Enlisted to Officer vs. 'Outside' to Officer

[FMRAM]

Also, if you're going to enlist simply to become an officer: I would say that's a bad reason. You won't really be enlisted, you'll just a short-timer who thinks he's better than his co-workers and wants to climb that ladder out of there ASAP. Those folks aren't well-liked in the enlisted shops.

So true. I have met a couple of guys that fit that description. They have a Bachelors so they think they are entitled to a slot at OCS...it doesn't matter if they are sh!itty NCO's. When the going gets rough they take it upon themselves to remind everyone that they "are" going to OCS. Not saying that the OP falls into "that guy" category though.

This was me when I was going through the rounds of interviews for STA-21.

AT3: Why do you have your dress blues on in the middle of the day?
Me: I'm going to mast.
AT3: WTF seriously?!
Me: Yea, I've been a bad boy.

 

[Uncle Fester]

No STA-21 for me, I've got my Bachelor's already, Interdisciplinary Studies. Reallllly doesn't help much - that's why I'm looking at picking up my math, physics, and basic engineering from nuke school. If they don't take me straight away into OCS that is...

Oh, and, I'm not easily distracted by money. Even large sums of it. Whew. I am however easily distracted by things in the sky.

No no no no, Bad Idea Jeans! You don't need to "pick up math, physics" etc before flight school or OCS, if that's what you're thinking. It does NOT repeat NOT matter what your major was! I'm an instructor at API (first phase of flight school), and I've had students who majored in everything from Physics to Art History.

We. Will. Teach. You. What. You. Need. To. Know. Period.

In fact there's a whole sticky thread on this topic right here.

Trying to go to Nuke school to brush up on your math is like going to BUD/S because you want to lose ten pounds.

 

[JSF_Dreamer]

If you want to be an officer, then be an officer from the start. There are opportunities to become an officer after you enlist (i.e. LDO or Warrant Officer), but those aren't at all guaranteed. Plus it takes time.

There are certain jobs in the navy that going in as enlisted helps your chances of getting such as SEALs (very challenging to get in as an officer due to so few spots open each year and the competitiveness of the applicants).

My dad dropped out of high school, went in to the navy at 17, eventually made it to E-6, was runner-up for Sailor of the Year for the West Coast and picked up LDO that same year and then went to graduate top of his class at OCS (he is my hero... sorry if that's sappy) and now he is a LT going up for LTCDR this next year I think.

So, obviously it's possible to do. But even though it's possible, if it is your goal to become an officer, then you should go in as an officer except for certain parts of the Navy.

If your goal is to fly in the Navy, then there is really no question on whether you should go to OCS first or not. It's commendable that you want to know what you're talking about when you're in command of personnel, but going straight in as an officer you will be able to learn most anything you need to know. And for those things that you don't know, you have the respect for your personnel to know who and how to ask things of people who know better.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[nebekerb]

Trying to go to Nuke school to brush up on your math is like going to BUD/S because you want to lose ten pounds.

Well I have been looking to drop some extra pounds. Maybe I should switch from SNA to SEALS

 

[skim]

I myself have been considering enlisting before I become an Officer because I'd rather be an Officer to men and women whose jobs I understand

I don't buy that better Officers are priors. Just like OCS is better than ROTC or etc. Its all dependent on the person. A tool is a tool no matter the background. If you have any sort of people skills, empathy or understanding, you can learn the people you work for, and as their DIVO, the jobs they do. Will you ever know as much as them, most likely not. But thats not your job. You are there to manage, but always be willing to give them a hand when needed.

 

[jbuck387]

Take my advise, I'm a prior enlisted guy who just got selected STA-21. I always wanted to be an officer, and applied ROTC Scholarship, and USNA but didnt get selected. So I enlisted, enlisted life is not a cake walk. Going STA-21 is a vert hard and drawn out process and most do not get selected the first time. I had to work extremely hard for 3 years to get close to being competitive for STA-21, we're talking working 12 hours or more most days, and doing 9-12 credit hours of college at the same time. If I could go back I would have gone to college and gone ROTC. Now me, I got lucky and got picked up very early in my career. If you have any questions about going enlisted to officer I'll be happy to answer them, but I recommend going to college , and doing ROTC.

