readyforthis
New Member
I'm in Denver and working with a recruiter and we received the board results yesterday. I got in!
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Waiting on the DCO Selection Board for PAO?
- Thread starter ctg8r
- Start date
readyforthis
New Member
Thank you, I am so excited! Congratulations to you as well! Now, I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.
Congratulations Ready and ctg8r!!! As I said, I'm disappointed but excited to strengthen my package for the next boards. I have a question for ctg8r...I have decided to go ahead and go the enlisted route as an MC to build up my package and experience. Am I crazy to do this at age 34??? I'm in good shape, so I'm not worried about the physical side, but after being an adult in an adult world for 13 years, how am I going to survive boot camp with a bunch of 18 year olds? I know from your posts that you were previously enlisted so I am curious to hear your opinions. Thanks and congrats again!
Devil Duck
Member
carrieUBE, I wouldn't be too concerned about entering service at 34. I was two weeks past 18 when I entered recruit training with the Marines at MCRC PISC. Our platoon guide and honor was a 34 year old banker who joined the reserves to give himself a sense of purpose. We ended up attend electronics school together for the next 10 months. All-in-all he had it much easier than me. He'd already learned many of of life's lessons that I had to learn and adapt to in the service.
ctg8r
New Member
It's not crazy but it is a big order. I was prior service and didn't have to do boot camp or A-School at 38. BUT, I know people who have and don't reflect fondly on the experience. The are some dynamics involved in enlisting as a MC if there are billets open. I'm about to start my journey home. If you like, I'll touch base with you off line next week on some pointers and pitfalls in recruiting.
3912DCO
New Member
carrieUBE,
I enlisted at the age of 36 and I have no regrets. I came in through an advanced paygrade program, so I started as an E-4, but as my fellow prior-service friends will tell you, you are still well down the food chain at that rank. However, you will find you get treated by most (not all) at what ever level you operate. If you're 34 and you function like an 18 year old, you'll be treated like an 18-year old.
My guess, with the fact that you were allowed to submit your package for DCO, is that you will work at a much higher level than your rank and will quickly catch the eye of the people you will need to write both a strong eval AND letters of recommendation that will stand-out with the selection board.
Because of your maturity and experience you will be able to take on the most challenging of jobs with a high likelihood of success. I enlisted after not being selected and was able to demonstrate an ability to excel within the Navy system and I believe that went a long way to my being selected in September.
Good luck to you, Shipmate!
drustynail
New Member
Are you all 1650 or 1655? My recruiter keeps telling me that there are no results posted since MAY09 for PAO Reserves and only the active duty results have been released.
Thank you for all of the feedback on the enlisted route! It has really helped and I'm really excited to get that underway. Unfortunately, I'm being delayed by MEPS. I hear that that is pretty routine...I guess I was the only one there old enough to actually have some sort of medical history!
ctg8r
New Member
drusty, 1655
CarrieUBE, 3912 is on the money re: APG. I came back in as an E-6 after leaving active duty as an E-4. Your experience will make the difference. Beware of recruiters looking for the path of least resistance. It took me almost a year and two rejections before I took it into my own hands. I read all the instructions, rewrote my kit and had to twist my recruiters arm to believe in my interpretive skills and put the kit in the way I wrote it. There is also the issue of manning. You may gave to go down a notch to get in but hold out (if you can) for at least E-4.
CarrieUBE, 3912 is on the money re: APG. I came back in as an E-6 after leaving active duty as an E-4. Your experience will make the difference. Beware of recruiters looking for the path of least resistance. It took me almost a year and two rejections before I took it into my own hands. I read all the instructions, rewrote my kit and had to twist my recruiters arm to believe in my interpretive skills and put the kit in the way I wrote it. There is also the issue of manning. You may gave to go down a notch to get in but hold out (if you can) for at least E-4.
The Navy did not screw you over: you were simply not selected. It stings. I went through two boards myself before I was selected for my program.
You are well aware that the DCO process - PAO program in particular - extremely, extremely, extremely competitive.
If I were you, I would find out from your recruiter how you were rated by your interviewers. That is, did you receive across-the-board "outstanding" marks on all of your Interviewer's Appraisal Sheets? What did the remainder of your package look like? Did you have additional Letters of Recommendation? If the Board has a group of people who are all equally competitive, they will look at differences in each persons' Interviewer's Appraisal Sheet.
