Incentives while in the BDCP?

[Thisguy]

I'm an Ensign and have 4 years in - Extra salty, prior enlisted (BDCP)

That's exactly the kind of shit I'm talking about. You're being paid for being in 4 years, but experience wise? I wouldn't proudly put it that way.

My favorite kind of Ensigns? The ones that get the good conduct medal because they took a year to finish OCS which puts them over the 3-year mark as "enlisted," then they go around wearing that medal and referring to themselves as prior-enlisted. My favorite extreme case? A BDCP guy I worked with who said he was prior-enlisted and his rate was "CS" for "College Student" He was dead serious too.

 

[Dan1550]

And lets not forget USAA and it's all mighty candidate loan. :thumbup_1

What is the USAA candidate loan?

 

[Junkball]

What is the USAA candidate loan?

I believe you show them your pre-commissioning orders to OCS and they give you free money. Or something like that...


It's a loan for officer candidates that are members of the USAA.

Thread

 

[Picaroon]

The only drawback I can see would be the 2 year unrated obligation if you don't make it through OCS, i.e. DOR. I saw several people, granted they were NUPOC, DOR, hit student pool, then pack their bags and head up to Great Lakes for boot camp. I'm not sure if that part of the contract is still in there but it is definitely something you have to think about.

Don't you keep the BDCP money though? In which case... even though I'd much rather become an officer, all enlisted men do at least those 2 years and they didn't get that kind of college money. So even ending up in that situation isn't exactly terrible. You gotta owe the government and the people something after all that free cash.

The worst thing about that I would think would be knowing that you could have been an officer, an aviator, what-have-you... and instead you're cleaning the head

 

[Lobster]

The worst thing about that I would think would be knowing that you could have been an officer, an aviator, what-have-you... and instead you're cleaning the head

All the incentive one needs to "not f#*k it up".

 

[Godspeed]

Don't you keep the BDCP money though? ....So even ending up in that situation isn't exactly terrible. You gotta owe the government and the people something after all that free cash.

The worst thing about that I would think would be knowing that you could have been an officer, an aviator, what-have-you... and instead you're cleaning the head

It is actually terrible (in my opinion), because you will be an undesignated striker(sp), and cannot promote past E-3. This means that you don't have a rate (or a particular job).

I knew someone that DOR'd out of OCS, and just got done doing his 2 years. He described it as unsurmountable hell. ALL HE DID, was the b*tch work that none of the other junior enlisted wanted to do (cleaned heads and chipped paint). The worst part (again, in my opinion), is that you can't work towards anything (a rate, qualification or something to bolster your resume).

Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that it is unthinkable to clean heads or chip paint. Everyone has to start somewhere. But the difference between you and the rest of the enlisted is that they are building a future.

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On a separate note. I recommend waiting on the commissioning loan until you graduate from OCS (or are in the candio phase). There is a clause in the contract somewhere that says that if you don't complete OCS (or get commissioned), the interest rate goes through the roof. It would just suck to get NPQ'd or for some unforseen reason not make it through and be hit with that. If you don't want to wait, at least read the contract before signing away.

 

[navy09]

Isn't undesignated striker an oxymoron? Are you forbidden from striking if you wash out of BDCP? I highly doubt it, just because you're an undesignated seaman doesn't mean you can't try to get into a rate.

 

[Godspeed]

Isn't undesignated striker an oxymoron? Are you forbidden from striking if you wash out of BDCP? I highly doubt it, just because you're an undesignated seaman doesn't mean you can't try to get into a rate.

Read the BDCP contract. It's in there somewhere.... You will serve 2 years as an active duty E-3 undesignated striker. Proof is in the pudding.