What's a good Navy assignment to help me complete my degree so that I can apply to be an officer?

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 28 May 2016 20:55:34 -0400

After A school I was assigned to a Spec Ops support unit for about five years. I left there and went to shore duty where I'm now in a position that handles all Postal Equipment, supplies and funds which is almost close to what I did in my last command as a command credit card holder. I'm four weeks away from my associates degree and want to go to a command that will allow time to finish my degree to go officer. I know a ship (which I've never been on) won't allow that to happen so I wanted to see what you all thought. Should I try to go back to a different spec ops unit or go to a squadron or even special detail?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 28 at 2016 9:06 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 28 May 2016 21:06:21 -0400

I believe you special ops career is a great one after you graduate. The sky is the limit with today's optempo.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made May 28 at 2016 9:10 PM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 28 May 2016 21:10:59 -0400

I'm also up for picking orders in June.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made May 28 at 2016 9:14 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 28 May 2016 21:14:42 -0400

Ships also have programs such as NC PACE which allow you to take classes at your own pace in a certain time period. Ask your navy college office about before they close down. Also if your plan is to go officer you should try STA-21.

Response by CPO Rick Fields made May 28 at 2016 10:51 PM

CPO Rick Fields — Sat, 28 May 2016 22:51:05 -0400

I got my associates degree while on sea duty on ships as an engineer. It is possible.

Response by SrA Steve Susumu Monas made May 28 at 2016 11:22 PM

SrA Steve Susumu Monas — Sat, 28 May 2016 23:22:09 -0400

My personal Opinion Petty Officers Zorn is take what they give you. It is essential to a bigger picture. They will place you where you are needed. If you want to do it later. If you can make it happen, then more power to ya. But it what the mission calls for always. I wanted to be a flight surgeon. It didn't pan out. But yes get the degree. But the mission comes first. The best thing is if you are happy working a different angle is SpecOps. Just do it...
How am great Memorial Day.
Sincerely
Steve (Trex) Monas

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made May 28 at 2016 11:46 PM

CPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 28 May 2016 23:46:57 -0400

I would go to a Seabee Battalion they have detachments and details allover that need independent SK's and your EXW experience is good for the Bees. You can do college in homeport and then you would have time on deployment to do online courses and if you wanted to stay Main Body Okinawa, Guam and small main body det in Spain. Do you have your EXW pen.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2016 1:19 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 29 May 2016 01:19:03 -0400

It will be what you make of it.

Response by LT Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2016 4:41 AM

LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 29 May 2016 04:41:29 -0400

LS2, my recommendation for you is to not just look for the easy sea duty billets so you can finish your degree, but take the hard jobs. What I mean by this is that it's much more difficult to apply for a commission while you are enlisted rather than a civilian straight out of college. That is because when you are enlisted senior Officers review your enlisted service to look for proven leadership, while new accessions on the civilian side usually have little experience in this area. If your enlisted experience isn't phenomonal it's very difficult to get selected. That is why I recommend to take the hard jobs and excel at them while simultaneously working on your degree. I enlisted at 18 and finished my degree being married with three kids. It can be done. The question is just how bad do you want it? If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2016 2:34 PM

CPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 29 May 2016 14:34:36 -0400

Going to a ship will slow down your pace in the pursuit of your degree but it's not impossible. I attained my associates on sea duty, it was hard but rewarding. If you are going to make this a career I suggest going to a ship specifically a cruiser because it will help you learn your job as you will
Have to learn a multitude of different jobs.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made May 29 at 2016 7:52 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Sun, 29 May 2016 19:52:12 -0400

Why don't you apply for the ECP (or whatever the Navy has currently) and go to school full time, instead of trying to cram it in at night, and not getting a great result out of it? School on your time is possible but really hard - getting the Navy to send you to school is bonus...

Response by PO2 Michael Henry made May 29 at 2016 11:31 PM

PO2 Michael Henry — Sun, 29 May 2016 23:31:05 -0400

Anything but a ship if you want to finish that degree. Yes classes can be taken on the ship, but there are very few to pick from. If you have to go to a ship, go with an online school that moves at your pace (to an extent). I am going to Western Governors and my classes are all online with Comptia and Cisco certification exams as the actual final exam for related classes. That is for my BS in Network Security. However you didn't mention your degree plan. If wish to become an officer, you will need to go to sea. I would go with a squadron because you will get sea time with them on deployments and you will have shore time to get your degree.

