When are you locked into the Navy?

[White_Male]

Here are a few questions stemming from the title question. Also, all of my questions should be taken in the context of someone who has been selected to go to flight school upon graduation of OCS.

1. When are you no longer free to leave the Navy? (I think you are free to leave the Marines up until you take the oath at the end of OCS).

2. When will you get the NAMI exam? Before or after you are locked in to the Navy?

3. What happens to you if you wash out of primary flight school, intermediate, or advanced
flight school and what does that do to your time commitment?



Thanks in advance for the replies.

 

[bunk22]

Here are a few questions stemming from the title question. Also, all of my questions should be taken in the context of someone who has been selected to go to flight school upon graduation of OCS.

1. When are you no longer free to leave the Navy? (I think you are free to leave the Marines up until you take the oath at the end of OCS).

2. When will you get the NAMI exam? Before or after you are locked in to the Navy?

3. What happens to you if you wash out of primary flight school, intermediate, or advanced
flight school and what does that do to your time commitment?



Thanks in advance for the replies.

I don't really have solid answers for you. My thinking is you owe the Navy after being commissioned. You attrite, you still owe what's on your contract....4 years usually. Three, why worry about attriting before getting there?

 

[FMRAM]

Three, why worry about attriting before getting there?

He could be pondering self-attrition.

 

[phrogpilot73]

He could be pondering self-attrition.

Quitter...

 

[Single Seat]

Quitter...

Hey if he wants out, do you want him in your squadron?

 

[MikeTyson]

maybe hes planning his future properly and researching all possibilities...

 

[Picaroon]

1. When are you no longer free to leave the Navy? (I think you are free to leave the Marines up until you take the oath at the end of OCS).

2. When will you get the NAMI exam? Before or after you are locked in to the Navy?

Not to threadjack, but I'm curious about how these answers will differ if you got in through BDCP. I've done some searches but have yet to find a good definitive answer.

So if you're answering this question, in the course of doing so could you also mention any differences with regard to BDCP if you know them? Thanks.

 

[navy09]

Does anyone have current gouge on what's happening to SNA attrites? Are any getting IAs? SWO? Discharges?

 

[Recidivist]

If you are asking yourself these questions you should examine why.

If you are looking for a way out if it's not what you want, don't go.

Those two things being said, I think you should also think about why you want/ think you want to become an aviator.

I asked myself those kinds of questions and concluded that I wasn't going to be entering the Navy with the right mindset. I psyched myself out, and I regret it.

The Navy has three core values: Honor, Courage, and Commitment, if you want it, make the commitment and see it to the end of your obligation. If you don't, know that if you turn down an opportunity, you may never have it again.

One final note: If YOU want to join the Navy/Marines and are having second thoughts because of factors independent (incl. mom, dad, girlfriend, niece, etc.) of YOU, join. Be selfish. The caveat is family, i.e dependents.

 

[White_Male]

If you are asking yourself these questions you should examine why.

If you are looking for a way out if it's not what you want, don't go.

Those two things being said, I think you should also think about why you want/ think you want to become an aviator.

I asked myself those kinds of questions and concluded that I wasn't going to be entering the Navy with the right mindset. I psyched myself out, and I regret it.

The Navy has three core values: Honor, Courage, and Commitment, if you want it, make the commitment and see it to the end of your obligation.

Why am I asking these questions? I think Benjamin Franklin once said "before marriage, have both eyes wide open, after marriage, have one eye closed..." That's all I am doing. I want to know what the possibilities are. I am young and have a lot of options open to me. I have wanted to be a military pilot since I was 9. But that doesn't mean that I should shut my eyes and blindly walk into a 4-10 year commitment without knowing the variables. Obviously it won't be the worst thing that ever happened if I ended up spending four years in the Navy not flying; but that is four years that I could have spent working on building another career.

I have a rifle mentality rather than a shotgun mentality. If you are going to do something than you do it and put all your effort into it. You don't spray pellets all over the place hoping some of them hit.

If I do join the Navy and get a pilot slot, I will do my very best and I will absolutly be committed. I just want to know what will happen if everything doesn't go as planned. "Plan for everything to go wrong that can go wrong and if something goes right we can work it in."


Recidivist, my response isn't just directed at you. I just used yours because it seemed to sum up most of the other responses.

 

[A4sForever]

Why am I asking these questions? .... I have wanted to be a military pilot ....But that doesn't mean that I should shut my eyes and blindly walk into a 4-10 year commitment ....
Recidivist, my response isn't just directed at you. I just used yours because it seemed to sum up most of the other responses.

Let me give you another response; hopefully really clear:

Jesus Christ. I've not seen such double-mindedness for a long time. Don't do it. I wouldn't want someone in my squadron "who was walking blindly into a commitment" ... as I want to fly with guys who have 20/20 vision.

