• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Ocs or enlisted

A

Angel ortega

New Member
Hey, guys I'm new to the forum and I wanted to ask you guys a question. My name is Angel and I'm a 30 year old banker from south florida whos trying to becoming an officer in the Navy and fulfill a life long dream. Been getting my packet together and I got a 47 on my oar exam (2nd time I took it), have a degree in business management and a high GPA. I have no prior service history and my recruiter is telling me that the ocs board is very selective and that I should consider going the enlisted route if I don't get in. I've worked my butt off in school and I've gotten myself in peak physical shape for ocs. Is going the enlisted route a viable option or should I just wait and keep submitting my package to ocs? Any help would be appreciated. Angel.
 
zippy

zippy

Freedom!
pilot
Contributor
Angel ortega said:
Hey, guys I'm new to the forum and I wanted to ask you guys a question. My name is Angel and I'm a 30 year old banker from south florida whos trying to becoming an officer in the Navy and fulfill a life long dream. Been getting my packet together and I got a 47 on my oar exam (2nd time I took it), have a degree in business management and a high GPA. I have no prior service history and my recruiter is telling me that the ocs board is very selective and that I should consider going the enlisted route if I don't get in. I've worked my butt off in school and I've gotten myself in peak physical shape for ocs. Is going the enlisted route a viable option or should I just wait and keep submitting my package to ocs? Any help would be appreciated. Angel.
Click to expand...

I'd shotgun my applications to all of the other services before I enlisted with the intent of becoming an officer. There are so many people who enlist saying they intended to be an Officer but very very few are able to jump through all the wickets while balancing a full time Navy life. In your case, you're older so my guess is chances are even slimmer that you would be able to reach your goal by taking a long convoluted road instead of pursing the direct option.
 
IRfly

IRfly

Registered User
None
What, exactly, is your life-long dream?

If it's to be in the military, then the easiest way to fulfill that is to walk down to the recruiting station and sign on the dotted line. And why haven't you done it yet if it's been your dream for 30 years? Have they not been taking people for the last 12 years?
 
A

Angel ortega

New Member
Thanks, zippy for the input. And I went to college first, got married, and trying this banking thing. And since I have my degree and management experience bring an officer is what I want to do. I'm fully aware of the fact that I could've signed on 12 years ago. I'm doing it now.
 
xj220

xj220

Will fly for food.
pilot
Contributor
Another thing is that you wouldn't be happy enlisted. At your age, experience, etc. you've become accustomed to a way of life that will be drastically changed on the enlisted side. You'd be with 18 year olds and be treated like one, too. It'd be very frustrating for you and in the long run, probably not the best way to go. If you truly want to be an O, then go for O only. The enlisted to officer transitions are mainly a way for those who are already in to make the jump, not people starting from the beginning. As said before, I'd look at other branches, as well.
 
SHoward

SHoward

LT, CEC, USN
What designator(s) are you pursuing? When I first talked with my recruiter he told me to come in and take a test. I asked him if it was the OAR, he said no, don't sweat it, and I can take it as many times as I want. I didn't study, went in, learned it was indeed the OAR, and I could only take it 3 times in my life. I'm 34, was very rusty with the math section, and was embarrassed with my score of 48. Another recruiter there that handles the JAG and medical designators said I "knocked it out of the park" and not to listen to anyone that says I should retake it. A month or so later I was selected for OCS. You should at least apply.
 
Last edited:
IRfly

IRfly

Registered User
None
Angel ortega said:
Thanks, zippy for the input. And I went to college first, got married, and trying this banking thing. And since I have my degree and management experience bring an officer is what I want to do. I'm fully aware of the fact that I could've signed on 12 years ago. I'm doing it now.
Click to expand...

Hey man, no need to get defensive. Just trying to help you figure things out...If your lifelong dream is to be a Navy officer, then Zippy's advice to send your application to all the other services won't work well for you. If your lifelong dream involves a specific job in the Navy, you might be out of luck, depending on what that job is. Flying in the Navy, for instance, is not an option for you because of your age. Other jobs have age limitations as well, and enlisting for a couple of years trying to go to OCS might push you past those limits. So what I'm saying is that if you tell us what you actually want to do instead of how hard you think you've worked, we can give you a much better idea of how to get there.
 
E

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Angel ortega said:
Hey, guys I'm new to the forum and I wanted to ask you guys a question. My name is Angel and I'm a 30 year old banker from south florida whos trying to becoming an officer in the Navy and fulfill a life long dream. Been getting my packet together and I got a 47 on my oar exam (2nd time I took it), have a degree in business management and a high GPA. I have no prior service history and my recruiter is telling me that the ocs board is very selective and that I should consider going the enlisted route if I don't get in. I've worked my butt off in school and I've gotten myself in peak physical shape for ocs. Is going the enlisted route a viable option or should I just wait and keep submitting my package to ocs? Any help would be appreciated. Angel.
Click to expand...

You have only given us a few pieces of the puzzle, the recruiter may have said enlist because given your GPA you may have no realistic shot of being picked up, or maybe he just wants to focus on applicants that are going to give him a better shot of getting people picked up.

What is your GPA that goes along with your degree?
 
E

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
SHoward said:
What designator(s) are you pursuing? When I first talked with my recruiter he told me to come in and take a test. I asked him if it was the OAR, he said no, don't sweat it, and I can take it as many times as I want. I didn't study, went in, learned it was indeed the OAR, and I could only take it 3 times in my life. I'm 34, was very rusty with the math section, and was embarrassed with my score of 48. Another recruiter there that handles the JAG and medical designators said I "knocked it out of the park" and not to listen to anyone that says I should retake it. A month or so later I was selected for OCS. You should at least apply.
Click to expand...

just a point, but you are CEC, and until recently they didn't need the OAR and they really don't care much about it for CEC, it is the professional side and the accessions officer interview that are very important.
 
A

Angel ortega

New Member
My gpa was a 3.7. I'm going for intelligence officer based on my age and my recruiters suggestion based in my professional experience. And thanks fellas for the feedback.
 
E

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Angel ortega said:
My gpa was a 3.7. I'm going for intelligence officer based on my age and my recruiters suggestion based in my professional experience. And thanks fellas for the feedback.
Click to expand...

Good GPA, and Intel is really the only one you have a shot at, all you can do is see what happens, but DON"T enlist before at least giving this a shot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top