Response by PO2 Robert Hunter made May 31 at 2016 7:05 AM

PO2 Robert Hunter — Tue, 31 May 2016 07:05:53 -0400

Is the BOOST program still available in the Navy?
It took enlisted members through college onto an officer track.

Response by PO1 Rick Serviss made May 31 at 2016 7:09 AM

PO1 Rick Serviss — Tue, 31 May 2016 07:09:33 -0400

Major staff billet like OPNAV or NPC

Response by PO1 Scott Wilson made May 31 at 2016 9:27 AM

PO1 Scott Wilson — Tue, 31 May 2016 09:27:16 -0400

In my day, I would tell you to seek out your command career counselor and ask if there are any programs you can apply for that would help finish the bachelors degree. We had two educational programs that allowed a sailor to attend college full time, while on active duty.

Response by PO2 Blake Naranjo made May 31 at 2016 9:40 AM

PO2 Blake Naranjo — Tue, 31 May 2016 09:40:24 -0400

Mathew,
I would say that a special detail is your best bet. I was on a ship and they do allow distance learning as part of your assignment. When I was in the service I had 2 tours TAD to shore commands (Shore Patrol and Hospital Tech) which allowed me to have the time necessary to pursue a degree.

Response by PO3 Jade Crowsmeadow made May 31 at 2016 9:58 AM

PO3 Jade Crowsmeadow — Tue, 31 May 2016 09:58:57 -0400

An isolated shore command might be your best option. One that has officers in the corps you want to apply for. You need to make sure that the base you ask for has the officers that can provide mentorship and can do the interviews required for your package. An isolated duty station is a great place to focus on your degree. Few people and activities to maintain, means more time for in class requirements and/or quick paced online schools. A small command means you will have time for you. An isolated one means a whole lot less distractions.

Response by CWO3 Bryan Luciani made May 31 at 2016 10:50 AM

CWO3 Bryan Luciani — Tue, 31 May 2016 10:50:35 -0400

PO Zorn, Your desires and goals while important, take a back seat to obligations while serving. Find the tip of the spear and protect this country. My ship, my shipmate, myself. Always in that order. If you do become an officer, I hope your focus is on the well being and success of your people and not on getting your Masters/PhD. IMO.

Response by CDR Charles Thompson made May 31 at 2016 12:17 PM

CDR Charles Thompson — Tue, 31 May 2016 12:17:46 -0400

Tough choices. I took the easy way out - I took my discharge, finished college and came back in . My wife and I both worked while I was in school and I accelerated my degree (a four year degree in 32 months) by going to school year round and carrying fairly heave loads. Also, since i had never planned to work in the field I studied (i.e., i wanted to attended a military officer program whci is not degree specific), i picked majors that would get me to a degree the fastest. In my case, I changed majors from one liberal arts area to another at least once a year in order to graduate as soon as I could. As it happened, I needed 123 semester hours to graduate and need up with 124. So, i ended up with a BA ins English and minors in history and polisci,. Then I qualified for the Naval Aviation Officer Candidate program and started my Navy career in carrier aviation and ended it as Chief of R&D, Electronic Warfare Directorate, NAVSEA. The university experience taught me to organize, study and write. The course work was interesting but served no direct practical purpose.

Response by PO1 Rory Federico made May 31 at 2016 12:26 PM

PO1 Rory Federico — Tue, 31 May 2016 12:26:44 -0400

Shipboard classes are a possibility unless you have a specific course needed for completion that may not be available during a cruise. I think your best bet is to do recruiting duty, in a recruiting duty status you can stay on that duty for more than one tour if you do well.

Response by PO3 Cris Smyth made May 31 at 2016 12:38 PM

PO3 Cris Smyth — Tue, 31 May 2016 12:38:05 -0400

Are you a DK? I would try and get to a squadron. And if the Navy still has the Boost program. Apply to that. Your AZ or YO should get you going. The Airwing side will usually give you the opportunity. At least when I was in. Perseverance is the key! Don't give up on your goal! Best of luck Shipmate!