You want what is best FOR YOU. That's not a problem. Everyone's gotta be somewhere ...

The Navy wants what is best FOR THE NAVY. AND THE COUNTRY.

The two are not compatible ... unless what is best for YOU juxtaposes with what is best for the NAVY and for the Country. Then they meld.

Based on my experience in the military and civie street ... you don't sound like the "norm" that wants to fly in the Navy. You know; someone who wants to be a Naval Officer. I've seen a LOT of those guys -- those guys who are your extended cousins --- those who were "building another career" in the airlines since military service was not "compulsory".

You should work "on building another career".

Enjoy life in civie street ....

 

[HeyJoe]

You may be trying to overthink or plan too much. The best you can do is understand what the commitment is when you sign on the dotted line and people putting that piece of paper in front of you (Navy or Marine Corps as appropriate; you have mentioned both) will tell you what your obligation will be if things don't work out in flight school. Anyone who tells you what is currently happening to attrites or DORs can only give you a snapshot in time as it may totally change by the time you are in their situation. The needs of the service prevail and if they have enough endstrength, they may allow you to exit stage left if so desired or do it anyway. If they are in need of officers, then you may get a choice of what is available at the time. There have been times in the past when even aviators who just earned their wings were sent home. Nobody has a pefect crystal ball so best advice is to decide to enter the service commited "to serve" and roll with the punches from thereon. This talk of four years of commitment if you don't complete flight when you could be building another career at age 21 (or thereabouts) doesn't speak well of your commitment to serve hence the backlash of various posters. And truth be told, you have plenty of time to build a career even if you spent 4 years as a non aviator. I would argue that those four years would actually be a benefit to any career you might choose unless you're thinking it would keep you out of a civilian cockpit if you didn't get the military seat. If so, like A4s is saying, you ought to go that way from the start. You simply can't negotiate or plan for every possibility. You'll be taking calculated risks as an aviator and heading to flight school also has its risks. Some attrite due to unforeseen or medical issues or injuries sustained during training; some folks DOR, but wanting and wanting it bad and committing to the service is where your head needs to be to succeed. Like one poster said, you can "what if" yourself right out of the game.

 

[BackOrdered]

Not to threadjack, but I'm curious about how these answers will differ if you got in through BDCP. I've done some searches but have yet to find a good definitive answer.

So if you're answering this question, in the course of doing so could you also mention any differences with regard to BDCP if you know them? Thanks.

If you quit OCS under BDCP (unless it is medical), you will spend the remainder of the years of your contract as an undesignated striker to avenge the tax money you wasted by not finishing OCS. Chipping paint, mopping floors, cleaning heads, no hope for a meaningful career, all possibly under the orders of a guy who probably did finish OCS through BDCP, good stuff!

 

[bunk22]

Why am I asking these questions? I think Benjamin Franklin once said "before marriage, have both eyes wide open, after marriage, have one eye closed..." That's all I am doing. I want to know what the possibilities are. I am young and have a lot of options open to me. I have wanted to be a military pilot since I was 9. But that doesn't mean that I should shut my eyes and blindly walk into a 4-10 year commitment without knowing the variables. Obviously it won't be the worst thing that ever happened if I ended up spending four years in the Navy not flying; but that is four years that I could have spent working on building another career.

I have a rifle mentality rather than a shotgun mentality. If you are going to do something than you do it and put all your effort into it. You don't spray pellets all over the place hoping some of them hit.

If I do join the Navy and get a pilot slot, I will do my very best and I will absolutly be committed. I just want to know what will happen if everything doesn't go as planned. "Plan for everything to go wrong that can go wrong and if something goes right we can work it in."


Recidivist, my response isn't just directed at you. I just used yours because it seemed to sum up most of the other responses.

Are you trying to convince yourself or us? I'm not buying it.

 

[usmarinemike]

The waters of the Air Warriors ocean are cold and bleak for the type B personality. Either that or somebody's been putting too much vodka in the AW Kool-aid lately.

He obviously has a fair amount of flight time in a structured environment already. Just because he doesn't desperately need to get into the Navy at all costs doesn't mean he's going to half ass things. As far as being an officer, and asking questions that clearly aren't those that an officer would ask I would venture to say that a vast majority of regular joes that go into OCS have no clue about the culture, noblesse oblige, and the deep sense of pride comes with leading the nations finest into battle. Why would he NOT ask these questions? He wants SA. Just answer the questions, and if the answers fit properly into his go/no-go criteria, then I'm sure he'll get the properly adjusted warrior ethos in the training pipeline.

My suggestion to OP...Read some books off the Commandant's Reading List and see if they speak to you. If they do, then it might be a correct fit. If not at all, then have fun sweating your ass off trying to prepare for your interview with the regionals.