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PAO Questions

CK#4

Active Member
Current PAO here. I commissioned as a PAO through OCS from the civilian world. I deploy quite often, but if you have questions or need help, let me know.

2018 board was cancelled. However, the community is slated to grow over the next 3 years and may be holding a board this year and future years
 

CK#4

Active Member
Don't need help, but am curious abut the civilian credentials or experience that got you selected. It sound trite, but I really am asking for a friend.
Background was a degree in Poli Sci and a minor in Public Affairs from a good university. However, I was largely involved in my community at large doing a lot of volunteer work, as well as maintained a job in teaching and politics (running a campaign and lobbying) for a few years. When it came to the minimum requirements for things like letters of recommendation, I submitted more than what the board was asking because I thought it added additional value.

One of the CDRs on the board said it was great to see as much experience as I had at my age, with a good degree/GPA, but what really made the difference was that you did all of that while also giving back. It lent to the "being a Naval officer first, PAO second" mentality.

When it comes to the writing portion, I told a story that was well written and took me forever to write and revise, including having numerous others look it over. It is worth taking the time on this and it does NOT need to be tailored to a particular community; I got selected by other communities.

For the officer recommendations, it helps to do your research and make sure those recommending you are well established in the community and dont just interview/do recommendations for everyone. If you or your recruiter does not know of any PAOs, reach out to the fleet and do your research. Every NRD has an MC1 or MCC who can put you in contact with at least an O4+ who can prob refer you to another. I say this because this is one of the biggest hurdles I had to face and my recruiter said he knew nobody or even where to start to reach out. Thankfully, my brother was an MC1 at the time who was able to put me in contact with his first department head. Also, every major command has a PAO...

BT

My biggest pet peeve is when people say it is impossible and they give up or dont try. I unfortunately did not have a recruiter that was a lot of help, but another recruiter stepped in to assist.

With this program, it is incredibly difficult to get selected to be a PAO for OCS not being a prior, but not impossible. In fact, the board after me also selected one civilian and the PAO community is expected to grow in billets within the next couple of years so opportunities will be increasing.

BT

I did submit PAO as my #2 choice despite it being my #1 desire because I did not expect to get selected. Whether or not my recruiter actually submitted it as #2, I am not sure. It is a great community and Im incredibly honored to be in it. For all those seeking to apply, I just recommend you go for it, put it high on your submission list and see what the board thinks.
 

Ad22

New Member
Current PAO here. I commissioned as a PAO through OCS from the civilian world. I deploy quite often, but if you have questions or need help, let me know.

2018 board was cancelled. However, the community is slated to grow over the next 3 years and may be holding a board this year and future years
Your post is helpful, thank you. I started the process too late for the 2017 DCO board, and as you state last year's was canceled, so I'm pursuing this year's (package is complete and with my OR). A question - you refer to deploying quite often and if I understand your signature correctly you were commissioned in 2016. When I spoke with a senior PAO as part of the interview process he stated that the newly commissioned officers would not be eligible for deployment for the first few years due to the training period. I was asking as I would likely seek a deployment when eligible, if chosen by the board of course. How soon were you eligible to deploy after commissioning, and was it voluntary? Thank You
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
Your post is helpful, thank you. I started the process too late for the 2017 DCO board, and as you state last year's was canceled, so I'm pursuing this year's (package is complete and with my OR). A question - you refer to deploying quite often and if I understand your signature correctly you were commissioned in 2016. When I spoke with a senior PAO as part of the interview process he stated that the newly commissioned officers would not be eligible for deployment for the first few years due to the training period. I was asking as I would likely seek a deployment when eligible, if chosen by the board of course. How soon were you eligible to deploy after commissioning, and was it voluntary? Thank You

Active PAO and reserve PAO are two different beasts.
 

CK#4

Active Member
Your post is helpful, thank you. I started the process too late for the 2017 DCO board, and as you state last year's was canceled, so I'm pursuing this year's (package is complete and with my OR). A question - you refer to deploying quite often and if I understand your signature correctly you were commissioned in 2016. When I spoke with a senior PAO as part of the interview process he stated that the newly commissioned officers would not be eligible for deployment for the first few years due to the training period. I was asking as I would likely seek a deployment when eligible, if chosen by the board of course. How soon were you eligible to deploy after commissioning, and was it voluntary? Thank You
i did not see this earlier, but Recruiting Guru is correct. Active Duty and Reserve are very different. As an active duty PAO, that is not true. The first billet a new PAO, whether lat transfer or OCS grad like myself, will go to a sea duty/deployable type command. This is designed to get you an operational understanding of what we do before you move on to a command where you are the only PAO or to a command where you serve as a deputy or action officer of a numbered Fleet and help shape PA policy.
 

Ad22

New Member
Thanks, now just waiting on the results from the board review last Friday. I heard 6 slots, high miner if applications given the backlog of candidates due to the cancelation last year.
 

Ad22

New Member
Has anyone else heard of results being posted from the June 14th public affairs board? My OR said expect, in his words, “4-6 weeks, maybe more” and we are about 7 weeks out. I did see a note that 7 were selected posted a week after the board, but no info on who. I’m not familiar with the process, are those who are selected informed via their OR before results are posted for all recruiters to see?
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Has anyone else heard of results being posted from the June 14th public affairs board? My OR said expect, in his words, “4-6 weeks, maybe more” and we are about 7 weeks out. I did see a note that 7 were selected posted a week after the board, but no info on who. I’m not familiar with the process, are those who are selected informed via their OR before results are posted for all recruiters to see?

Were you going for active of DCO? This thread is for active PAO which is why it is under "Navy OCS"

either way though normally a recruiter would notify a candidate within days of the board results coming out, some recruiters don't bother to notify those that were not selected.
 

Ad22

New Member
Were you going for active of DCO? This thread is for active PAO which is why it is under "Navy OCS"

either way though normally a recruiter would notify a candidate within days of the board results coming out, some recruiters don't bother to notify those that were not selected.
Right, thanks I’m in the wrong place, looking for DCO
 

TheIronMike

Active Member
Current PAO here. I commissioned as a PAO through OCS from the civilian world. I deploy quite often, but if you have questions or need help, let me know.

2018 board was cancelled. However, the community is slated to grow over the next 3 years and may be holding a board this year and future years
What's the word on lateral transfers to the PAO community. Trying to get my pin ASAP and lateral transfer after my second tour circa 2023
 

emcee1

Member
Anyone in here apply for the most recent PAO board happening in November? I've been trying to apply for years and this is my first time getting my package in to be reviewed and I'm kind of curious as to how many were able to get their applications in based on the short notice that they were actually doing a board this year..
 
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