BOOST Questions

[STA-21-INTEL]

I am set to commence the STA-21 process AUG 23 and I have been looking for information about BOOST. I have found quite a bit (mostly on this forum) about NSI, but very little about BOOST. I get married the week before reporting to Newport (not ideal, I know) and will be attending the six month program (followed by NSI, obviously). Any information about academics, PT, liberty, etc is greatly appreciated. Any useful info for my wife from those who have been through it would also be benficial.

By the way, my name is IS2(AW) Zachary Hill. Anyone else starting the program at the same time?

 

[KimberlyD]

Is your wife on your orders? Be sure of that so that you can get housing with her. The housing isn't the best, I think they told us it was 600 something square feet but we measured & it was more like 550. It's a 2 BR apartment with a kitchen, 1 bath & a LR. Your washer & dryer actually go in your kitchen (it's not eat in or anything) & the few people we know who didn't put their DR table into storage, put it in the LR & that just made that room smaller. Ask for a downstairs unit so that you get the added bonus of having a yard, as small as it is, sometimes it comes in handy. As far as the BOOST section goes, most of the guys go home for lunch really quick & it's a pretty structured time, I think he went in around 6 (PT usually), lunch around 11 or so & he was usually home around 4 or 5 for the day. The guys in our building (4 apartments per building) normally got together to study & watch Mail Call at one of the apartments. Liberty usually occurred on the weekends, sometimes they made everyone who was leaving housing or the base sign out, sometimes they didn't care. One weekend they made everyone wear their uniforms when leaving the base, a couple of them decided that noone would catch them in Warwick & it turns out that the instructors went to Warwick & ran into them at Smokey Bones restaurant! There isn't much to do there, I got really into couponing & the activities that the ASYMCA offers. Most of the wives meet up at the thrift store on base & that's how everyone meets each other. Also, if your wife isn't planning to work while she's there, NMCRS is always looking for volunteers so that's a great way to fill up time. Most of the time, on the weekends when there was free time, everyone would head to Warwick, RI (over the bridge, buy the roll of tokens the first time you go over, it's cheaper & you'll be constantly going over that bridge) or to Massachusetts. Most of us avoided Providence, it's a very dirty city with very little to offer. My family is in RI so that made the time easier for me but a couple of the wives ended up going home as much as they could. Let me know if you need any more info or if you want specifics. I have some friends who still live there & can show your wife around if you would like. It was a good experience overall, we became good friends with the people in the same apartment building as ours & while it wasn't terribly exciting, it was nice.

 

[STA-21-INTEL]

Thanks for the info. To continue...

My wife is not yet on my orders (because we get married en route) but housing is arranged already and I am fairly confidant from my conversations with the housing dept up there that it will go smoothly. They are doing it differently this cycle, putting all accompanied STA-21 people in the "Company grade officers" housing. I don't recall the name of the area, but I do recall it is 3 bedroom. I don't know why they upgraded us, but I'm not complaining!

From what you saw of your husband's studying, how difficult was the academic program. Do you know what the usual PT routine was?

My wife is hoping to work (currently finisheing a second degree in early childhood development from Univ. of Alabama) and applied for work at the YMCA there. Do many of the wives work? Difficult to find employers due to short term?

 

[STA-21-INTEL]

I double checked the housing, they are putting us in the Melville (unrenovated) 3 bedroom units.

Another question: How long is the commute to NYC?

 

[KimberlyD]

Melville is good housing, that's where I originally thought we would be placed (I lived there when my Dad was in SWOS & Dept Head) but nope, we ended up with terrible housing! Congratulations though, life in Melville will be so much nicer! Make sure to familiarize yourself with the Defense Highway as a way to travel to work, it will make the commute so much shorter. We went to Long Island a few times while there & based upon that, I think we normally hit the city after ab 2 1/2 hours but I'm not sure exactly what borough you're aiming for. Usually for PT, they ran. They ran outside & inside a gym (they hated running in the gym) occasionally. They did push ups & pull ups & sit ups & swam a couple of times. Most qualified for swimming while there. The academics weren't so bad. More often than not the guys would all be stressing out & making great grades with no problems! Did your wife apply to the local civilian YMCA or to the ASYMCA?

 

[STA-21-INTEL]

How far is the housing from the BOOST?

My wife applied to the civilian YMCA for work, not familiar with the ASYMCA. I am trying to prepare her for what is to come (in RI) but I honestly don't know myself. Any words of wisdom as far as how much time you had together while there vice he was either in class or studying. I want to be able to calm her, yet prepare her too. I know this is sort of an open ended question, but I'm new to this too!

Did you know any Intel folks going through the program with your husband? Anyone going to University of Memphis for follow on?

