34 and trying to get into the Navy...need some advice

[eckloss]

hello all

so in brief, here's my story:

im 34 years old, turning 35 in april 2010 (red flag #1).

i have a slight defect in my heart knows as "left ventricular diastolic dysfunction" and take a drug called Coreg, 3.125mg 2x daily. Red flag #2.

Ive been thinking about joining the navy for years. now time is running out.

my first choice of career was nuke, however, with an age cap of 27, im a bit passed that. second choice was information warfare, 3rd choice intel.

my degree is in business (what was i thinking back then??), however my gpa's were always high, and i scored a 98 on the asvab years ago when i took it for the army (thats a story in itself).

yesterday i drove the 70 miles to see my nearest officer recruiter. nice fellow, a medical officer of all things, though. he gave me some good info, but as with everything i do, i want 2nd opinions and more feedback, hence the reason im here.

a quick overview of what he told me:

- obviously nuke is out. im too old.

- intel or IW would probably not be an option, bc i didnt take calc at my university (i went to a private, top-notch high school and took 2 years of calc there, but they wont count that. they want college-accredited calc).

- the heart condition may require a waiver. hes sending me forms for my medical history for him to send to their doctor (all the services' officers recruiters and the meps station are all located in the same federal building in pittsburgh).

- according to him, supply corps would be my best option given my business degree and the fact that i owned a small franchise of retail stores for the past 8 years (which have all since closed. thanks, Mr. bush).

so, given all of that, my own impressions were that being a supply officer didnt really seem that glamorous to me. im trying to get into the navy in order to set myself up for a stable, prolific job in the civilian world years from now, and to challenge myself mentally (hence the interest in the nuclear field). the economy here in northern west virginia is struggling to say the least, and only the best qualified individuals in any given field are finding work.

it should be said that i am obsessed with submarines and their history. i have been an avid rc submarine builder for about a decade (see subcommittee.com if youve never seen these puppies...they will blow your mind!).

in doing a little digging i found that each sub, both boomers and fast attacks, carry their own supply officer. ding ding! now, perhaps, we have something i might really like to sink my teeth into. granted, im taking a mental step down by considering the supply corps, but being on a ssn or ssbn (or ssgn for that matter) would make it all worth it.

so...i know this is scattered and disjointed and rambling. but you can infer the questions im trying to ask here:

1. what are my chances of getting the medical waiver needed to get in?
2. am i too old to survive OCS?
3. if i request supply, can i further request becoming a chop on a sub, and what are my chances of getting that request granted?
4. is there anything else critical at this point that my recruiter has not yet mentioned?

thanks to all

erich
wheeling, wv

 

[DukeAndrewJ]

so, given all of that, my own impressions were that being a supply officer didnt really seem that glamorous to me. im trying to get into the navy in order to set myself up for a stable, prolific job in the civilian world years from now

The only advice I can give is to re-phrase your motivation for entering the Navy. There are a lot of us working our asses off to get in because we see it as an ends, not a means to a "prolific" career.

 

[FlyBoyd]

hello all

so in brief, here's my story:

words

1. what are my chances of getting the medical waiver needed to get in?
2. am i too old to survive OCS?
3. if i request supply, can i further request becoming a chop on a sub, and what are my chances of getting that request granted?
4. is there anything else critical at this point that my recruiter has not yet mentioned?

1. Slim...the line is out the door right now with people in similar situations. When this happens the Navy (DoD in general) will strictly follow the medical guidelines. Waivers exist but the next four candidates in line don't need one so expect quite a few obstacles.

2. It depends...if you are a 34yo couch potato you would have problems...please don't respond with your height/weight stats, work out schedule, etc. We don't care and either you are in good enough shape or you will need to be...your call.

3. You can request all you want. Needs of the Navy is #1. Each request is a different animal and treated as a different hurdle. No one knows "the odds." Don't ever ask that again.

4. Joining the Navy as a stop gap measure for the down economy is a horrible idea. Becoming a Naval Officer of any kind says you want to serve your country. Remember this first and foremost. IMO, if you had really wanted this, it wouldn't have been a pipe dream for so many years only to float to the top of your options list when times got rough. You need to seriously assess whether or not this is for you.

Rant/
OBTW, it is President Bush...it doesn't matter if you like him or not. I am pretty sure you had a pretty big hand in your businesses closing. Stop blaming others for your lack of planning and forsite.
/end rant.

 

[eckloss]

perhaps i worded that incorrectly. let me try and rephrase:

should the navy be something that i truly enjoy, i have no doubt i will make a career of it. i have family who have served in the navy, air force, and army. none made careers of it, though i know, in retrospect, they wish they had.

to be very blunt about my own reasons: i have an 8 yr old daughter who lives near me. she is my everything. i want to provide for her the best possible future that i can, and make sure, as every parent does, that her life is better than my own.

i tried my own path for the past 8 years, and though i did very well, that time is now over. given the current state of our economy and the limited opportunities available in my area, the military is by far my best option. not only will i gain invaluable training in whatever rating i try for, i will have job security, an enormous sense of pride in serving the country that i love so much, and setting myself up for a transition into a civilian career many years from now that will allow me to provide for my daughter to the level at which she deserves.

if you or anyone misinterpreted or took offense, that was not my intention.

 

[blarged]

so, given all of that, my own impressions were that being a supply officer didnt really seem that glamorous to me. im trying to get into the navy in order to set myself up for a stable, prolific job in the civilian world years from now

The only advice I can give is to re-phrase your motivation for entering the Navy. There are a lot of us working our asses off to get in because we see it as an ends, not a means to a "prolific" career.

