
Elder
US Coast Guard C-130 Demonstration Team
Good to hear.. sorry I couldn't be more help for ya. 
Yeah, I just finished up this past Monday, "selected" yesterday. All checked out and ready to roll to Corpus.
Just hang in there. API is no big deal.. but do your best. As far as Primary goes.. it sucks until you solo.. then it gets a lot better.
FYI.. treat the instructors with respect.. most are very cool, but, as The Rock used to say, "Know your role." An IP I got along with very well and who is very cool is starting to get rather upset that Ensigns/JG's/LT's are coming in, not studying, not ready for the brief, sucking in the plane, and treating the IP like they've known the IP for years.. He's not one of these guys that shoves his bars around either, but there is a breaking point. Hell, even though I am the same paygrade with 15+ years in, I know my role.. I'm the student, they're the instructor, and that's the way it goes.
Just study study study, know the procedures, etc.. but don't worry about that until you get up here.
You'll take quite a few tests, Systems, Emergency Procedures, Formation, Course Rules (?), Safe for Solo, Visual Navigation, Weather, IFR (think thats it).. the only ones that count for your NSS are Systems, Weather and IFR. The other ones, while you get a grade when you take it, don't count for your final grade.. obviously, study for them, as you'll more than likely brief when it's time to fly and you certainly don't want to kill yourself, but if you only get an 80% on your EP test, don't sweat it too much. Do your best on Systems, Weather and IFR.
Hope you get VT-2 or VT-6.. If you get VT-3, just suck it up, play the game and realize they're all asshats, especially schedules.
Brad
Yeah, I just finished up this past Monday, "selected" yesterday. All checked out and ready to roll to Corpus.
Just hang in there. API is no big deal.. but do your best. As far as Primary goes.. it sucks until you solo.. then it gets a lot better.
FYI.. treat the instructors with respect.. most are very cool, but, as The Rock used to say, "Know your role." An IP I got along with very well and who is very cool is starting to get rather upset that Ensigns/JG's/LT's are coming in, not studying, not ready for the brief, sucking in the plane, and treating the IP like they've known the IP for years.. He's not one of these guys that shoves his bars around either, but there is a breaking point. Hell, even though I am the same paygrade with 15+ years in, I know my role.. I'm the student, they're the instructor, and that's the way it goes.
Just study study study, know the procedures, etc.. but don't worry about that until you get up here.
You'll take quite a few tests, Systems, Emergency Procedures, Formation, Course Rules (?), Safe for Solo, Visual Navigation, Weather, IFR (think thats it).. the only ones that count for your NSS are Systems, Weather and IFR. The other ones, while you get a grade when you take it, don't count for your final grade.. obviously, study for them, as you'll more than likely brief when it's time to fly and you certainly don't want to kill yourself, but if you only get an 80% on your EP test, don't sweat it too much. Do your best on Systems, Weather and IFR.
Hope you get VT-2 or VT-6..
If you get VT-3, just suck it up, play the game and realize they're all asshats, especially schedules.Brad
mlanore
Livin' the Dream
Brad,
Thanks for the gret advice. I will certainly keep it in mind when I report to my VT. I have heard a lot of the same things about VT-3. Oh well, i'll suck it up if that is where I end up. I am just thankful that I have finally made it here at all. Good luck in Corpus sir and maybe we will work together on the other end of this long road someday. Do you want Hercs or Falcons? I assume Hercs from your avatar. I'm going for 65's. Thanks again.
Marc
Thanks for the gret advice. I will certainly keep it in mind when I report to my VT. I have heard a lot of the same things about VT-3. Oh well, i'll suck it up if that is where I end up. I am just thankful that I have finally made it here at all. Good luck in Corpus sir and maybe we will work together on the other end of this long road someday. Do you want Hercs or Falcons? I assume Hercs from your avatar. I'm going for 65's. Thanks again.
Marc
Elder
US Coast Guard C-130 Demonstration Team
Eh, at this stage of the game, it's all about location. First three picks are Hercs, then a couple of Falcons, then back to Hercs, etc.
Either way, the locations suck.. sigh. I was originally slated for helos, but the wife thought the $$$ was in fixed wing. I know better. Helo pilots are starting to make decent money on the outside, and there is (was) a shortage. My father's company hired a guy last year who hadn't flown helos since Vietnam. He's flown fixed wing of course, but not helos. The company was going to send him to school.. not a bad gig.
And really, I have no desire to fly a bus around.. it's not the driving that bothers me, it's the stops.. not into the flop house lifestyle, never know where you're going to end up, those jacked up hats they wear... bllleeck.
Very very possible we'll meet. The Coast Guard is VERY small, and you run into people you know all the time. Get to know your fellow Coasties at Whiting.. in and out of your squadron, as well as guys over at south field. If you see a Coastie patch, just introduce yourself. And get the gouge You have a rep to uphold.. "Coasties always have the gouge."
Also, if you haven't already, make sure you and your fellow API Coasties grab a Liasion patch from Damion and wear THAT instead of that jacked up API patch for your last 2 weeks at API. People used to do that, then when I got there, I saw the Coasties ahead of me wearing that API patch.. I asked, "Uh, why".. they said because they didn't know what else to wear.. I said hell with that and wore the Liasion patch in spite of the regs hanging on the API walls.
Brad
Either way, the locations suck.. sigh. I was originally slated for helos, but the wife thought the $$$ was in fixed wing. I know better. Helo pilots are starting to make decent money on the outside, and there is (was) a shortage. My father's company hired a guy last year who hadn't flown helos since Vietnam. He's flown fixed wing of course, but not helos. The company was going to send him to school.. not a bad gig.
And really, I have no desire to fly a bus around.. it's not the driving that bothers me, it's the stops.. not into the flop house lifestyle, never know where you're going to end up, those jacked up hats they wear... bllleeck.
Very very possible we'll meet. The Coast Guard is VERY small, and you run into people you know all the time. Get to know your fellow Coasties at Whiting.. in and out of your squadron, as well as guys over at south field. If you see a Coastie patch, just introduce yourself. And get the gouge
You have a rep to uphold.. "Coasties always have the gouge."Also, if you haven't already, make sure you and your fellow API Coasties grab a Liasion patch from Damion and wear THAT instead of that jacked up API patch for your last 2 weeks at API. People used to do that, then when I got there, I saw the Coasties ahead of me wearing that API patch.. I asked, "Uh, why".. they said because they didn't know what else to wear.. I said hell with that and wore the Liasion patch in spite of the regs hanging on the API walls.
Brad
Elder
US Coast Guard C-130 Demonstration Team
Hey.. made it to Corpus alive.
I cancelled with cable internet in Milton which is where I had it hosted. Trying to get my ISP GrandeCom.net (which rocks, btw) to get my web space set up, ain't happening.
You have Yahoo or GMail (Google) - I could email it.
Brad
I cancelled with cable internet in Milton which is where I had it hosted. Trying to get my ISP GrandeCom.net (which rocks, btw) to get my web space set up, ain't happening.
You have Yahoo or GMail (Google) - I could email it.
Brad
Elder
US Coast Guard C-130 Demonstration Team
Done. Can do 10MB attachments now on Yahoo, right?
And thanks... thought about redoing it seeing as how I lost all my original footage during a hard drive crash.. even lost the huge 700MB version that was really nice quality.. :\ All I have is the just under 10MB PG-13 version and the 7ish MB R-Version... shrug
And thanks... thought about redoing it seeing as how I lost all my original footage during a hard drive crash.. even lost the huge 700MB version that was really nice quality.. :\ All I have is the just under 10MB PG-13 version and the 7ish MB R-Version... shrug
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