How do you stay motivated on a pre-comm when you're not learning your job?

PO2 (Join to see) I did 1 pre-comm and one long yard availability. Know and understand your pain, applaud your desire! What I did was send my sailors out on other ships to get trained. A little easier for a DDG crew than a CVN, I guess. Your link says you are an ATC, have you tried to get TAD over to the NAS to work in their tower? If not that, how about getting sent out on other ships, maybe even CRUDES? The best resource I would tell you is the school house that trained you. They invested a lot of time and money. Talk to one of the CPO's there, and see if they know of any opportunities in the Norfolk area. Try to keep it in Norfolk, as your command won't need to spend money to TAD you anywhere in the area, which makes it easier for them to say yes! Hope this helps, and let me know if there is anything else I can help with!

Sounds like a tremendous waste of people.

I haven't been in contact with my detailer or any other chiefs at other commands, Im still unsure where the boundaries are in the military and if I'd be overstepping them? I respect my CoC but you're right, I'll need to start branching out. How do I find out who my detailer is?

PO2 (Join to see) - Yep it can suck, we do not always get what we want or what we need in the fleet. You do have a few options.

1: Keep with the college take lots of CLEP tests, get every onboard qualification you can. Truth is once you make First or Chief you will be looking at doing more administration and less hands on of your Job, I'm not saying you don't need to know your job but understand what the future is. Do your 4 then get better orders somewhere else.
2: Run a CHIT up the chain for early transfer or see about a duty swap your Detailer can tell you more about this. You seem motivated and your CoC may just be over looking this, it happens on a big deck.
3: Be disgruntled do your 4 and then quit.... I have had some real crappy commands my first was atrocious, I dealt with racism, assaults, Harassment, and a blatant attempt to withhold my Clearance so they could fill a different billet than my Chosen IT one. I almost called it quits, but I was given some good advice so let me pass it on.

"What's over that next hill?, You will never know if you don't climb the hill. You could find your Shangri-La or you might find another hill. but you only have 2 choices, stop climbing and accept the situation as you see it or keep climbing and see what greater things you can find."

I went from my first command to a year in England and two years in Germany to date my Command in England has been my best. Some commands and duty stations suck but the great thing is once we climb to the top of that hill we get to see a new place. I have been in the black sea, swam off the coast of Israel, walked through Pompeii, seen Rome, Scotland, Ireland, Ethiopia, ect ect. had I quit after that first 4 I would have missed out on so many great adventures. I have worked with some great IT's and some I wouldn't trust with an abacas lol. I have learned a lot in my 13 years, I hope you decided to keep at it and do the 20, as I said you seem motivated.

PO2 (Join to see) You have received some excellent recommendations from some of the Navy RP members, and I am sure others will chime in, as this post get around. I have a question/recommendation for you, have you been in contact with your detailer in Washington about your concerns? He may have an open operational billet and looking for some one to fill that slot. If he does not, he might be able to keep your name on a list should an open slot become available for an operational Carrier or NAS. That brings me to my next suggestion, have you spoken to any of the controllers or the Chief ATC at NAS Oceana? I would bet they would take you in just to keep you currant and quite possibly to easy overtime from those in the tower?

There’s offers to go IA (individual augmentee), pick up schools for NEC’s (if you’re a technical rate I’d definitely ask!), study your bibs, study your NEETS modules and always try to stick your nose in something.

Pre-comm and "yards" periods are some of the greatest wastes in the Navy. The Navy should NOT assign full crews to those whips until they are near completion. Having people hang around "the barge" or "the barracks" for years is enough to drive people crazy. I was an HM; after a short while I found myself a TAD spot at the hospital (who were glad for the help). Leaving people sitting around with nothing relevant to their rate is one sign of POOR LEADERSHIP - specifically a CO, XO, and CMC who don't give a damn about their people or the future of their ship. The Navy has plenty of schools and open billets to get people out of the pre-comm hole!

PO2 (Join to see) I just googled for a list of Navy detailers and here is the link for your ATC detailer in Washington. http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/enlisted/detailing/aviation/Pages/RatingsInformation.aspx Let me know how you make out. You can also click the link below too.

http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/Military-Guide-Online.aspx

Read everything you can about this, and call the!, don't just email, call, OK?

https://www.military.com/education/timesaving-programs/defense-activity-for-non-traditional-education-support-dantes.html

Find out all you can about this if you haven't already....