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Officer RC to AC?

RedGriffin

New Member
Curious if anyone has (or knows someone who has) gone from RC to AC, through definite/indefinite recall or some other method. My understanding is that there's a board process for recall, but don't know much beyond that -- how many a year, which designators, what rank, etc.

Follow-up question is whether, if a relatively new DCO (1835) was pondering a move to AC, is the better option to spend a couple years as a reservist getting their PQS(s), warfare pin, a few good FITREPs, JPME I, etc. and then try the board for indefinite recall, or go for OCS, which I believe involves resigning the reserve commission. Asking for a friend..
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
Curious if anyone has (or knows someone who has) gone from RC to AC, through definite/indefinite recall or some other method. My understanding is that there's a board process for recall, but don't know much beyond that -- how many a year, which designators, what rank, etc.

Follow-up question is whether, if a relatively new DCO (1835) was pondering a move to AC, is the better option to spend a couple years as a reservist getting their PQS(s), warfare pin, a few good FITREPs, JPME I, etc. and then try the board for indefinite recall, or go for OCS, which I believe involves resigning the reserve commission. Asking for a friend..

Are you already in or an applicant? If the answer is the latter, why not apply for active duty Intel? From what I've read and seen, Intel takes MAYBE 1-2 a year back to active duty (through a indef recall) but this is something you should be talking to your community leadership about.
 

Hair Warrior

Well-Known Member
Contributor
If you have already commissioned:

After ODS, work with the IWTC-VB reserve training quota control officer (she is a very nice person) and request a quota to the 5+ month AD NIOBC. Once at AD NIOBC, spend 5+ months working your chain of command and the IWTC-VB leadership to see about RC to AC transition.

If you have not already commissioned:

Stop applying to DCO. Apply to OCS.
 

Goodfou

Well-Known Member
If you have not already commissioned:

Stop applying to DCO. Apply to OCS.

This! In general, going RC-AC is very restricted in the Navy. RC-FTS (FTS=active duty reserve), pretty doable depending on designator/experience; however, Hairwarrior check me on this but, I don’t think there are any 1837s (FTS Intel) anymore, which is why your best bet is to apply for OCS.
 

bubblehead

Registered Member
Contributor
Curious if anyone has (or knows someone who has) gone from RC to AC, through definite/indefinite recall or some other method. My understanding is that there's a board process for recall, but don't know much beyond that -- how many a year, which designators, what rank, etc.

Follow-up question is whether, if a relatively new DCO (1835) was pondering a move to AC, is the better option to spend a couple years as a reservist getting their PQS(s), warfare pin, a few good FITREPs, JPME I, etc. and then try the board for indefinite recall, or go for OCS, which I believe involves resigning the reserve commission. Asking for a friend..
What the hell are you trying to do?

If you get picked up for DCO 1835 you could work to spend your entire Reserve time on AT/ADT/ADSW orders or on mobilization. There are many who do. The benefit of this is that you get to do what you want to do, when you want to do it.
 

RedGriffin

New Member
What the hell are you trying to do?

If you get picked up for DCO 1835 you could work to spend your entire Reserve time on AT/ADT/ADSW orders or on mobilization. There are many who do. The benefit of this is that you get to do what you want to do, when you want to do it.

True but what if the member wants to do 12-20 years, would it not make more sense to try and convert to AD rather than patch together a dozen+ ADSW gigs and mobs?

I recently commissioned as an 1835 and during/after DCO have just got to thinking "maybe this is what I want to do, not what I'm doing now" -- so have researched options for RC to AC and found the definite/indefinite recall option (as mentioned above, there is no FTS intel). My question is whether, if I wanted to go AC intel, going for a recall board in a couple years (once my package is more attractive w/ JPME, another grad degree, PQS, warfare pin, etc.) is a better choice than restarting now and going through OCS.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
True but what if the member wants to do 12-20 years, would it not make more sense to try and convert to AD rather than patch together a dozen+ ADSW gigs and mobs?

I recently commissioned as an 1835 and during/after DCO have just got to thinking "maybe this is what I want to do, not what I'm doing now" -- so have researched options for RC to AC and found the definite/indefinite recall option (as mentioned above, there is no FTS intel). My question is whether, if I wanted to go AC intel, going for a recall board in a couple years (once my package is more attractive w/ JPME, another grad degree, PQS, warfare pin, etc.) is a better choice than restarting now and going through OCS.

Going from RC to AC in the Navy isn't common at all, I know of a handful of folks that have done it but not first-hand and they were rare. I honestly don't know if it is even an option, while some boards might exist on paper they can often go dormant and not be utilized for a while, sometimes years.

If I remember I can ask the 1835's in my unit but I don't think it is a realistic option right now.
 

bluemarlin04

Well-Known Member
I know multiple 1835s who converted to 1830. TLDR- Don't.

They were completely screwed on their careers once they hit active and were basically stuck at the mercy of the active duty detailers.

Here is why:

1- When you commission as an AD 1830 your first tour is usually the ship/squadron where you do 2-3 years of sea duty. From there you can either go back to sea duty in a NSW billet or certain shore duties (Weapons schools, Fallon, etc), NPS, or gamble and hit your competitive tour early (Hint: going early never works).

2- At the 4-6 year mark you check into your competitive tour and begin a 3 year grind as a LT at either the 5 sided puzzle palace (Pentagon), ONI, 4 star fleet, or COCOM JIOC. This ranks you against a large summary group of around 60 0-3s

3- From there you are usually close to LCDR and then you get sent either to NPS, extended, or sent to another billet to wait for the LCDR Results and milestone screen.

Coming in at your 3-4 year mark completely throws off your timing. Just like a URL designator on active duty your timing is everything. Because your timing is so messed up the detailer will send you to all sorts of random stuff to try to make up for it. And those billets usually suck majorly. CVN staff, Desron Staff, etc (these dont count for milestone credit). So you will have skipped your initial sea duty and then you will go to LCDR and CDR and it will be a glaring deficiency on your record.

Also- you will be waaaaay behind your peers. Reserve is NOTHING at all like AD. I know you will read this and think "That cannot be true, I am a reservist and we do the same stuff". Trust me. Its true. I was active for close to a decade and am now a reservist. It is very different esp when you are the one intel body in the unit. You will be expected to know operations of that unit as well as the operators PLUS your intel background and how that fits. It will take you time to catch up. Once you catch up you will then be at the mercy of timing.

Your timing is going to be way off. I would skip it. Take it from me. Losing at the timing game will leave you extremely bitter and upset at the Navy.
 

Hair Warrior

Well-Known Member
Contributor
^ This

Though, it sounds like someone can possibly avoid those pitfalls if he or she transitions to 1830 at ENS and gets on the same career track as their peers.

Which begs the question, why didn’t the person just apply for OCS in the first place?
 

RedGriffin

New Member
Yes, thanks bluemarlin for the good advice. And trying to transition as an ENS via AD NIOBC seems like an option, like you mentioned earlier HairWarrior. And I guess the other option would be to apply for OCS now, but that could add a year plus to the process.

I didn't apply for OCS in the first place because I thought reserve was a better fit and would be enough, but for me DCOIC was quite successful at the "indoctrination" part and I've begun to think that the Navy is an organization with a mission that I want to start & finish a career in, not just do part time.
 
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