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 31 at 2016 1:03 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 31 May 2016 13:03:40 -0400

Have you considered getting out for 2 years to complete your college? Every year congress whittles a little bit off your GI Bill benefits. You'll still have a year or two of benefits to use when you're done. Taking classes underway is better than nothing by my experience but it's not a serious way to pursue a degree. I doubt most people who get a degree and took classes underway ever even get to apply their credits to their degree. I was able to but I selected a college that I knew was going to take all the credits.
You can also apply for financial aid I would arrange to get out just before making 20k not including any tax-exempt pay you might have had that year so that you can get more grants to stack on your gi bill. I believe that your TSP contributions might not count as income on your taxes but you'll need to consult your disbursing clerk on that. If you plan right you can live much more comfortably than a typical college student and not have military duties or work to distract you from your studies, you may even make more money in college than you did active. Finally when you do go back in you'll probably be able to collect an earned income credit on your taxes depending on how much you earn that year before tax time.

Response by PO2 Chad Jackson made May 31 at 2016 1:46 PM

PO2 Chad Jackson — Tue, 31 May 2016 13:46:16 -0400

being on a ship will allow you to complete your degree.

Response by LCDR Fred Natkin made May 31 at 2016 10:44 PM

LCDR Fred Natkin — Tue, 31 May 2016 22:44:01 -0400

If you are only 4 weeks away from your AA degree, take leave time and finish that first. However, your career goals and educational goals per what you said DO NOT MATCH. A lot of accredited Baccalaureate schools will allow you to go to classes by computer. Your command can and will nominate you to a school if it is in the Navy's interest.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 1 at 2016 12:42 AM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 00:42:26 -0400

See if you can cross rate to IS, then get your Degree in Political Science(International Studies).

Response by CPO Matthew Thies made Jun 1 at 2016 1:00 PM

CPO Matthew Thies — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 13:00:25 -0400

Since your ultimate goal is transitioning to become an officer, one of the skill sets you will need is time management. To state you won't be able to achieve your educational goals while serving aboard a ship is not entirely true. While continuing education and specifically attending college (either through online courses, onboard outreach programs, or distance learning) can be challenging in a shipboard environment, it's not impossible. I've known several Sailors who achieved their educational goals while maintaining a steady workload, watch-standing responsibilities, and the various other demands on their time that are customary aboard a ship. This was true whether on an aircraft carrier or a "small boy" like a destroyer. In addition, in your goal of becoming an officer, shipboard experience can be a huge positive when you submit an application package for whichever program you apply for.
Ultimately, the only thing standing in the way of you achieving your goal is your own drive and determination. Making PO2 as an LS isn't a "gimme", so you have at least some experience with "putting in the time and effort" to achieve a desired end result. Continue that and you should succeed.

Response by PO3 Mack McLendon made Jun 2 at 2016 2:58 AM

PO3 Mack McLendon — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 02:58:47 -0400

1. Get appointed to the US Naval Academy or the US Merchant Marine Academy (both are by congressional appointment).
2. Apply to the Coast Guard Academy. Admission is by competitive examination.
3. Ask your career counselor about officer procurement programs. Especially ask about NESEP -- the Naval Enlisted Science Education Program. I don't know if it still exists, but you would be sent, at Navy expense, to a university to pursue an engineering/science/math degree. While there, you would continue to receive your regular pay and allowances. Upon graduation, you would be commissioned an Ensign USNR, and would be required to serve a number of years on active duty and in the reserves.

Response by LT Kit Wennersten made Jun 2 at 2016 8:55 AM

LT Kit Wennersten — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 08:55:58 -0400

Loaded question. Its been awhile since active duty so requirements for commissioning have probably changed. The enlisted commissioning program is a start and probably a good route, competitive and not quite as age restrictive. Finish your schooling and get your baccalaureate degree and apply for OCS. Have you checked with the personnel office, base ed, etc?
Without intending too, things fell into place for me by finishing my degree while on active duty in the Marine Corps and then applying for OCS in the Navy.