In the time that you have been applying, have you ever voluntarily mobilized in an MC role as compared to your counterparts who have been selected?
Every little thing counts.
You have your answer as to what your package requires. Do whatever it takes to make it happen. Figure it out.
3912DCO
New Member
bubblehead is right on. I was not selected my first time and did not receive my community's program officer's endorsement the second time, but THAT rejection came with this guidance:
"Finish your Masters and get some good Navy experience - and maybe even a deployment - under your belt and at that point it will be a matter of making a few phone calls, letting the board know that you are someone we need to get commissioned."
Well it would appear that the good CDR was not blowing smoke up my back-side. I followed his instructions and here I sit, selected in September and waiting for my Commissioning Documents.
If you really want this and I mean REALLY WANT THIS you will do everything you can to make your package, not just good enough, but great!
"Finish your Masters and get some good Navy experience - and maybe even a deployment - under your belt and at that point it will be a matter of making a few phone calls, letting the board know that you are someone we need to get commissioned."
Well it would appear that the good CDR was not blowing smoke up my back-side. I followed his instructions and here I sit, selected in September and waiting for my Commissioning Documents.
If you really want this and I mean REALLY WANT THIS you will do everything you can to make your package, not just good enough, but great!
I also forgot to add a couple of points..
Since you are applying for PAO, was your full-length photograph absolutely perfect? By that, I mean was your uniform perfect in every regard? Haircut? Shoes highly polished? Outstanding posture? Are you well within the Navy's height/weight standards? Are you consistently scoring at least an EXCELLENT HIGH/OUTSTANDING LOW on your Navy PRT such that it can be noted on your FITREP that you are "leading by example" with respect to Military Bearing?
Not for nothing, but the two PAO's that were in my DCO class a couple of months ago looked like they were in pretty good shape/health when they had on their khakis.
Since you are applying for PAO, was your full-length photograph absolutely perfect? By that, I mean was your uniform perfect in every regard? Haircut? Shoes highly polished? Outstanding posture? Are you well within the Navy's height/weight standards? Are you consistently scoring at least an EXCELLENT HIGH/OUTSTANDING LOW on your Navy PRT such that it can be noted on your FITREP that you are "leading by example" with respect to Military Bearing?
Not for nothing, but the two PAO's that were in my DCO class a couple of months ago looked like they were in pretty good shape/health when they had on their khakis.
ctg8r
New Member
I don't know where I was selected (1st-last-anywhere between) but as a first-timer, I must have loaded the box with sufficient evidence of my capabilities and suitability for commission.
So with an understanding that each of us is different and unique, I'll offer up what my package generally looked like in hopes that it may help others with future endeavors. I think that in addition to experience, demonstrating efforts to consistently go above and beyond the norm helped me get noticed. If you have an opportunity to contribute to your community, (military, professional, local or otherwise) get out there. AND make sure you articulate it in your package.
Things I articulated in my Motivational Statement include:
· Prior active enlisted.
· Re-enlisted a year ago as an Advance Pay Grade MC1 (after a 15-year gap) to demonstrate my commitment to the Navy PA community. The day after I enlisted, I called my Community Manger and Detailer to get assigned to a high profile unit and eventually received orders to a forward deployed unit (NAVCENT/Commander, 5th Fleet)
· Contacted the active command and scheduled an AT before my orders were even processed
· Knocked out my APG requirements (9 correspondence courses and pass the rating exam) in 30% of the allowed time.
· Completed a successful, forward deployed AT to 5th Fleet last summer and just completed another one yesterday (scheduled before and noted in my package.) Both received outstanding PIMs from the active command.
