Life After Selection

[GordonFreeman]

Hello AirWarriors,

First post! I must say, this site is incredible and proved an essential asset in my pursuance of a BDCP select. Much appreciated!

I've been a proud BDCP'r for over a year now pursuing my BS in Computer Engineering at Cal Poly SLO <ps>Any currents or alumns out there, PM me!</ps>. The program is phenomenal in every way, and I cannot wait to ship off for OCS and API! My recruiter told me I have only three duties in the meantime:
1) Get good grades
2) Don't do drugs
3) Pimp the program

While all have been incredibly easy, I can't help but want to be more involved. I'm technically an active duty E-3, but I feel like I'm not even in the military. Someone asked me the other day what my MOS was and I had no clue what they were talking about...

While I'm certainly enjoying my time in the civilian sector, I've spent so much time earning this career path that it feels odd just sitting back and waiting. I want to get involved! What type of cool military opportunities are out there that I can be taking advantage of? I'm only a short drive from Vandenberg AFB, and I'm sure there's plenty going on in my home town of Sacramento as well. Is it possible to join a unit for a while or something during summer? It'd be nice to learn how to wear a uniform and such :icon_tong

 

[CUPike11]

Hello AirWarriors,

First post! I must say, this site is incredible and proved an essential asset in my pursuance of a BDCP select. Much appreciated!

I've been a proud BDCP'r for over a year now pursuing my BS in Computer Engineering at Cal Poly SLO <ps>Any currents or alumns out there, PM me!</ps>. The program is phenomenal in every way, and I cannot wait to ship off for OCS and API! My recruiter told me I have only three duties in the meantime:
1) Get good grades
2) Don't do drugs
3) Pimp the program

While all have been incredibly easy, I can't help but want to be more involved. I'm technically an active duty E-3, but I feel like I'm not even in the military. Someone asked me the other day what my MOS was and I had no clue what they were talking about...

While I'm certainly enjoying my time in the civilian sector, I've spent so much time earning this career path that it feels odd just sitting back and waiting. I want to get involved! What type of cool military opportunities are out there that I can be taking advantage of? I'm only a short drive from Vandenberg AFB, and I'm sure there's plenty going on in my home town of Sacramento as well. Is it possible to join a unit for a while or something during summer? It'd be nice to learn how to wear a uniform and such :icon_tong

Welcome to the site and congrats on the BDCP selection! Sounds like you are very enthusiastic and that's awesome. However, I would take your recruiters advice and just sit back and enjoy college while its left and getting paid to go to school and nothing more. Nothing wrong with wanting to be more involved, however, don't let that interfere with your grades. Trust me, you'll get more help than you ever wanted from the Marines and Chiefs at OCS about how to wear a uniform. I'd be happy to put you in touch with my gunny from OCS, i'm sure he'd LOVE to talk to you. (Kidding....I would never/could never set someone up like that)

If you really want to talk to some others, maybe your recruiter can set you up to shadow some current AD officers in the area for a day.....

But quite honestly, if I were you, I'd enjoy the free time you have right now, enjoy the bars (if you're of age), chase tail, and continue to enjoy getting paid for school. I'm sure everyone will agree, the Navy WILL make up for this time you are spending right now. You'll be more involved than you can ever possibly imagine once you get on this side haha....enjoy your time man and the rest of college. The rest will come soon enough....

 

[nzachman]

^^^Agreed. I was BDCP for over a year before leaving for OCS and I will echo the fact that the Navy will make up for your time in college.

However, look into Space A travel. This is where you can hop a cargo/passenger military aircraft and go somewhere free of charge. It is a great opportunity if you have lots of free time and some leave to burn.

Or take some of that money and take a few flight lessons if you do not have prior experience. Coach a youth sports team. Volunteer with habitat for humanity. Those options will be much more rewarding than spending your free time and money learning how to wear a uniform.....you will get that at OCS. Your command probably has some people who volunteer in the community so get with them, volunteer together, and pimp them for the information you want.

Just some thoughts....

 

[SC-NY-88]

I will echo the above. Enjoy the sweet E-3 pay, get in shape for OCS, memorize the Big 3, lots of beer, beach, sun. I would liike to get involved as well, but unfortunately there isn't really much you can do that I've heard. The most I did was start running with ROTC on campus 3 times a week, thats the most exposure I've had to the military since selection, other than my twice a month check ins.

BTW, MOS stands for Military Occupational Specialty or something close to that. I think it's just an Army term, maybe Marines too. I got asked that a lot at MEPS and I was like, "oh I'm going for naval officer" they were like "whats your 'designator'/'rating'?" Its the Navy equivalent of a rating for enlisted, and I suppose a designator for the officer community. A lot of numbers and letters. (someone correct if I'm wrong, this is what I recall from the kids going into the Army at MEPS)

 

[Afterburner209]

SC-NY-88 - Sounds about right.

