FY15 IDC DCO Boards

[exNavyOffRec]

I'm obviously new here, so as I don't know what the F I'm talking about, have a few questions for the DCO process vets.

Just had my first DCO (1835) interview for the September (?) board. Three interviews, one was the pre-screen security with the JRIC CPO, one with the OPSO (full active duty LCDR), and one with the board (2 CDRs, 1 LCDR-JRIC OIC). The OPSO was really pushing me hard before the interview to consider going straight active through full OCS and quoted a "less than 10% DCO selection rate for intel" figure as the lynchpin for his side of the pre-screen interview.

Everything I've ever seen in terms of data (some of it here) has put intel selections in the IDC the last 5 years or so at between 20-30%, though I've never seen the data parsed out to show how many applicants there are per field to check the data, how many are active, etc. I could be totally wrong on that, though. Also, he said said DCO was strictly a reserve thing. That it false, yes? I get the sales job to go active vs. reserve (as I've been in the Navy twice before on active duty), but he more or less stated that the panel was going to pump up my chances and to not really listen to that.

The panel confirmed how competitive the field was, but they didn't push the same way at all towards active duty vs. reserve, they only probed to see if I was really committed by asking if I would apply again if denied and whether I'd consider an enlisted role while I work the angles (which I definitely will).

I get that it's highly competitive and that I have a contested 3 point shot at the buzzer to get selected, but I left feeling like I did really well with the panel and got neural marketed for active duty by the OPSO. If anybody has anything on any portion of the above, I appreciate it. Good luck to anybody else that's interviewing for the next cycle, and if we don't make it, just get more competitive and bug the shit out of them until they say "yes".

DCO is just for reserves

active Intel via OCS is a low selection rate as well, average of say 10%, seen one where it was down to 3%

I would help out if you let us know your certifications, job experience, degree, GPA, etc..

 

[bryanteagle6]

also, I would argue that most of the ppl that end up getting picked up for reserves have the drive and determination needed to succeed or get selected on the active duty end, they just are too old or already have an established civilian career that they "don't want to walk away from" (or family). maybe the officer was pushing active duty because he thought you would be great! Reserves vs AD have a whole different training schedule etc. in the navy IDC. If AD is an option - id say go for it.

 

[CVIC Lurker]

DCO is just for reserves

active Intel via OCS is a low selection rate as well, average of say 10%, seen one where it was down to 3%

I would help out if you let us know your certifications, job experience, degree, GPA, etc..

Right, but isn't the pool of candidates and board that makes selection determinations for both active and reserve commission applications the same? My confusion about the selection % is that I've always seen active (OCS) and reserve (DCO) listed as one pool and then the %s are taken from that instead of separately. From what I understand (and I never submitted a package as an active duty serviceman) the programs and packages you have to submit are almost identical with the exception of the variables that determine the quotas and the school that selectees must complete once selected (20 weeks OCS vs. 2 weeks DCOIC). If that is incorrect, I'd appreciate any details.

I'll be getting back in the reserves as an enlisted IS in the meantime either way (as soon as I can get verification that it won't affect that status of my SCO package) since I have to wait until September / October for a yes or no from Millington on this, but here are my basic details:

6 years total prior Navy service (5 active, 1 IRR, 8+ year service gap since 2006) as an IS-USS NIMITZ / CENTCOM for one year including Iraq attached to a SOCOM shop in Baghdad
9 years as an intelligence analyst (private contractor) for CENTCOM HQ, JSOC, NASIC, and JIOWC / AFISRA
BA Intelligence Studies (Criminal Intelligence) 3.5 GPA
Active TS/SCI

I fully expect that I'll have to submit again simply due to the competitiveness of the field in general, which is fine, but comms with my recruiter in terms of getting the questions above answered have been kind of spotty. I've had to do some of my own research (somebody posted a list of panel questions somewhere here that was just about spot on), so thought I'd ask about this stuff to see what anybody might know. Thanks to anybody for any tips.