Other elements of my package included:
ASTB
53/6/7/7
Education
1998 B.S. Public Relations, University of Florida (3.5 GPA)
Volunteering/Associations
Town Planning and Zoning Commission (Member)
SEAL Recruiting District Advisory Council (Proctor/Mentor)
Local Library (Logistics and event coordination)
Society of Marketing Professional Services (member)
Society of American Military Engineers (member)
U.S. Naval Institute (member)
Charitable fraternity (member)
Experience
1988-1994U.S. Navy Active Enlisted
1996-1998 Special Events Coordinator for a non-profit
· Managed two national awareness campaigns, each with a $1 million budget
1998-2000 Public Relations Specialist/Media Buyer for a small advertising, marketing and PR firm
· Media Account Exec for three national retail accounts
· B2B PR Account Exec for marine and automotive accounts
· PR Account Exec for international aerospace manufacturer
2000-Present International 150-person, $100 million defense contractor
· Marketing and Communications Coordinator
· Marketing and Communications Manager
· Director, Federal Program Development
· Vice President, Business Development
· Sr. Vice President, Program Development
2009-Present U.S. Navy Reserve Mass Communication Specialist
Fitness
Scored "Outstanding" on both 2009 PFAs
Letters of Recommendation
1. Retired Army 0-6 (co-worker)
2. Active USMC 0-4 (USMC OIC for NOTC at the time)
3. Navy Active O-4 (my NOSC CO)
4. Navy Reserve 0-6 (Medical Corps)
5. Active Army/Guard O-3 (former co-worker)
6. Employer CEO
Officer Community Interviews
1. Reserve O-6 PAO
2. Reserve O-6 PAO
3. Reserve 0-5 PAO (my unit CO)
4. Active 0-5 PAO (my active component unit CO)
Hope it helps by at least showing the level of detail.
Good Luck!
So with an understanding that each of us is different and unique, I'll offer up what my package generally looked like in hopes that it may help others with future endeavors. I think that in addition to experience, demonstrating efforts to consistently go above and beyond the norm helped me get noticed. If you have an opportunity to contribute to your community, (military, professional, local or otherwise) get out there. AND make sure you articulate it in your package.
Things I articulated in my Motivational Statement include:
· Prior active enlisted.
· Re-enlisted a year ago as an Advance Pay Grade MC1 (after a 15-year gap) to demonstrate my commitment to the Navy PA community. The day after I enlisted, I called my Community Manger and Detailer to get assigned to a high profile unit and eventually received orders to a forward deployed unit (NAVCENT/Commander, 5th Fleet)
· Contacted the active command and scheduled an AT before my orders were even processed
· Knocked out my APG requirements (9 correspondence courses and pass the rating exam) in 30% of the allowed time.
· Completed a successful, forward deployed AT to 5th Fleet last summer and just completed another one yesterday (scheduled before and noted in my package.) Both received outstanding PIMs from the active command.
Other elements of my package included:
ASTB
53/6/7/7
Education
1998 B.S. Public Relations, University of Florida (3.5 GPA)
Volunteering/Associations
Town Planning and Zoning Commission (Member)
SEAL Recruiting District Advisory Council (Proctor/Mentor)
Local Library (Logistics and event coordination)
Society of Marketing Professional Services (member)
Society of American Military Engineers (member)
U.S. Naval Institute (member)
Charitable fraternity (member)
Experience
1988-1994U.S. Navy Active Enlisted
1996-1998 Special Events Coordinator for a non-profit
· Managed two national awareness campaigns, each with a $1 million budget
1998-2000 Public Relations Specialist/Media Buyer for a small advertising, marketing and PR firm
· Media Account Exec for three national retail accounts
· B2B PR Account Exec for marine and automotive accounts
· PR Account Exec for international aerospace manufacturer
2000-Present International 150-person, $100 million defense contractor
· Marketing and Communications Coordinator
· Marketing and Communications Manager
· Director, Federal Program Development
· Vice President, Business Development
· Sr. Vice President, Program Development
2009-Present U.S. Navy Reserve Mass Communication Specialist
Fitness
Scored "Outstanding" on both 2009 PFAs
Letters of Recommendation
1. Retired Army 0-6 (co-worker)
2. Active USMC 0-4 (USMC OIC for NOTC at the time)
3. Navy Active O-4 (my NOSC CO)
4. Navy Reserve 0-6 (Medical Corps)
5. Active Army/Guard O-3 (former co-worker)
6. Employer CEO
Officer Community Interviews
1. Reserve O-6 PAO
2. Reserve O-6 PAO
3. Reserve 0-5 PAO (my unit CO)
4. Active 0-5 PAO (my active component unit CO)
Hope it helps by at least showing the level of detail.
Good Luck!