Leaving My OR for a New One

[CampB]

When I started this I was a 28 year old female who, by virtue of being 28 years old and having life experience had baggage. Not a lot, but baggage happens as we get older.

I have the utmost respect for ORs that do a good job. I do also have some first hand knowledge of a recruiter who was just outright terrible at the job. That being said, applying to become a Naval Officer is not like applying for a civilian job. In that world you expect to hear back within a few days. You can follow up with the HR office and generally know within 2-6 weeks if you have been offered a job. For the Navy? Don't expect ANYTHING to happen quickly. In my case, it was almost 18 months and 8 days from the day I made first contact with my recruiter to the day that my husband swore me in as an ENS. In those 18 months I underwent multiple requests for information from the OR, interviews, a MEDREAD, MEPS (technically twice since the first time they cancelled my appt and never told me! lol) and a whole slew of other hoops through which I needed to jump. For now just relax and keep on doing what needs to be done. Get your transcripts from ALL schools together, get all medical records together, start talking to current and former employers to get recommendations/proof of employment, start getting in better shape, start working on your motivational statement, keep working on your tattoo removal. There is a lot you can do while your recruiter does what she needs to do. Give her a break and don't call every day. Trust me, it just pisses them off.

Thank you so much for replying. Did it take so long for you because of your age at which you started the whole process? Would you tell me about the interviews? I wasn't aware that an interview was part of the process. When do I do it, with whom, for what?
Oh, and I don't harass my OR - I've learned I need to be patient and just do my part the best I can.

 

[CampB]

Because the neck is an automatic DQ and she is probably hoping you would hear that and go way.

The question you need to ask is has her CO ever waivered a person with the other ones you have, if the answer is no then you have choices to make.

Oh, I understand. She also said since my 29th bday is fast approaching, I should just enlist and start an officer packet while enlisted (after getting my tattoos removed). Would you mind giving me some insight on how this process would work?

 

[PenguinGal]

Thank you so much for replying. Did it take so long for you because of your age at which you started the whole process? Would you tell me about the interviews? I wasn't aware that an interview was part of the process. When do I do it, with whom, for what?
Oh, and I don't harass my OR - I've learned I need to be patient and just do my part the best I can.

I don't think my age had much to do with the time it took. The timing went something like this: Feb 2012 met with recruiter and starting putting package together. June 2012 got scheduled for MEPS, cancelled due to needing a MEDREAD. October 2012, MEDREAD comes back I go to MEPS. Package submitted in November 2012. Board met April 2013. PRO-REC Y in May 2013, COMDOCS August 2013.

One thing I probably should have mentioned is that I was a direct commission into the Civil Engineer Corps of the US Navy Reserve. I did not go to OCS and I am not active duty. For my community I was required to have interviews with current SELRES CEC officers. I don't know what, if any other, communities require interviews. The interviews were actually kind of fun. I met with 3 officers on an individual basis. With 2 of them we met at their offices and talked for about an hour. The third, we met at a coffee shop and chatted for almost 2 hours. I am still in touch with that last one!

Good luck. Like I said, use the time waiting on your recruiter to be productive. There is a lot you can do so that you are ready for the OR when she gets back to you. Read through these boards and learn as much as you can. Talk to current and former officers if you can. Just remember that what was true a few years ago in recruiting is not the case now. What is the case now will not be the case in a few years. The process and policies are constantly evolving and so be prepared for things to change. This includes WHILE you are working on your application. Semper gumby and all that....

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Oh, I understand. She also said since my 29th bday is fast approaching, I should just enlist and start an officer packet while enlisted (after getting my tattoos removed). Would you mind giving me some insight on how this process would work?

If you want to be an officer then no, do not enlist, the same tattoo screening for officers is for enlisted, if you would be over the age limit for certain designators as a civilian you will still be over the age limit as an enlisted person since you won't have accumulated the enlisted time to be waiver eligible.

 

[CampB]

I don't think my age had much to do with the time it took. The timing went something like this: Feb 2012 met with recruiter and starting putting package together. June 2012 got scheduled for MEPS, cancelled due to needing a MEDREAD. October 2012, MEDREAD comes back I go to MEPS. Package submitted in November 2012. Board met April 2013. PRO-REC Y in May 2013, COMDOCS August 2013.

One thing I probably should have mentioned is that I was a direct commission into the Civil Engineer Corps of the US Navy Reserve. I did not go to OCS and I am not active duty. For my community I was required to have interviews with current SELRES CEC officers. I don't know what, if any other, communities require interviews. The interviews were actually kind of fun. I met with 3 officers on an individual basis. With 2 of them we met at their offices and talked for about an hour. The third, we met at a coffee shop and chatted for almost 2 hours. I am still in touch with that last one!

Good luck. Like I said, use the time waiting on your recruiter to be productive. There is a lot you can do so that you are ready for the OR when she gets back to you. Read through these boards and learn as much as you can. Talk to current and former officers if you can. Just remember that what was true a few years ago in recruiting is not the case now. What is the case now will not be the case in a few years. The process and policies are constantly evolving and so be prepared for things to change. This includes WHILE you are working on your application. Semper gumby and all that....

Many thanks for your help.

 

[CampB]

If you want to be an officer then no, do not enlist, the same tattoo screening for officers is for enlisted, if you would be over the age limit for certain designators as a civilian you will still be over the age limit as an enlisted person since you won't have accumulated the enlisted time to be waiver eligible.

