What could go wrong?

[YNK]

So I've been pro-rec'd (yay). From what I understand, the only other thing left to do is the PRT, correct? Well, I've done that and was just wondering, what could possibly go wrong at this point? (as in, at this stage, what are the ways that people get denied?)

Just curious. (and slightly nervous)

 

[maxlife]

I hate to answer your questions with more questions but from what board and what date were you pro-recced? SNA? What did your stats look like? Sorry for the questions but like many here I am sitting and waiting for the news you've already recieved. From reading here it sounds like once you are pro-recced it is just the PFT and medical and then you are good to go. Good luck with the last part of a long journey.

 

[Tom]

When I was applying, the PRT, EPSQ and MEPS were the things to complete. Seeing as you only have the PRT left, I suppose you could fail the PRT. If all the parts are being done early, what sense is it to do Pro-Rec and Final Select? Just do the PRT before and all it takes is one board instead of two.

 

[ben]

When I went through a couple of years ago, my recruiter explained to me that a professional recommendation is basically an actual acceptance, they just can't tell you that until you've cleared the PRT/MEPS/EPSQ. Barring some unforseen glitch in one of those parts of your app., you're in. They wouldn't pro-rec you if they didn't have the spot and want to put you in it. You probably won't feel that much better until you are 100% accepted, but right now you're probably at 99% there and just don't realize it.

 

[YNK]

av8ok: SWO, still waiting about NFO and Intel. Hopefully we can all end this wonderful waiting game soon!

Tom: I think the guys in charge just like having us in the palm of their hands

ben: Thanks for sharing your experience. Definitely will feel better with that 100% acceptance.

Thanks everyone for the replies!

 

[blackheartedone]

I was in BDCP a few years ago and I just wanted to share an honest assesment of the program.

First, if you really want to be a Navy officer, you can't beat BDCP. You're paid to go to school, you accrue leave while you're in school, you have full medical benefits while you're in school. You can major in whatever you want and they give you a free trip to Pensacola before you graduate college so you can get a physical. You can't beat that, especially if you are majoring in something liberal arts related that doesn't have a lot of internship or work study opportunities.

With that said, I saw a lot of people, myself included, put themselves in terrible posititons because they joined BDCP more for money than for a real desire to be a naval officer.

I spent 11 months in GTX purgatory, being accused of malingering, encouraging other officer candidates to desert, and all manner of other stuff. I worked with 19 year old sailor recruits taking out trash, painting, and god knows what else because I injured myself and was unable to rejoin a class. The operating assumption if you are injured, particularly if you are a minority, is that you are running a scam, trying to beat the Navy out of money without serving your time.

While this was true in some cases, many people had legitimate injuries and issues and were railroaded because this sort of lynch mob mentality prevailed down there.

I wasn't the worst case either. A few of my friends were sent to the fleet as undesignated seamen despite being college graduates because they were unable or unwilling to finish OCS.

One BDCP guy did time in the brig, other guys were kicked out for being mentally unstable after spending months in GTX purgatory (some of these guys were faking, but some were legitimately ill, in my opinion). We had suicide threats, people going UA. You name it.

I was signed up as an NFO, but when I got to Pensacola, they told me I was physically unqualified (poor depth perception) to be an NFO, and I WAS FORCED to choose another designator. My question then was if I was unqualified to be an NFO, why was I allowed to enlist as one. I believe that the Navy does a bait and switch with aviation designators because that's what so many people want to do. I was not the only person that this happened to. A good friend of mine went through the exact same thing.

I finally got a medical discharge after a med board found me unfit for duty, but even after the board came back, the NASC commander initiated a line of duty investigation against me for malingering and dereliction of duty. The only thing that saved me was that investigating officer saw that this was nothing more than a witch hunt and wrote pretty much that in his report.

I am not trying to discourage anybody from serving. Being a naval officer confers many advantages and opportunities but I just want people to be warned to know the magnitude of what they're getting into when they sign up for BDCP.

 

[pdx]

I was in BDCP a few years ago and I just wanted to share an honest assesment of the program.

...

Read between the lines ...

 

[xmid]

I was in BDCP a few years ago and I just wanted to share an honest assesment of the program.......

As a tax payer and therefore your former employer, I hope you had to pay us back. We could have had an E-3 that actually did something, rather than your worthless ass for the last 3 years...

 

[blackheartedone]

you don't have to pay money back

No, you don't have to pay the money back. A lot of people saved the money that they got from BDCP (some even invested it and made a big profits, this was the late nineties when the stock market was going crazy) and offered to pay it back with interest, but the Navy wasn't having it.

