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Lots of good info here and hopefully it will make original poster look into other options. The only thing I saw that has yet to be covered is his comment about braces. I don't know Air Force policy for braces in AFROTC - he says he can't have them. I do know that braces are considered...

Back in the day you were required to qualify every year if you were a courier or for carrying as aircrew, but it you shot E three years in a row you could keep the medal and wear it even if the qual lapsed like you went to shore duty or shot poorly every now and then. Kept a guy from having to...

I flew w/ a guy who was brilliant w/ math. He would get into the ballistics tables to figure out all sorts of squirrelly stuff, like lofting inert 82s / BDU-45s manually. He somehow figured out where he needed to start a 4-g pull looking at the billboards on the run-in line @ Dare Tgt, and...

There is, I believe, still a requirement to attend NBC training prior to deployment, and that includes time in the "chamber." So while you won't do it during API, or OCS, etc, you probably will do it during shipboard firefighting / damage control / and NBC Training week. Of course we may have...

My wife had dental coverage for herself and the kids w/ her civilian job. I went ahead and got dental for the family under Tricare (actually United Concordia), primarily because the wording of it enabled us to claim a max of $1500 per kid for braces, in addition to her dental plan. Since I...

I was the Nuke Weapons Training Officer in my first squadron when we were tasked to drop two B-43 on a test range @ Eglin. This was a QAST delivery - Quality Assurance Service Test, basically they took a real no-$hit B-43 off the shelf, took the "good" stuff out and replaced it with ballast and...

Originally Posted by MasterBates It has been endorsed and is on its way to the VCNO. Being the optimist, I guess I had better shed those extra 10 pounds so I can squeeze my fat a$$ back into my Greens...

Actually one of the better ones I've seen recently. Only things I would change is that you need to spell out R.O.C. (my acronym might be different than yours), and in the context you are writing, "grandfathers" is plural, not possessive, so ditch the apostrophe.

Both of my squadrons were full of Foreign Exchange / PEP tour guys. VA-85 had a German Navy pilot fly and deploy for the entire cruise with us in 1989. He flew F-104s and then Tornados. Was one of the most tactically astute pilots I ever flew with. Also did a great job on the ground as...

Nicely Done. Extra credit for you!

4-5-6? Are you perhaps thinking of "Ship / Captain / Crew?" :)

Absolutely...Air Force per diem money is good in any Navy Club. You don't even need to have a membership card, which is not the case in several Air Force establishments I've been kicked out of in my day.

You never know. We've used "Dilbert" and "Grampaw Pettibone" for several decades to try and reduce aviation mishaps, with some degree of success. However, your point is well taken that incompetent and nuclear power shouldn't go hand in hand. Otherwise, why not just use Homer Simpson?

Thanks for the tutorial, Nuke. Would I be correct in assuming the Sub LDOs were originally from the enlisted submarine community (and thus nuclear trained to some extent), or could they have been grown elsewhere? WEPS was a commissioned officer, not LDO, correct? If that were the case, where...

Bert - I feel your pain; not only for young Laser's failure to identify quality sarcasm, but for his inability to correct both "mistakes" when he dimed you out. I weep for the future...

Skid: I don't think you are ready to take this to your writing coach just yet. You have some good ideas, but they jump aroud a bit too much. Print this out and compare line for line with your current draft. Make some changes and sleep on it a few days. Make some more changes, then show it to...

Skid: This needs some major work. You already know that. Below are some recommendations. Most of the info is there - you just need to package it better. My impressions: Your first paragraph is too strong an opening and is better suited for later in your essay. Same reminder I've...

A different option. Compare side by side, keep what you like, discard what you don't. - - - It is my greatest desire to serve as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy. After a thorough review of the options available for me to serve my country, the Navy clearly stands at the...

Same Carrier C.O. says he often asks a candidate what his/her favorite movie is, to get them to loosen up, as well as to determine what motivates them. He asked my son. Son replied "Topgun." C.O. then asks "Why?" Typical answer is usually one of the following: - The flying scenes were...

Too late...

No sweat. Somewhere I have a copy of the grading criteria (i.e. what equates to a 1 and what equates to a 5) for an interview. I think it was specific to NROTC, but the concept is pretty similar across the board. I seem to recall it ran something like this: Motivation: 5 - Candidate is...

You think you're hurting, try typing all that with two fingers. The things I do for you kids...

Just how badly do you want that fat bonus? Look the part. Or at least look the part that you think a senior officer expects an officer candidate to look. Might want to reference a recent post called "The interview" in the officer commissioning section (posted about an hour ago).

You can be a Nuke Power (surface) or a Nuke Power (submarines). Surface nukes work the reactors on the nuke carriers, and will command a small combatant (FFG or DDg perhaps) if they command screen, then go back to be the Reactor Officer post-command. Submarime nukeswill stay in boats the whole...