Everyone has their own goals and reasons for joining the military. Not everyone has the desire to be a lifer. It is great that he wants to serve period. This said, though, I would concentrate the motivational statement on the desire to serve as a desire to serve, not on the desire for to serve as a career move.

In other news:
Intelligence: At least 19 and less than 35 at time of commission. No waivers.
IW: At least 19 and less than 35 at time of commission. No waivers.
SUPPLY: At least 19 and less than 29 at time of commission. Waiver up to 31 yrs prior to AD service.

(via http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/sanfrancisco/opo/general-information.htm)

You are too old for SUPPLY. As for Intel and IW, you don't have much time to get second opinions, just apply.

 

[CUPike11]

perhaps i worded that incorrectly. let me try and rephrase:

should the navy be something that i truly enjoy, i have no doubt i will make a career of it. i have family who have served in the navy, air force, and army. none made careers of it, though i know, in retrospect, they wish they had.

to be very blunt about my own reasons: i have an 8 yr old daughter who lives near me. she is my everything. i want to provide for her the best possible future that i can, and make sure, as every parent does, that her life is better than my own.

i tried my own path for the past 8 years, and though i did very well, that time is now over. given the current state of our economy and the limited opportunities available in my area, the military is by far my best option. not only will i gain invaluable training in whatever rating i try for, i will have job security, an enormous sense of pride in serving the country that i love so much, and setting myself up for a transition into a civilian career many years from now that will allow me to provide for my daughter to the level at which she deserves.

if you or anyone misinterpreted or took offense, that was not my intention.

Even if you had been below the age limit for Nuke, you have to have taken Calculus and Calc-based Physics. Whether you did or not, I don't know but that's not an option now, so no big deal.

There is nothing wrong with looking at the military as a career option, however take heed to what Duke and Flyboyd said as they are spot on. I'm sure whatever board you will apply to will not want to hear about you using the Navy, essentially as a stepping stone, to form a prolific career afterwards.

Just my own advice about this website. AW has a shitton of VERY VERY valuable information and there are MANY officers on here in all areas and of all ages that can give you great advice, and who are more than willing to give you advice or their opinion. One thing I've learned is that they will NOT sugarcoat anything and will be very blunt in their responses. For the most part too, if you say something stupid (as I have before), they WILL call you on it.....many times. Until you get the point.

So don't take offense to anything here, not saying you have. But if you ask, be ready for the absolute honest truth. Too many people get butt hurt by these guys and girls giving honest responses and not patting them on the butt and rubbing their heads telling them its gonna be okay.

Good luck in your endeavors and as blarged also said, "Apply NOW". It sounds like you don't have time to waste, so get your stuff together and apply now.....that's the only way you'll REALLY know what your chances are. Start PT'ing now if you're not in shape. Even if you are, do it anyways. There are great programs that help you, if you want, PM me and I'll send them to ya.

 

[Stearmann4]

OBTW, it is President Bush...it doesn't matter if you like him or not. I am pretty sure you had a pretty big hand in your businesses closing. Stop blaming others for your lack of planning and forsite.

1. See above for my first point. Fortuntely the new administration will start shovelling money your way to save the failing business.

2. If the Navy was your goal what was stopping you from applying? I'm pretty sure you didn't get stop lossed as a civilian.

3. If you do sack up and apply, your immediate goal is just to get accepted regardless of career field. You can negotiate options once you find out if you're qualified or not.

If that doesn't appeal to you, than you may be placing more emphasis on a particular job (of which you'll be dissapointed if you don't get it) rather than being a Naval officer.

MR-

 

[eckloss]

Even if you had been below the age limit for Nuke, you have to have taken Calculus and Calc-based Physics. Whether you did or not, I don't know but that's not an option now, so no big deal.

There is nothing wrong with looking at the military as a career option, however take heed to what Duke and Flyboyd said as they are spot on. I'm sure whatever board you will apply to will not want to hear about you using the Navy, essentially as a stepping stone, to form a prolific career afterwards.

Just my own advice about this website. AW has a shitton of VERY VERY valuable information and there are MANY officers on here in all areas and of all ages that can give you great advice, and who are more than willing to give you advice or their opinion. One thing I've learned is that they will NOT sugarcoat anything and will be very blunt in their responses. For the most part too, if you say something stupid (as I have before), they WILL call you on it.....many times. Until you get the point.

So don't take offense to anything here, not saying you have. But if you ask, be ready for the absolute honest truth. Too many people get butt hurt by these guys and girls giving honest responses and not patting them on the butt and rubbing their heads telling them its gonna be okay.

Good luck in your endeavors and as blarged also said, "Apply NOW". It sounds like you don't have time to waste, so get your stuff together and apply now.....that's the only way you'll REALLY know what your chances are. Start PT'ing now if you're not in shape. Even if you are, do it anyways. There are great programs that help you, if you want, PM me and I'll send them to ya.

now THATS the best reply ive had so far. im not looking for anyone to rub my head. im looking for honesty, advice, and realism. thats why im here. i dont and wont take offense to honest replies. on the contrary, i value them. the navy is something i want to do, for more reasons than i have specified here. but my reasons are my own. i dont feel obligated to explain them to anyone. what i am here for is a simple question: how can those of you who know far better than i help me get into the service. period. im seeking guidance from those who know, just as any student or apprentice would. so CUPike, i thank you.