Run Around to Get Commission

[Jiff84]

Good afternoon gentlemen, I've been a member with this site since last spring and have perused the site multiple times and have found a lot of useful information. I attended OCS 10 week class 198 and graduated August 9th. I graduated from Ohio State this December and had planned to be commissioned upon graduation. I was told since I am part of 09 Air I could not be commissioned until February. Very well, I chose February 2nd. About a week before I give my OSO a call just to make sure things are on track(btw when I first selected this date in November I was told it was passed to district and there was no objections.) and they say there is a problem with my paperwork, something about someone at district not looking at it until a week before the 2nd and deciding they wanted some extra medical papers about some heart palpitations I had last winter.

My OSO said he would be at district in W Virginia this week to straighten it out along with other stuff. I haven't heard back and feel like I'm really being given the run around. I know there is a backup for training at TBS, thats fine, but I was planning since November to commission Feb 2, PTAD until the end of March then ship out. Now I have no idea what my status is. I'm really pissed off at my OSO for not following up with district. Not that I'm joining for money, but I have bills to pay and even in a bad economy my engineering degree could have gotten me a good job and now I'm just bleeding cash. I don't know what to do.

Is the Navy offering air contracts right now? I really want to be a Marine first but I can't hold out financially much longer. Any advice on how to push for my commission?

 

[yodaears]

It's not unheard of for there to be a gap between graduation and commissioning, especially for PLC Marines. My experience was similar, I graduated in September and wasn't commissioned until Dec of the same year. Not quite as long as you have waited but still a wait. As far as the medical stuff goes, that can only complicate things more than it needs to but it's an inevitability. Are you an Air Contract now? Have you been to NAMI yet for a flight physical if you are? If you haven't then try to get down there and get one. That can clear a lot of medical issues up and you will have to do it eventually.

You might want to buckle down financially and maybe even think about a part time job. You won't start getting paid until you execute your first orders which will be either PTAD, IFS (air contract), or TBS regardless of your commissioning date.

If you want to be a Marine then hold out. The Navy would probably consider giving you a commission but I don't know if they would want to send you to their OCS or if they would just commission you. Be that as it may, a interservice transfer back to the Marine Corps would be very difficult if you decided the to go the Navy route.

One of my good friends in flight school is an OSU grad and I'd be willing to bet he knows your OSO. PM me if you want to get in touch with him and we'll see if he can help you out.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

Dude, your story sounds eerily similiar to mine except I was OCC-197 and deferred my commission b/c I kept getting jacked around about my air slot, and then my commissioning dates kept getting pushed back when I got home. I applied for a pilot slot in the Navy and now here I am in P-cola. The kicker was I had to go to Navy OCS again up in Newport, and you would have to as well. Depends on the length of your application process (could be 3-5 months or more) and OCS date, but with TBS and the wait to class up for it you would probably end up here about the same time.

Bottom line, I had always wanted to be a Marine, and enjoyed my time in Quantico, but I'm definitely happy with the choice I made and where I'm at (minus the whole A-pool debacle ). Do what feels right for you.

 

[2Blades]

Dude, it sounds like to me that you got F-ed. I was commissioned in Dec '04, the same time I graduated because I wanted to. I did not check into to TBS until April 05! I think that your OSO telling you that you can't get commissioned until a certian day is BS. You graduated, you have your degree and the USMC knows that. I wasn't paid until I checked into TBS but I was warned to keep my job until check in.

You DO NOT want to join the Navy, hold on as long as you can!

 

[Jiff84]

Replies

Thanks for the advice. Yes I already had my flight physical, last freaking April at Wright Patterson in Dayton. I was told I passed with no waivers and somehow they now need more documentation. What peeves me the most is my OSO's attitude. I mean this is supposed to be a huge deal and life choice to commission and serve Marines and I fully want to do it, and their attitude is like oh well when you get commissioned you will.

 

[torpedo0126]

The Navy doesn't give "air contracts" the same way the Marine Corps does.

 

[Clux4]

Thanks for the advice. Yes I already had my flight physical, last freaking April at Wright Patterson in Dayton. I was told I passed with no waivers and somehow they now need more documentation. What peeves me the most is my OSO's attitude. I mean this is supposed to be a huge deal and life choice to commission and serve Marines and I fully want to do it, and their attitude is like oh well when you get commissioned you will.

If your OSO is who I think it is, then I know him. Did he check-in a couple months ago?

 

[eddie]

The Navy doesn't give "air contracts" the same way the Marine Corps does.

Don't they?

 

[Jiff84]

If your OSO is who I think it is, then I know him. Did he check-in a couple months ago?

The new OSO is a First Lt from Supply, he just arrived and is learning the job. My OSO I've known since October 07 when I signed up, he has been awesome up until now. He is a Captain from Artillery. Our OSO has a PFT scheduled this Saturday so I'll get an update then. Man I'm gonna take out some anger on my body in this next PFT.

 

[Clux4]

Jiff: Sent you a pm.

 

[FENIAN]

Jiff,
Your RS HQ is in Charleston, WV. 4th District is near Harrisburg, PA. Your OSO is supposed to report to the RS CO, but the medical documentation is directly from an HM1 at District. It is safe to say that he is not perfect when it comes to the Med Docs game. A new directive came down from MCRC late past summer saying that PLC commission dates can no longer be "picked by candidates." More accurately, you will be given a common commission date. This is a bit odd, but the issue was administrative "dead wood" and issues with different dates...blah blah blah. I will tell you that I know there is an effort to have multiple commissionings at the same time and place.

In my immediate case, I will tell you that I selected a commission date of 17 MAY 08. I had to write a statement regarding supplement use (Muscle Milke that I got at MCAS Miramar) and was told that it may affect my commission date. That was 7 weeks prior to said date. I was later "issued" a date of 30 AUG. What am I getting at? Stick it out. Stay out of trouble. Find a job or take some grad classes. If you have completed all of your training and graduated college, you will earn a commissioning, just not on your clock. You have yet to get screwed over.

 

[whitesoxnation]

In my immediate case, I will tell you that I selected a commission date of 17 MAY 08. I had to write a statement regarding supplement use (Muscle Milke that I got at MCAS Miramar) and was told that it may affect my commission date. That was 7 weeks prior to said date. I was later "issued" a date of 30 AUG. What am I getting at? Stick it out. Stay out of trouble. Find a job or take some grad classes. If you have completed all of your training and graduated college, you will earn a commissioning, just not on your clock. You have yet to get screwed over.

You had to write a statement because you had a protein shake?

 

[Slammer2]

...I was later "issued" a date of 30 AUG...

As in no sooner than and no later than. You WILL commission on that date. And here I thought they were just f'n with you...

Guess thats the new way

 

[Slammer2]

You had to write a statement because you had a protein shake?

Yep. I recall the HM setting you up for it too...

 

[bmyers91880]

Selected as NFO, but going to OCS on Ground Contract

Although my situation is not exactly like yours, I was selected for NFO for this class 201 and I am supposed to report to Quan. on Thurs. I am still awaiting a signoff on a medical issue from NAMI even though even though a NAMI doc told me on the phone it was cleared. Or this is at least what I am being told from my OSO. The OSO's want me to sign a ground contract to go to OCS on, hoping the Aviation signoff comes while at OCS. Would this make anyone else nervous? Am I going to end up a ground pounder?