Glad to see you are making some tangible progress. For a while there you had an excuse for every recommendation people gave you to help you lose weight. You don't need a state-of-the art gym. You don't need access to a running track. There were prisoners of war in Vietnam living in solitary...

Warning: Long post. Academy Appointment nomination and NROTC scholarship season is here again. This mostly applies to NROTC or Blue & Gold Academy interviews, but it is probably useful for any commissioning interview. This was provided by a former squadron mate who is a current carrier C.O...

Probably depends on the recruiter, how desperate he is to make quota, and how strong your packet is. The local Officer Recruiter is in Richmond (we live in Virginia Beach, 2.5 hours away). My son never met the guy; he did everything over the phone, e-mail, and internet, and it turned out fine...

Nicely done. significant improvement over first draft. 1st para: change to "...many opportunities we are given; we must not sit back..." "...hope to serve while exhibiting the core values of the United States Navy- honor, courage, and commitment." Still seems awkward. Try something like...

I like your discussion about whole person approach. Since you are tight on words, I think you can address the Honor - Courage - Commitment more succinctly: "Gradually becoming an effective leader by learning from my enlisted, colleagues, and superiors, I would strive to uphold the core...

Third time trying to send this before my machine times out: Use present, active tense - example: instead of "Throughout my life, I have sought positions of leadership and have excelled in reaching my ambitions efficiently and effectively." try "I seek positions of leadership and excel in...

The PQS was a nice touch!

Had a new guy checking into the squadron while we were deployed. There was a fan room a few knee knockers away from the Ready Room that was about 6' x 8' in size with a pipe and valve running down one bulkhead. The "door" was one of those oval QAWTD fittings about 3' x 18 inches. We put a...

Most will sign off on it, but you might want to hold off a bit until you get established in the squadron to make sure you don't overextend yourself. Unless you are joining right after the squadron returns from deployment and you have lots of turnaround time, you will find you are extremely busy...

An outstanding video. Great story, told well. Nice looking granddaughters as well. There's a P-51 that flies out of the Pungo airfield 10 miles south of NAS Oceana that flies several times a month and comes past my house. You can hear that engine coming miles away. Awesome!

Cool. Always nice to know some family history. The frogman on D-Day will be a bit tougher, but Naval Special Warfare Command might have some info on units that participated. Probably some SEAL websites where someone would help you out with the research. Good luck!

5. Buckeye Naked Hour. Some of these guys are post-command heavy hitters now, so I'll leave it at that.

A more probable option - USS President Jackson AP 37 (w/ deck log showing summary of actions). http://members.fortunecity.com/scottsworldwar2page/ap37.htm

there was a troopship by the name of James Jackson. Archive might be able to determine which landings she participated in, and match w/ your grandfather's service. Some sites even have copies of logbooks. http://www.armed-guard.com/ag96.html

probably not the Andrew Jackson unless it was a little known troop carrier or merchant ship. Only two commissioned ships / boats by that name - one in the 1800s and a Ballistic Missile sub in the 60-80s.

What goes on cruise, stays on cruise, but if the statute of limitations is over, what's the funniest thing you saw happen on cruise? 1. At 3am the upper bunk caves in and comes crashing down on me after my 200 pound roommate got a little carried away working his cruise sock behind the curtain...

This might be a better place to look, but your parent (or other next of kin of grandfather) needs to sign the release form. http://www.archives.gov/veterans/

These guys can help, but only if a buddy or other relative entered any info. http://www.lonesailor.org/nl_search.php

I just assumed it was cross-dressing day on the platform among the Fighter / Attack Guys.

Apart from the missing testicle...

sinus bradychardia. Pretty common, especially for runners or others in good shape, and although it will be registered on your EKG, no one worries too much. On my "long form" flight physical last yesr, they hooked me up, got about 52 beats per minute, then the attending corpsman told me to do...

The future is here. Beginning tomorrow, Joint Forces Command is initiating time sheet accountability w/ "SLDCADA." Don't even know what it stands for, but it is a Navy developed program the civil service personnel initially used and now the 4-star wants to use for military as well. The...

Actually my Item #4 was referencing TPS or rushing the Blues, but your illustration is probably more widespread / apropos.

My number may be off by a percentage point or two, but I heard a 3-star brief it, and I've read it in print. It goes something like this: Of the recruiting age pool of talent (18-25 year olds), appx 72% of them will be found to be immediately unqualified and unwaiverable for military service...

Used to be they identified you prior to your boat det, then gave you 12 / 8 Day / Night traps instead of the normal 10 / 6. As with most things, there are good / bad associated w/ wanting to be the guy sent forward immediately. The whole cycle used to be based on getting a nugget to his /...

Make sure you can run the 1.5 in less than 10 minutes right after cranking out your max situps in 2 minutes and max push ups in 2 minutes. There may be a (not so) subtle difference in your time on a run, and your time on a run after the s/u & p/u. For me it is about an increase of 15 secs...