 

[phrogpilot73]

I don't buy that better Officers are priors.

Case in point - PSW's command just shit-canned a STA-21 Ens for sexual harassment of a young enlisted girl...

 

[bunk22]

I don't buy that better Officers are priors.

That's good because it's BS. Same with Officer who are non priors are better. There isn't any one trait or prior experience that defines who will make a better O.

On a different note, one of my biggest pet peeves is those giving advice who haven't BTDT to give that advice. My point is, officers...probably those with some experience...are best suited to give it. Otherwise, well, you know.

 

[brownshoe]

That's good because it's BS. Same with Officer who are non priors are better. There isn't any one trait or prior experience that defines who will make a better O.

On a different note, one of my biggest pet peeves is those giving advice who haven't BTDT to give that advice. My point is, officers...probably those with some experience...are best suited to give it. Otherwise, well, you know.

Yeah, no shit. I was working the deck on a ‘qual’ and this LDO in my squadron was giving me a hard time about a shoeshine. Here I was, working all kinds of hours, trying to get about 10 pilots ‘qualed’ and I’m getting crap about my shoes.

Well, a brownshoe officer took the LDO aside and explained a few things. I never saw the LDO in the ready room after that. Needless to say, I didn’t shine my fight deck boondockers either.

Then on the other side of the coin, well, I served with some great officers who were prior enlisted.

Steve

 

[jbuck387]

Being prior enlisted isn't being anointed by god. There are good and bad officer both prior enlisted and not. It's all in the person, anyone can be a shithead!

 

[Flash]

So true. I have met a couple of guys that fit that description. They have a Bachelors so they think they are entitled to a slot at OCS...it doesn't matter if they are sh!itty NCO's. When the going gets rough they take it upon themselves to remind everyone that they "are" going to OCS. Not saying that the OP falls into "that guy" category though.

Or you could be a great NCO and candidate for STA-21 then go wreck an SUV with a couple squadron buddies and get MAST'd out of any officer program for a while.

No, it wasn't FMRAM.

This was me when I was going through the rounds of interviews for STA-21.

AT3: Why do you have your dress blues on in the middle of the day?
Me: I'm going to mast.
AT3: WTF seriously?!
Me: Yea, I've been a bad boy.

I don't think he would have believed STA-21, I am not sure anyone would have.

 

[Mumbles]

Plenty of Great O's w/ no formal training or prior enlistment. Like this guy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Chamberlain

 

[eyes2theskies]

! I can't even read two posts without laughing - or at least a fat grin - you guys have mad jokes. I love it. Your opinions are good input too, thank you.

You. Will. Train. Me.
I. Will. Kick. A$$. Period.
Got it.

Yeah, I'd probably look at being a SEAL too if they'd let me. That's almost as awesome as it gets. ...We still know who's the NAwesomest though.

Man, they should name a moustache style after Joshua Chamberlain. "Is that a dead rat hanging out of his mouth? Oh... oh, no, it's just his moustache." For real though, he continued heroism even after his Medal of Honor, I say he deserves at LEAST that moustache named after him...

 

[EM1toNFO]

I personally knew one and know of one other. But like SEALs becoming pilots, it is very rare.

I don't know of many Nuke E's to Pilot, BUT.... Myself along with 4 others from my electrical divison on a big deck (USS IKE) all got picked up for STA-21 NFO. One in FY-07, 3 including myself in FY-08, and one in FY-09.

This is from the same division, from the same ship that we were all on from 00'-06' give or take a year. Out of ~100 personnel that were there during those times as well. We were shipyard bubbas too!!! (IKE got refueled from Feb 01' to July 05')

So, IT DOES HAPPEN... Quite often I might add.

 

[picklesuit]

I've got 2 prior-E Nukes in my class at VP-30...plus a smattering of other prior-E's (I think we make up about 1/3 the class)...we are no better/worse than the non-priors, we just have an easier time finding our way around the base sometimes...