The contract said either you get commissioned or you do two years in the fleet as an undesignated E-3. You can also elect to sign up for a longer period as enlisted person in order to get a rating.

I think somebody on one of these posts said I was sorry or something to that effect. Whatever. I admit that I didn't make the best decision and I had to deal with the consequences.

I am fine with where I am in life and like I said before, I was not trying to discourage anybody from joining the Navy. I was just offering another perspective based on my experience. And believe me, I was not alone. Many people regretted the day they signed that contract. Then again many others thought it was one of the best decisions they ever made...

 

[FMRAM]

I was in BDCP a few years ago and I just wanted to share an honest assesment of the program.

First, if you really want to be a Navy officer, you can't beat BDCP. You're paid to go to school, you accrue leave while you're in school, you have full medical benefits while you're in school. You can major in whatever you want and they give you a free trip to Pensacola before you graduate college so you can get a physical. You can't beat that, especially if you are majoring in something liberal arts related that doesn't have a lot of internship or work study opportunities.

With that said, I saw a lot of people, myself included, put themselves in terrible posititons because they joined BDCP more for money than for a real desire to be a naval officer.

I spent 11 months in GTX purgatory, being accused of malingering, encouraging other officer candidates to desert, and all manner of other stuff. I worked with 19 year old sailor recruits taking out trash, painting, and god knows what else because I injured myself and was unable to rejoin a class. The operating assumption if you are injured, particularly if you are a minority, is that you are running a scam, trying to beat the Navy out of money without serving your time.

While this was true in some cases, many people had legitimate injuries and issues and were railroaded because this sort of lynch mob mentality prevailed down there.

I wasn't the worst case either. A few of my friends were sent to the fleet as undesignated seamen despite being college graduates because they were unable or unwilling to finish OCS.

One BDCP guy did time in the brig, other guys were kicked out for being mentally unstable after spending months in GTX purgatory (some of these guys were faking, but some were legitimately ill, in my opinion). We had suicide threats, people going UA. You name it.

I was signed up as an NFO, but when I got to Pensacola, they told me I was physically unqualified (poor depth perception) to be an NFO, and I WAS FORCED to choose another designator. My question then was if I was unqualified to be an NFO, why was I allowed to enlist as one. I believe that the Navy does a bait and switch with aviation designators because that's what so many people want to do. I was not the only person that this happened to. A good friend of mine went through the exact same thing.

I finally got a medical discharge after a med board found me unfit for duty, but even after the board came back, the NASC commander initiated a line of duty investigation against me for malingering and dereliction of duty. The only thing that saved me was that investigating officer saw that this was nothing more than a witch hunt and wrote pretty much that in his report.

I am not trying to discourage anybody from serving. Being a naval officer confers many advantages and opportunities but I just want people to be warned to know the magnitude of what they're getting into when they sign up for BDCP.

How about you go find some other place tell everyone your sob story. You sound about worthless to me and I am glad that you didn't make the cut. Have a nice day friend.

 

[raptor10]

First, if you really want to be a Navy officer, you can't beat NROTC!

 

[nugget81]

don't ask what can go wrong. You don't need that kind of jinxing. Too much stuff goes wrong with this process anyway!

Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.....

 

[nugget81]

i never took my eyes off the goal. I liked to think I was practicing "situational awareness"

Not directed at you

 

[Tom]

Um

First, if you really want to be a Navy officer, you can't beat NROTC!

Yeah you can, it's called BDCP.

 

[jmiller82]

YNK,

As some of the other guys on here have probably already mentioned, the Pro-Rec portion is meant to serve as a "You're in the club" declaration, although they will further decide WHEN you can report to that club (or subsection of the club) by putting you through yet another obstacle - FINAL SELECT. The FINDOCS or MEDDOCS as it is called now, I believe, consists of going to MEPS (medical evaluation), completing the PFT (or called PFA for actives) with scores in the Good: Low categories or higher, completing all loose ends and finalizaing the EPSQ (although, now they are transisitioning to the SF86 Form for all branches of US Military), signing your NKO acknowledgements and statements that you've seen the OCS website, reading material, etc., and lastly, the hold no harm (release of liability) form. After all of this is completed, you'll be fingerprinted and your application will be sent off to CNRC for approval at the next selection board. Then a board recommendation will follow from the board, sending it on to a superior/senior officer (usually O-6, but in my case O-5) for signature, then transmitted to your NRC and recruiter/processor for selection of date of orders and swear-in ceremony. Then you are officially FINAL SELECTED!! I just went through the process and will be finishing everything tomorrow or Wednesday, so that's how I'm a bit fresh on all the info.. Let me know if you have any other questions..