September 2010 Boards

[EthanWing20]

SNA/NFO/SWO

age: 24
3.27 gpa in Liberal Studies
5/6/6 50
1 year of HS basketball
3 years as a teen/youth basketball coach
5 quarters on the Dean's List

LOR's
0-2 NFO (friend)
Chair of Liberal Studies (former employer/professor)
Director at YMCA (former employer)


Negatives:
Still working on my PRT because I'm currently in the satisfactory range.

My stats are underwhelming when compared to those posted in this forum, but I've got heart.

 

[PB83]

27/M Prior Active Duty Navy (separate 24AUG10), 7 years, ABE2
SNA, SNFO, Supply
Secret Clearance
3.63 BA Justice Administration, Hawaii Pacific University
5/6/5 50
LOR: 3-O8 RADM
Interviews: 3-O6 all 10s
Extracurricular activities-over 200 hours Naval Sea Cadet Adult leader, Adopt-a-Highway, Meals on Wheels, Adopt-a-School
Excellent Medium PRT
Passed flight physical

 

[Goosed]

This will be my second time applying, which I hope the board will recognize my improvement and commitment. I applied in May with a 58 6/6/7 for SNA/NFO/Intel and was a non-select for all three, which really lit a fire under my @ss and kept me pushing harder. Just shooting for SNA this time around as my OR says SNA is right on track for their quota (ie 75% filled at beginning of 4th qtr) and NFO & SWO are over quota for the rest of FY 2010.

Stats
25/M
63 7/7/6
BS Business Administration from Pepperdine University
Graduated Cum Laude w/ 3.52 GPA in 2007

LOR's/Interviews
Great interview with a Lieutenant Commander (O-4) of the Naval Reserves here in Boise, ID, who was a P-3 NFO
Current employer - CFO who was also a Marine
Former Marine Sniper Instructor (E-3) and work out partner
Retired Air Force Special Operations Officer & Godfather
4 Former Employers - three of which were the owners

Random Items
138 ASVAB (98th percentile)
Limited Extracurriculars (I was working full time in college, but that doesn't excuse my poor showing out of college. I hope this doesn't hinder me too much)
Strong motivational statement and re-application letter

See you on the other side (I hope).

 

[SC-NY-88]

Hey All,

21/M
7/8/9 57
SNA/NFO/SWO

 

[invertedflyer]

26/M
Prior-service USMC - 6 yrs (comm)
5/6/6
2.75 GPA, BA History
Excellent High PRT

5 LORs
Navy 0-6, former s-2 pilot
Navy 0-5, former NFO
Air Force 0-5, C-141 Nav
Navy 0-2 NFO
Navy 0-1 SNA

PPL: 165 hrs PIC, 45 complex/hp, working on my instrument.

Extracurriculars:
Civil Air Patrol (I know, I know)
March ARB Aero Club
Students for International Knowledge

This is my third time submitting, got picked up for NFO earlier but turned it down

 

[twobecrazy]

This is my third time submitting, got picked up for NFO earlier but turned it down

So do you think that was a good idea? Are you applying only for NA? Why didn't you just apply for the one job you wanted the first time around? Did you get accepted for NFO the first time you applied?

 

[invertedflyer]

^^ all good questions. It was my first board and I wanted to see what my options were. Originally it was exclusively an NFO board, but I later found out they had selected some SNAs as well. After getting selected I realized I only wanted to apply for NA, nothing against NFOs ofcourse, but I couldn't watch the pilot do all the flying, just not my thing. It would be like buying a 69 Mustang, restoring it, then watching someone else drive it. So, to answer your question, yes, it was a good idea to re-apply for SNA. Do what you love, love what you do.

 

[AlexSmart]

I tell you what, it feels good to finally have your entire kit completed and submitted. I started the process on January 4th... FML

 

[GoVols1998]

I am submitting a SEP10 package and even though I have good scores (8/7/7/ 65), good grades (3.33 in biochem), and achieved a lot in high school and college EC's involving leadership, charity, etc., I have 2 glaring things that I'm 99% sure will keep me from getting selected. #1 I have a DUI on my record from my first week of college in 2006. #2 Admitted marijuana use of 10-12 times from H.S. to freshman year of college. Does anyone have any insight on what I could do to help minimize this negativity? Thank you.