 

[CVIC Lurker]

also, I would argue that most of the ppl that end up getting picked up for reserves have the drive and determination needed to succeed or get selected on the active duty end, they just are too old or already have an established civilian career that they "don't want to walk away from" (or family). maybe the officer was pushing active duty because he thought you would be great! Reserves vs AD have a whole different training schedule etc. in the navy IDC. If AD is an option - id say go for it.

I'm going to be moving forward on this on all fronts. Joining the reserves as enlisted for now granted it doesn't affect my current DCO package, making myself more competitive (probably with some certs like CISSP and the like), and looking into whether or not my sea / shore rotation (I'm due for shore) from prior service would still be relevant for active enlisted where I could submit for OCS.

The last part is important, because my wife is okay with moving and loves traveling, but I'm not real sure about going back to the at-sea intel community where I'd inevitably be gone for 6+ months at a time every other year due to deployment schedules (like battle groups are prone to do) before we met would be a real good call. Getting a commission is a big priority, but so are getting back in the USN intel community officer or enlisted and finding a way to put some training wheels on the transition to find the right work / life balance.

I've been gone from the Navy for 8+ years, so I knew some of the game going in, but my questions about the pushing of AD was because from the moment I walked into the NOSC, they pushed AD instead of Reserve. Same with the interview with the AD OPSO before the interview, and to a lesser extent the panel itself. I'm just not sure what is a sales job at this point to get an active selection for numbers and what's sincere advice. I thought I had a great interview with the panel (some of whom remembered my face from briefly drilling with the unit so I could go to Iraq back in late 03), but just wondered about their intent and whether or not any part of my experience might sound familiar to somebody else.

Thanks either way!

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Right, but isn't the pool of candidates and board that makes selection determinations for both active and reserve commission applications the same? My confusion about the selection % is that I've always seen active (OCS) and reserve (DCO) listed as one pool and then the %s are taken from that instead of separately. From what I understand (and I never submitted a package as an active duty serviceman) the programs and packages you have to submit are almost identical with the exception of the variables that determine the quotas and the school that selectees must complete once selected (20 weeks OCS vs. 2 weeks DCOIC). If that is incorrect, I'd appreciate any details.

I'll be getting back in the reserves as an enlisted IS in the meantime either way (as soon as I can get verification that it won't affect that status of my SCO package) since I have to wait until September / October for a yes or no from Millington on this, but here are my basic details:

6 years total prior Navy service (5 active, 1 IRR, 8+ year service gap since 2006) as an IS-USS NIMITZ / CENTCOM for one year including Iraq attached to a SOCOM shop in Baghdad
9 years as an intelligence analyst (private contractor) for CENTCOM HQ, JSOC, NASIC, and JIOWC / AFISRA
BA Intelligence Studies (Criminal Intelligence) 3.5 GPA
Active TS/SCI

I fully expect that I'll have to submit again simply due to the competitiveness of the field in general, which is fine, but comms with my recruiter in terms of getting the questions above answered have been kind of spotty. I've had to do some of my own research (somebody posted a list of panel questions somewhere here that was just about spot on), so thought I'd ask about this stuff to see what anybody might know. Thanks to anybody for any tips.

candidate pools are for the most part different, unless a person is eligible to apply for both. The board members are different, the boards are held at different times, and they look at different things.

 

[CVIC Lurker]

candidate pools are for the most part different, unless a person is eligible to apply for both. The board members are different, the boards are held at different times, and they look at different things.

So, with only my designation category in mind (the intel pool) there are different boards that meet at different times of year to make selection determinations, or do you mean that there are just differences generally from job category to job category? It would make sense that supply officers won't be selected by intel officer boards, for example, and vice versa. I know that the one I need be concerned with for intel meets in September, but I'm just trying to work out the disambiguation for AD / reserve as it applies to selection %. What I think I've been reading here when I see "FYX Selection Numbers" seems to be both AD and DCOs lumped in together in that statistic.