I see... thank you. Just seems like I need to sit tight until I pass my ASTB/OAR with flying colors, pray, and stay prepared.

 

[Renegade One]

Thanks for the info. Is that just because they're more in need of SWO than officers for Intel or Supply?

I don't know community sizes or annual accession numbers by fiscal year, but I would guess that the totality of need for Unrestricted Line Officers (Aviation/Surface/Submarine/SPECWAR) always trumps the same for all other Restricted Line or Staff Corps communities combined (let's discount all the Medical types…huge organization with special skill-set needs…). By how much? No idea…maybe 4-5 to 1?

 

[CampB]

I don't know community sizes or annual accession numbers by fiscal year, but I would guess that the totality of need for Unrestricted Line Officers (Aviation/Surface/Submarine/SPECWAR) always trumps the same for all other Restricted Line or Staff Corps communities combined (let's discount all the Medical types…huge organization with special skill-set needs…). By how much? No idea…maybe 4-5 to 1?

Noted additional info, Renegade. Thanks.

 

[MIDNJAC]

You're trying to get into a business where everything matters. Your peers will scrutinize everything you do, give you a high five when you deserve one, and then mercilessly mock you for doing something else in the same breath. Sound dumb on the radio? You're going to hear about it. Have a stupid myspace type profile pic? You're going to hear about it. How do you think callsigns are made? Most likely because you did something stupid, or your name has some type of joke associated with it. You either take it in stride or you eventually flush out.

As a related aside, my fleet callsign is/was directly related to the fact that I have a billion AW posts

 

[BusyBee604]

....my fleet callsign is/was directly related to the fact that I have a million trillion AW posts

OK, what is your c/s, the world wonders (or maybe it's only me)?
BzB

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

OK, what is your c/s, the world wonders (or maybe it's only me)?
BzB

seconded

 

[BusyBee604]

seconded

You'll probably have one of these, with your callsign in the middle, when you get to your Fleet Squadron. We couldn't paint our c/s on the pilot name panel back in the day, like they do now. Don't know why, but it wasn't because of PC which didn't even exist back then, thank heavens!

BzB

 

[robav8r]

Coupla things…they probably all fall into the "tough love" category:

1. Only a few days ago? Christ on a crutch…we've got people on this forum who have been working the issues for many, many months…who died and made you Princess Diana?
2. Not sure why you think your OR couldn't care less…unless you're carrying the usual baggage from a 28 year old tattooed female who has attended no less than five…count 'em…FIVE…colleges to amass an undergrad degree in something.
3. I like ORs…they have a demanding and challenging job, and I think they're "judged" on how well they manage to get folks into the program. Yes…being "judged" is a HUGE part of Naval service. But I don't frankly think any OR is as interested in your Naval service as you should be…much the same as you don't give a crap about hers. One of my favorite Naval dictums: "Your Detailer cares as much about your career as you do about his/hers."
4. Don't know what to say about your ink, except: "What we do in life…echoes in eternity!" ~ Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor.
5. "It's been a day since she sent me the waiver application…but she has yet to confirm receipt.": Um…what can I say except sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up for a bit.

Everything in your post tells me you are NOT the kind of person we're looking for in the Naval Officer Corps. But I've been wrong before.

The system works…if it ain't good enough or fast enough for you…so sorry…we have a rich pool of eminently qualified folks without chips on their tattooed shoulders who are humbly "waiting for the system to show positive movement".

R1 - this is the funniest damn post I have ever read from you ! I Almost spit up my coffee on the keyboard this morning reading it, nice work

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

As an Officer Recruiter, I was going to weigh in my take but Renegade One hit the nail on that one. First and foremost, email has been down for most ORs the past week or so. Anyone else who uses NMCI can feel my pain.

Second, right now there's a ton of due dates coming up for boards, Intel/IW/IP is due on Monday and several more are due around Thanksgiving and before the Holidays. Now that SWO/PILOT/NFO boards are rolling, ORs (or at least my team) are rushing to get these packages in before they get closed for the Fiscal Year. Customer service is key as an OR and you never want to be the guy who calls their applicant to let them know we couldn't get their kit in on time because we mismanaged our time/priorities.

Third, many ORs have additional duties outside of officer recruiting or even recruiting in general. Some folks are Legal Officers who must handle legal issues within the command. For the officer ORs, they are more than likely Division Officers as well and are responsible for the enlisted side of recruiting.

Fourth, us ORs have lives too! We have medical appointments, we have to take care of our families, and we take leave here and there. There's sea duty, shore duty, and recruiting duty and every now and then we like to take time off to relax.

Fifth, which might be the most important is your tattoo situation. You have a tattoo on your neck which is a DQ for service. Your OR is more than likely busy working with QUALIFIED applicants than to deal with someone who isn't even qualified. If someone like you walked into my office, I'd simply give you some handouts on officer programs and tell you until you get that tattoo removed there's nothing much we can do. Anything more than that is wasting your time and of course wasting the OR's time.

Looking at your initial post, all I see is ME, ME, and of course ME. It looks like you're thinking what the Navy could do for you as opposed to what you can do for the Navy. The ME people aren't the people I want in MY wardroom and those who are currently in the fleet I'm sure more than agree with that.

 

[707guy]

OK, what is your c/s, the world wonders (or maybe it's only me)?
BzB

seconded

I'll throw in a "thirded..."