Two important BDCP related questions

[govols]

please answer with facts only. i have spent a few hours browsing the forum and know the BDCP facts like you are enlisted at E3 active duty with 2 promotions availible. leave has been taken by participant traveling over seas and other facts, but I can't find the answer to my questions so here they are

I just swore in and didnt think to ask this one in the 6+ months of working towards this
First: for traveling on vacation within the lower 48 is leave necessary? I am going on vacation with my family in a few weeks and wonder how that will work. also, i have family in accross the state line where there is really good fishing which i hope to enjoy, is crossing state lines a few times per month when school is not in session a problem? if you can't answer I understand

Second from all info i found BDCP starts at E3 paygrade. if dropped from BDCP because of your own fault you will be sent to Great Lakes and retain (or be bumped down to) E3. promotions to E4 and E 5 are availible for grades and references (1 each)

my service record and all personal info refers to me as an E5, my ID application is E5 and my processor and LT who swore me in refered to me as an E5. I assume (and hope) that I am an E5 in terms of pay and allowances. the Lt also mentioned the need for references so I could be promoted to catch a close friend who is an E6 in the fleet.

Question 2: from the info provided, is it a fair assumption that I am an E5 and will be paid the $2062 for an E5 with under 2 years in service plus the E5 BAH?

I would appreciate any insight but please only comment if you have experience in the BDCP program.

and, sorry for being long winded

go vols

 

[Floppy_D]

please answer with facts only.

Fact. Bears eat beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

First: for traveling on vacation within the lower 48 is leave necessary?

Once you are authorized liberty, your command will give you a "liberty radius;" you will need to be inside this unless on leave, or in possesion of an approved special request chit that allows you to go a bit farther. Times this may work would include 3/4 day weekends, holidays, etc.

is crossing state lines a few times per month when school is not in session a problem?

Not if you're within liberty radius/recall time.

from the info provided, is it a fair assumption that I am an E5 and will be paid the $2062 for an E5 with under 2 years in service plus the E5 BAH?

The assumption seems fair. If the instruction says you should be an E3 and you've been paid as an E5 for a few months, you owe them the difference, and won't be seeing a check/will be signing a "letter of indebtedness" until you're even. Conversely, you may be warranted pay as an E5, and it may take them a couple weeks/months to get that straight. Pay problems are almost always caught and corrected; be that in your favor or theirs. If you suspect that this is an error in your favor, spare yourself the grief and ask the question now, so you don't owe them what you were overpaid (ask me how I know via PM, if ya like.)

 

[firefriendly]

Once you are authorized liberty, your command will give you a "liberty radius;" you will need to be inside this unless on leave, or in possesion of an approved special request chit that allows you to go a bit farther. Times this may work would include 3/4 day weekends, holidays, etc.

This doesn't sound right at all, at least it wasn't when I was in BDCP. You can go anywhere in the continental US without taking leave, just let your OSO know what your plans are and where you'll be and have a good recall number. I lived a state away and just gave them my address to my parents home and traveled around in CONUS often. You can cross state lines freely.

You won't/shouldn't get paid E5 until you graduate and are waiting for or attending OCS unless you've made dean's list or successfully brought in another BDCP'er.

 

[Floppy_D]

Then I am probably wrong. I took classes with a BDCP'er, and he was under a local thumb for muster. Defer to what firefriendly has to say on the topic.

 

[govols]

thank you all for the posts, they have been helpful

over on usnavyocs.com I posted a similar thread and somebody told me to find "chapter 8 collegiate management Section 7" it directly deals with active duty college student leave and liberty. I will post a link because it is very helpful in answering my question so any other BDCP applicants can know what is going on.

http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/publications/Directives/1131_2D_CHAPTER_8_CH1.pdf


Firefriendly, you said unless I have made the deans list, I just swore in the other day but i have made the deans list for the last 5 semesters of college, would that apply?

 

[Kycntryboy]

Firefriendly, you said unless I have made the deans list, I just swore in the other day but i have made the deans list for the last 5 semesters of college, would that apply?

Doesn't apply, you have to make it while in BDCP, and I believe it has to be two semesters in a row (was a couple of years ago for me).

 

[Lucy]

Has to be a 3.5 gpa for two semesters/three trimester after sworn in, and I am pretty sure summer classes only count if full time. Congrats on bdcp btw.

 

[nugget81]

Ask your recruiter what the local leave policy is. Most are willing to let you run rampant across the 48 states without any paperwork so long as you can be reached by phone and don't do anything stupid. And Kyntryboy is spot on.

 

[redsox06]

Doesn't apply, you have to make it while in BDCP, and I believe it has to be two semesters in a row (was a couple of years ago for me).

This is right. I swore in last May, but I had to wait until I made Dean's List during the fall and spring semester to get my pay raise. Even though I swore in before the end of the spring semester, I still had to wait for two FULL semesters AFTER I sore in.

 

[hurricane221]

My recruiter has let me travel, as for E5 nothing has been adjusted in my pay since graduation, btw redsox06 where did you go to college?

 

[VmiMMXI]

Travel wise, my recruiter has me contact her when I am leaving our NRD's area(and staying in the US), though I have only had to do so in order that she knew where I would be and with the understanding I would continue the 1st and 15th phone calls.

http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/publications/Directives/1131 2D_CHAPTER 9.pdf
^^^This is the exact handout I was given when I swore in, Section 5 pretty clearly explains our Leave/Liberty rules, and Section 4 advancement.

I am definitely an E-3, although my ID has my rank as Non-PO. My recruiter mentioned the point that Floppy brought up about the Navy overpaying you, so she made sure that I got enrolled in MyPay. I would do this ASAP if you haven't already, you can then access your LES and see how much you are getting each month broken down by BAS, BAH, Base Pay, etc.