 

[HawaiiIDC]

They are absolutely not lumped together. They are two separate boards. They have nothing to do with each other. I am not sure about DCO, but the latest AD March Board recommended only 17% of applicants.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

So, with only my designation category in mind (the intel pool) there are different boards that meet at different times of year to make selection determinations, or do you mean that there are just differences generally from job category to job category? It would make sense that supply officers won't be selected by intel officer boards, for example, and vice versa. I know that the one I need be concerned with for intel meets in September, but I'm just trying to work out the disambiguation for AD / reserve as it applies to selection %. What I think I've been reading here when I see "FYX Selection Numbers" seems to be both AD and DCOs lumped in together in that statistic.

Supply pics supply, and Intel pics Intel.

There is zero connection between AD and reserves in the pool of candidates, board members, everything. If you were reading the numbers that way you were reading it wrong, DCO numbers are on the DCO thread and AD are on the AD thread and they have nothing to do with each other.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

They are absolutely not lumped together. They are two separate boards. They have nothing to do with each other. I am not sure about DCO, but the latest AD March Board recommended only 17% of applicants.

14.5% from what was posted, which was quite high.

 

[CVIC Lurker]

Supply pics supply, and Intel pics Intel.

There is zero connection between AD and reserves in the pool of candidates, board members, everything. If you were reading the numbers that way you were reading it wrong, DCO numbers are on the DCO thread and AD are on the AD thread and they have nothing to do with each other.

Thank you. I get the delineation between the two categories when it comes to selection, but I'd just never actually seen anyone elaborate on the nature of the overall numbers I was reading here (probably because it's obvious to most here, but not to me).

I also may have read some bleed over posts related to AD selections on a DCO thread or something. I tried to address some of these questions to my recruiting team, but their eyes just kind of glazed over when I explained what I was trying to get at. It's obvious there's a lot of things I don't know about how this entire works, which is good intel.

 

[AQ-AT-NAVCIV]

[QUOTE="
I've been gone from the Navy for 8+ years, [/QUOTE]

When I looked into enlisting, the reduction in rank was a huge negative, I've been out for 15 years. I do not know how that works with HYT, but just the reduction in grade ended the conversation. Asked for the OR's number.

 

[Mike Brunda]

Ok, so I was selected in March and just got word will commission in June with a first drill date in August... I was under the impression that there were online courses I'd have to complete between commission and "checking in" in August... I haven't received any answers from my NRD on it and was hoping someone here could point me in the right direction. I have a DoD CaC right now so I was hoping to be able to "lean forward" a little bit and knock it out... Thanks in advance.

 

[Michael Reagan]

Mik

Ok, so I was selected in March and just got word will commission in June with a first drill date in August... I was under the impression that there were online courses I'd have to complete between commission and "checking in" in August... I haven't received any answers from my NRD on it and was hoping someone here could point me in the right direction. I have a DoD CaC right now so I was hoping to be able to "lean forward" a little bit and knock it out... Thanks in advance.

Mike,
If I'm not mistaken the online course are to be complete prior going to the DCOIC school in R.I.

 

[SuperHumanResources]

Mike,
If I'm not mistaken the online course are to be complete prior going to the DCOIC school in R.I.[/QUOTE]

DCOIC has some pre course "recommendations" for NKO course completion. Either complete them before you arrive of you will complete them on your own time at DCOIC. If you have a CAC you can access the Navy Reserve Homeport site for DCOIC. Be sure to select your e mal certification. https://private.navyreserve.navy.mil/coi/DCOIC/prerequisites/Pages/Prerequisites-(NKO).aspx

Here is a great gouge page about DCOIC:https://private.navyreserve.navy.mil/coi/DCOIC/Pages/default.aspx

HR

 

[Mike Brunda]

Awesome. Thanks for the resources. I'm currently an Army/DoD contractor with a CaC card so I'll see if I can access the HOMEPORT site for DCOIC with that and access the courses.