There was no better time then BDCP in college. I was like you and wanted to get "involved" because I had dreamed of the military for so long, waiting to get started with the life was hard. But I can tell you from experience, just as the others have said, If I could go back, I would NOT try to do anything other than enjoy getting paid to do essentially nothing. When else in your life will you ever get to do that again? Don't waste the wet dream that is BDCP. Work out, that's the single greatest thing you can do to help yourself. That and memorize the big 3.

 

[GordonFreeman]

Thanks all for the advice!

If I could go back, I would NOT try to do anything other than enjoy getting paid to do essentially nothing. When else in your life will you ever get to do that again? Don't waste the wet dream that is BDCP.

Sounds like that just about sums it up. I suppose I'm okay with that ;-) No booze yet, but I am rather enjoying the beaches and broads.

However, look into Space A travel. This is where you can hop a cargo/passenger military aircraft and go somewhere free of charge. It is a great opportunity if you have lots of free time and some leave to burn.

Whoa, never heard of this. Did a quick Google search and it looks like the coolest thing ever. Can you tell me more? Looks like seating isn't particularly reliable (obviously not their job), but what are the odds of getting stuck somewhere?

I'd be happy to put you in touch with my gunny from OCS, i'm sure he'd LOVE to talk to you.

HA. I'm sure he would X-(

 

[SC-NY-88]

... Space A Travel ...

I havn't had the oportunity to utilize this yet, but from what I understand you are at the mercy of where the aircraft is going, and, seeing as in BDCP you are active duty E-3, we can in theory get bumped from the flight so that an E-4 + could get on instead. So basically if you use it, I'm told you need to keep a very loose schedule, don't expect to fly from Cali to Jersey in a few hours, unless your lucky. I think all you need is your ID and a set of dog tags. But again,I havn't flown space A yet.

 

[pensfan341]

I'd agree with the others.

To be honest all I have done is squander my BDCP money...(maybe not squander in the case of college tuition) but it afforded me some great opportunities ----studied abroad in Rome and spent 5 months in Europe ---- Went to spring break in the Bahamas with the boys ---- no job in the summer or during the school year ---- be a bad ass with bar tabs etc etc etc.


I've just focused on staying in decent shape and keeping the grades up.


Space A Travel sounds very interesting. Does anybody have experience with it? Should I just utilize google for additional info?

 

[cameron172]

Or take some of that money and take a few flight lessons if you do not have prior experience. ....

I echo that. Not sure, but Vandenberg may have a flying club where you can get flight instruction for dirt cheap compared to civilian flight school and you get a little exposure to the military. I'm a MIDN in NROTC and I'm taking ground school at NAS Jax. Many old retired Navy pilots teaching me with awesome stories. It never hurts to learn as much about aviation as you can before API.

 

[FlyBoyd]

I havn't had the oportunity to utilize this yet, but from what I understand you are at the mercy of where the aircraft is going, and, seeing as in BDCP you are active duty E-3, we can in theory get bumped from the flight so that an E-4 + could get on instead. So basically if you use it, I'm told you need to keep a very loose schedule, don't expect to fly from Cali to Jersey in a few hours, unless your lucky. I think all you need is your ID and a set of dog tags. But again,I havn't flown space A yet.

Nope...for the most part rank has very little to do with if you get bumped. Official business (Funded travel either PCS of TAD) versus leave is a whole other deal.

From here http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,SAF_eligibility,00.html

"Once accepted for movement, a space-available passenger may not be "bumped" by another space-available passenger, regardless of category."

Dogs tags? Put that back in your ass where you found it. http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,SAF_documentation,00.html


To the OP...his last sentence should have been his first. The only decent piece of advice is the loose schedule comment.

 

[SC-NY-88]

Yeah, it was a quick post echoing things I had heard with no confirmed information. My appologies, it was a brief case of 'dont really know what Im talking about but will post something anyway'. Won't happen again.

 

[CStudent]

I'm sure everyone will agree, the Navy WILL make up for this time you are spending right now.

Just how many hours do you put in during OCS -> first few years of service?

 

[gotta_fly]

Just how many hours do you put in during OCS -> first few years of service?

6,385,254.

Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk.

 

[CUPike11]

Just how many hours do you put in during OCS -> first few years of service?

Hours in terms of what?

 

[GordonFreeman]

I echo that...It never hurts to learn as much about aviation as you can before API.

Haha, that was the first I thing I did in BDCP. Payed off a bit of student loans and a chunk of car loan, then finished my private pilot's license.

I've been told that additional ratings (instrument, etc) are not worth the time / money, as I'll just be re-learning everything later. However, I've been considering sitting in on some aeronautical and meteorology classes my last few quarters. I hear that those aero engineering and weather stuffs can be extremely useful in API. Can anyone confirm / deny this?

From here http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,SAF_eligibility,00.html
...
http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,SAF_documentation,00.html

Those links were very helpful, surprised they didn't come up in my Google searching. Much appreciated.