 

[kray1395]

Well, if it counts I was a 1998 graduate of BOOST and went to Memphis afterwards. I was there for 5 years. I know the current staff there so maybe I can answer some of your questions. Also any questions you might have about the engineering school I might be able to answer.

 

[zilber]

The BOOST program is great. I went through it in 1999-2000. My friends and I had a blast there. The school work is not too hard, but you just have to do it. You can go home for lunch. The housing is not that far. Newport is great, and 50 minutes away you have Boston. Best of luck.

 

[STA-21-INTEL]

My wife anf I plan on only taking one car up there. Will that be an issue (ie we had hoped housing would be walking distance to where I would be going to class so she could use the car)?

Kray- what was your overall impression of UofM? The NROTC unit? Any tips? I will be an International Studies major (I'm an Intel type)

 

[KimberlyD]

You aren't walking distance, that's for sure! Melville is the farthest of the housing complexes, there's Melville, Green Lane, Fort Adams & then the one we lived in. I would say it's ab 10 miles fr Melville to the BOOST class area but especially during the winter, it's too dangerous to think ab biking or walking along the Defense Highway. During the summer it isn't bad, my Dad did it to SWOS when we were there & I rode my bike along it during the summer with my daughter but definitely a no-no fr ab October until April. The school work is not the problem with this program, it's the changes that occur in you as a person. Our marriage is strong with absolutely no problems (I occassionally ask him if it's time for a cruise when he's annoying me but we're okay). We know people who went to BOOST at the same time & now after ab a year, the husband has pledged a fraternity, gotten rid of his wife & kids & taken up with some college sophomore! It wasn't the amount of homework or any of that, it was just the opportunity to have something different, be prepared for that & work on your marriage. This is going to probably be the only time that for 3 straight years, you can go home to your wife every night & see your children (when you have some) every day. 2 of the couples we know who are getting divorced are doing it just b/c they found (when actually around each other) that they can't stand each other so some of the divorce rate is due to that type of thing also. Also, as far as how your BOOST program is handled, I would like to think that everything we complained ab while there has been fixed so it won't be something you'll run into (since they changed the housing, I guess they listened!). We only went out on weekends b/c of the studying & then we usually went as far away fr the base as possible. I can tell you ab wonderful out of the way things to do & see there but I can't tell you what it's going to be exactly like, I didn't go through the program, I was just the wife. I hope that you enjoy your time there & I'm glad that you're getting nicer housing but I honestly think I've reached the limit of my knowledge. The ASYMCA is the Armed Services YMCA & Sonya is the director, her e-mail is newportasymca@earthlink.net. The website for the ASYMCA is www.asymca.org. Good luck!

 

[STA-21-INTEL]

GREAT GOUGE Navywife, thanks alot. I've already done the college fraternity thing (previous time at Georgia Tech) so I doubt that will be an issue, but appreciate the heads up. As far as a car goes, guess I'll just hope to meet my neighbors and maybe start a carpool!

 

[STA-21-INTEL]

Several people have mentioned in other threads about taking a PRT as soon as reporting to NSI. Do they do that for BOOST as well?

 

[KimberlyD]

STA-21-INTEL, I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with fraternities, but a lot of these guys are more interested in their frat than in their Naval career. A couple of them have taken to wearing chains around their wrists to identify with their frat brothers, they've even pushed it so far as to wear these chains while in their uniforms. I really didn't mean it the way I guess you took it. I'm sorry.

 

[STA-21-INTEL]

Not at all Navywife, no offense taken at all, honest. I was only saying that I had gone that route before and had it out of my system. I value my time in my fraternity, but I'm sort of past that now. I honestly didn't read any negative emotion into what you wrote.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

I went through BOOST the first year it was in Newport, back in 94-95. Actually, I was the first guy to report in....it was in June or July I believe. Nothing....and I mean nothing, had been set up. Barracks were missing racks, matresses, desks, lockers. The classrooms had no chairs. Books had to be moved. Nimitz Hall was discustingly filthy. Yep, as soon as I arrived, they (and they = a Master Chief) put my ass to work. Thankfully other students started rolling in a couple weeks later. But even still most of the work was done by a handful of us who thought we should show up early.

That first year that BOOST was in RI was completely new for everyone. The instructors were new, class advisors were new...every thing. And of course, we went for the full 10 months, but now it is completely different. When I was in SWOS a few years back, I stopped by to see if some of the same instructors were still there...and they were, to my surprise.

But enjoy your time there. You'll make a lot of friends that you'll probably be stationed with later on. I still run into guys I was there with. It's kind of neat to see how everyone turns out.