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BDCP Full
- Thread starter Tatenko
- Start date
Who is saying this? Did you happen to search this site before asking this question? I'm sure if you looked around here you would find your answer quite easily and quickly...
O.k... You realize that it isn't really a gateway into OCS. You are accepted into the Navy through the DEP and paid while you attend school. You attend the same OCS as DA people. You don't do anything "special" for BDCP so it really isn't a gateway. The boards are the gateway! They either say you are in or you are out... They select people for DA or BDCP.
Well isnt there some sort of advantage to going through with BDCP? Doesnt it guarantee you a spot into OCS?
I have searched around the board about BDCP and it looks like some people are mentioning how the Navy isnt accepting applicants for future years because of how full everything is
I have searched around the board about BDCP and it looks like some people are mentioning how the Navy isnt accepting applicants for future years because of how full everything is
GreenLantern330
Active Member
The only advantage to BDCP is that you get paid while you're still in school. Some will argue that with the current state of things, those who are in BDCP are more safe with their pro-recs than those going DA to OCS because Big Navy has already invested money in them whereas those going DA have nothing but just time spent on the application process invested in them.
well there is time served, and potentially ENS 2 year pay. oh yeah, and a lot of stored leave... no biggy
When considering BDCP applicants the board is filling quotas as much as three years out. Some designators (career fields) in some years will be filled and others won't. Typically, the following fiscal year would be filled by now or shortly. So you could hear talk about BDCP being closed but it depends on what you are applying for and when you will graduate. No one should make a decision based on what a friend tells him or he reads on the internet. Go see a recruiter and present your case. Oh, and things change, literally, overnight in the OCS/RDCP numbers game.
Something not mentioned when talking about the BDCP program in this thread is you are committed to the Navy before you even get to OCS. You take the money, the Navy owns you. You quit college or fail out, you go to sea as an enlisted guy.
Something not mentioned when talking about the BDCP program in this thread is you are committed to the Navy before you even get to OCS. You take the money, the Navy owns you. You quit college or fail out, you go to sea as an enlisted guy.
According my my OR, BDCP has been completely discontinued for the indefinite future and all DA slots for everything except Nuke are full through FY 2013
Seen this sentiment a few times. I strongly disagree.
People tend to see BDCP as "free money". It's not. It's a recruitment tool. The Navy didn't implement it because they wanted college kids to have a good time. They wanted to attract a certain kind of recruit. The CIA has a similar program.
Applicants and those accepted should feel fortunate. But it's not charity. They are making a commitment and agreeing to perform a service. The military is paying them for that service.
And there's a reason. They prefer math and technical degrees. They have a hard time getting them. A lot of government jobs don't pay top dollar, with military aviation being a notable exception. Most math, computer science, and engineering majors can earn more elsewhere. From a recruitment point of view, it's hard to attract the people you want if you're offering less money and a more restricted lifestyle than they can find elsewhere.
Bottom Line:
All about supply and demand. Right now, they have a bunch of poor people with nothing else to do breaking down their doors trying to get in.
Due to the economy, the anticipated military draw down over the next few years, and political pressure over the budget, the military is cutting BDCP because they're seeing more recruits than they need. Which is fine. But I think BDCP gets singled out more than similar programs (ROTC, STA-21, the NUPOC program, and, arguably the MGIB) because people think recruits don't "earn" their pay until they've spent time on active duty. This is bullshit. In absolute terms, I think there are certainly arguments to be made that BDCP is less expensive than other programs yet yields similar results. And while other programs are often duplicates of each other, BDCP is unique in reaching out to college students 1/2 way through school who may not attend a University with ROTC.