Response by PO2 Daniel Aguirre made Jun 2 at 2016 12:33 PM

PO2 Daniel Aguirre — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 12:33:46 -0400

Keep in mind that when you go to a different command, you may have school in route or a period in which T.A will not be approved. So you'll have a delay In your schooling. I found that I had more time for school while I was at a squadron than I did while I was on instructor duty so choose your special program wisely. As far as your officer package, I would seek out prior enlisted officers who may have just recently transitioned as well as your education office and career counselor. Best of luck brother.

Response by PO2 Dale Joiner made Jun 5 at 2016 2:47 PM

PO2 Dale Joiner — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 14:47:39 -0400

what was teh specops command I was with sbt22

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2016 7:27 PM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 19:27:54 -0400

I would say get some face time at a Flag command. It may suck there but you can get the necessary tools being there. You'll get the recommendations if you excel.

Response by PO2 Thomas Bodine made Jun 23 at 2016 1:32 PM

PO2 Thomas Bodine — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 13:32:26 -0400

Find one about to go into refit depending on the ship, this could means shore time of from 9 months to two years or more

Response by PO2 Marlon Zuniga made Jul 5 at 2016 4:49 PM

PO2 Marlon Zuniga — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 16:49:05 -0400

What's your degree on? I was told by a recruiter: "people don't go in the military to hoping to become an officer" I guess that means education does not make you more qualified. Let me put it this way, don't go to school to try to advance, go to school because you have a passion about that which you're studying. Unfortunately. just because you have a passion for something doesn't necessarily translate to a prosperous career. There was someone on this thread or discussion that was talking about whether or not he should get out. Please look at my response:

Please stay in. I have two worthless degrees that cant feed my family. One is in biology and the other is in Clinial Laboratory Science. Working for a medical laboratory is like working in a sweat shop. You think the military is obtrusive? Try dealing with a bunch of ladies running around whose sole purpose in life is to leave you jobless so they can retain their job. Try to live a life where you're basically broke all the time. Try to live a life where they tell you overtime is forbidden. You work 1 hour overtime and everyone looks at you like you just committed an adulterous act yet we're understaffed. I was in the military 8 years and I regret every second of my life to have gotten out. There's nothing out here that the civilian sector can offer you. There are 400 applicants to every one job created. The competition is fierce, there are people out there ready to slit your throat for that open position. Please do not get out. No one cares about you out here. No one will look out for you. There are no advancement opportunities. Forget about getting a single penny in the form of a raise. What would you do if the military asked you to donate $100 dollars for membership every year? American society of clinical pathology asks $100 every year for membership!!! I'm ASCP certified and believe I don't see the benefit. I was asked to donate to my fellow alumni for the alumni association at school. How can I donate??? I don't even have a job!!!! School ruins your life. School puts an enormous pressure on you. I was an A student for what??? Employers don't want me. They would rather pay someone who is straight out of the streets than to pay a professional like myself. It's sad. Please do not get out. I implore you, I beseech you to not make the mistake of your life. Do not believe the bogus ads put out by schools. They're a business. They don't care about whether you have a job or not after you graduate. The department of education will sell your student loans to loan sharks like FedLoan Servicing whose goal in life is to multiply their gains and profits. Your service in the military means nothing out here. Filipinos are taking over medical laboratories. They are being favored over qualified applicants here in the US. Med labs will take a filipino over an American any day!!! They would much rather use a traveling service than to offer a full time position. They would much rather spend thousands upon thousands to give these filipinos work visas than to offer a military veteran a job. Get your money in the form of a pension from the military so managers and supervisors out here won't see you as a parasite. They think they're doing you a favor by having you employed. Hospitals cry to the government there is no money to employ more people. Lie!!!!! Ask a civilian friend if they will let you look at their hospital bill. People are being ripped off on their bill. Exorbitant profits are going to the hospital yet no one says anything since they're a nonprofit organization--My ass!!! Anyways, don't get out!!!!

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made May 18 at 2017 10:50 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 18 May 2017 22:50:07 -0400

If you didn't go to a squadron off the bat, don't try and go now. A degree is attainable at most commands. A ship will allow you to work on your degree. A ship is probably your best bet to remain competitive.