 

[shambo]

Arrest

Bottom line is if there are two guys that have near the same stats and one was arrested for a DUI, the other guy will get the slot. The only thing you can do is exactly what you've done, put up good stats and really explain the arrest in detail per what you've learned from it in the written statement.

 

[shambo]

23/M Non-Prior
8/8/9 62
Aerospace Engineer 3.1 GPA
College Baseball
7 LOR, various helicopter pilots/commanding general over military base etc.
100 pushups, 100 situps, 9 min 42 sec mile time.
COO of a corporation I started in January.
Led 5 engineering teams in competitions that won.
Team Captain various times for Highschool sports.
4 Year Scholar-Athlete Award in college.
Record holder for most game winning hits in my college's history.

Applying for SNA

It's going to be a very competetive board, that's for sure. Best of luck to everyone.

 

[marmoset54]

1 I have a DUI on my record from my first week of college in 2006.

Were you found guilty of the charge?

 

[marmoset54]

ALSO...this happened back in 2006. Even if you did pled guilty to a DUI, four years have passed. If you have kept clean SINCE then, then it bodes better for you.

Navy. Drinking. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Kinda goes hand-in-hand.

The only difference is that you were caught. The others? They are a bit better at "stiff arming" or lining your thumbs up with the white traffic markings. If it makes you feel any better, our illustrious former President (2001 - 2009) and two-term Texas Governor (1995 - 2000) received a DUI charge in 1976 at the age of 30. Dick Cheneny, former six-term congressman of the House of Representatives for Wyoming (1978 - 1989), Director of the Council of Foreign Relations (1987 - 1989, 1993 - 1995) Secretary of Defense (1989 - 1993) and the gosh-darn Vice President (2001 - 2009) received TWO DUI convictions (November 1962, July 1963) at the age of 21 and 22, respectively.

You are able to be arrested for ANYTHING in this country. Just because you were arrested does not mean you are guilty.

Police Officer does not like the look of you? Or you give him lip? Or you just say something wrong? BAM. Arrested. While these examples are extreme and some of my best friends are police officers, the New Orleans Police Department has a sordid underbelly.

Remember the COPS tagline: "Innocent until proven guilty."

Presumption of Innocence. Burden of Proof. Guilty Beyond Reasonable Doubt.

Also - Moral Turpitude: Criminal behavior that is inherently bad (called 'malum in se') in contrast to the behavior that is bad merely because it is forbidden in law (called 'malum prohibitum'). In short: immorality.

Whew. Civilian lawyering is over.

 

[GoVols1998]

Well, let me rephrase that. Was arrested for, and subsequently plead guilty to have the charge reduced to an "underage DUI", whatever that means. Even though I know that looks horrendous on an application to be an officer, heck even enlist, I have definitely lived a life of responsibility and good decisions since then. i.e. good grades in a hard major, leadership position in my fraternity, community service, and not even a traffic ticket since.

 

[marmoset54]

If your grades are good (which they are), leadership roles, community service and LORs are great, then you are in very good shape. There is no changing the past, we've all made mistakes that we wish we could take back.

Because you were so young, it can be chalked up to "youthful indiscretion." If it was only an arrest, I wouldn't mention it. Yet, with more detailed information, I'd suggest using that as a "come to Jesus" moment. Something along the lines of "I realized, because of this incident, I am no longer a boy, but a man in the real world, where real world decisions lead to real world consequences." You get the idea.

Does this take away from your ability to lead? No. Does this cause you to grow? Yes. You said it yourself, about no getting a traffic ticket since. Sure, small potatoes, but it changes you. You have seen what actually happens. Others haven't. Others might have this sense of invincibility. You saw the consequences. Scared you straight. I bet you haven't driven drunk again (or if so...RARLY). Lesson learned. Many ways you can spin this to your advantage.

And from others might say...they don't know. Unless they are on the board, they have no idea how these things are spliced apart. If you look at the number of people that go before the boards each month, I would bet that only 15-20% (IF THAT!) communicate through this website or usnavyocs.com. Something to keep in mind. There are a number of candidates who we (As board participants) do not know. There could be worse people out there than a simple "oops DUI."

Stay the course.