Need some plain talk about contracts . . .

[exxie]

My son started working with a recruiter before graduating high school this year and we had a pretty good handle on the process for getting him through the various hoops for a Navy Diver job.  Unfortunately, there was a scheduling foul-up for his knee waiver (he had an ACL replacement nearly two years ago) and he didn't end up getting approved until post-graduation.

He has now gotten his waiver, passed the PST for Diver (Special Ops) and is ready to sign.

HOWEVER, the staff in our recruiting office has changed and we're getting some conflicting responses about what comes next.

He's been asked to start "training" with a specialist at our local aquatic center twice a week in prep for Dive School.  No problem.

He's been told he has to retake the PST once a month, including once at least 14 days prior to boot camp (presumably to make sure he's not becoming complacent).  No problem.

He's been told that, because he's now graduated high school, there can be no delayed entry or reserve status or any of that.  He has to sign as an active recruit.  No problem.

And he's been told that it may take a few months for him to be in the top 10% of the recruits who've passed the Diver PST so that they can get him a Diver contract (only so many slots open per month, blah, blah).  Got it.  No problem.

 

Here's the part I don't get:  The latest thing is that someone has said to him that he should sign a "first contract" with some other job besides Diver so that he has something to "fall back on" if he is unable to make it through boot camp.  In other words, he should sign as sayyyy. . a deckhand or whatever; then continue through the process with the Diver specialist and the monthly PSTs and all that until he gets the opportunity to sign a second contract as a diver (assuming that can happen before he gets shipped off to boot camp as a deckhand).  And then if, for whatever reason, he "flunks out" of boot camp or A School, he'll be able to just downgrade his rate to a deckhand without any hassle.  He's told that if he does NOT do it that way, there is a strong chance he'll just get booted completely out of the Navy altogether if something untoward happens in boot camp or A School (because by then there won't be any job openings).

 

Does that sound right to you??  The weird part is that he COULD HAVE signed for a deckhand (or whatever) job the day he got his knee waiver, but the same recruiters plucked him back home and said he would not sign until he passed his PST.  And at the time, I thought that was really cool -- that they didn't want to chance him getting to boot camp without the job he really wanted.

 

I'm just a little confused and trying to make sure we're not mixing up what he's being told -- he is getting info from more than one person, you see (recruiter, recruiter Chief, training guy, etc.)

Thoughts??

[exxie]

Thank you so much for the info and the link! I swear these guys are making my head spin. JUST YESTERDAY the recruiter called and said they're ready for him to go to Jax and sign a Diver contract on Wednesday (a week from now). We got all excited until my son went to the office and got the word (from a different guy) that the contract he'll sign on Wednesday will "probably not" be for Diver.
ARRRGHHH!!!
Somewhere here in my desk is the business card for the head honcho of this office . . . the guy who floats in and out--I think he must be a regional supervisor. I think I'm going to call him because he got upset about some other jacked-up stuff that went on with my son's knee waiver and told me to call him if EVER we didn't get what we thought we were supposed to get. Maybe he can figure it out.

Really, I think it'll just be a matter of showing up on Wednesday and seeing what the contract says, instead of all this crystal ball nonsense.
Thanks for bolstering my "this doesn't sound quite right" thoughts. I'm a pretty reasonable girl, but I'm second-guessing my sense of reason, I suppose.
Check this space Wednesday afternoon to see if I'm gnashing or cheering! LOL!! :D

[BunkerQB]

We don't have a used car salesman in the family but we do have a lawyer and a realtor. Many of the recruiters are there because they are on shore duty. Amongst various groups, the recruiters have the highest incident of suicide. You have good ones and you have bad ones, just like any other profession. You haven't contributed enough on this site to be throwing darts at anyone, in fact you haven't contributed anything at all.

[exxie]

Here's the overdue update:

He signed a contract last Tuesday (was supposed to be Wednesday, but we got a call on Monday to switch) for Damage Controlman. Son was satisfied that he would enjoy the job in the event the diver contract didn't happen. The ship out date on that contract was June 11, 2011. A year off!!

Then got a call yesterday that he needed to come to the local recruiting office to sign some extra paperwork (no biggie . . . they've had him fill out and sign so much stuff you'd think he was buying three cars and a mortgage). When he got there they *surprised* him with the Diver Contract!! Had it sent down from MEPS and he signed the new contract with a ship-out date of December 15, 2010.

So, all worked out nearly exactly as they promised and we are ALL very happy!! Now I have to start getting ready for the pre-Christmas separation. Oh my . . .

[JessicaB-Sailor Mom]

Wow , what a story. Now you need to get ready. I'm going to leave some http addresses at the bottom of my message, just click on them to go to the address. My son was gone during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years...just getting you ready for military life.

Go to YouTube and search Navy boot camp, Battlestations21 (CNN has one), graduation, folding and ironing (the navy way. Lots of good info. The video tab here, use it. I see you're exploring the forums...it will help.

Knowledge is Power.

Your son needs to practice his timed run...seems to be the most difficult thing to pass. EVFERYONE gets sick at boot camp..."Ricky Crud" respiratory stuff mostly. Know the stuff in the DEP book...the General Orders, Sailors Creed, etc

If he has his wisdom teeth, get his dentist to REALLY check them and make sure they won't POTENTIALLY cause a problem coming in...if so, they need to come out. They will be removed in boot camp (if they need to be) and all other dental work will be done to to ensure no potential problems. It might be easier on him to have them removed prior to boot. Your son will have the best of care..medical, dental, vision...everything.

My son LOVES the Navy and is very happy. So far I have enjoyed the experience. This is a great site...lots of info and lots of people to guide you. Anti M, PayMaster, Hoppi aka Angie, BunkerBee...I think all of them are plank owners here and not sure but think all are current, retired military or employed at RTC. (Ya'll correct me if I'm wrong) BB is the only one I'm not sure about. ..I think she's just a fixture :>))

here are the sites

http://www.navvyformoms.com/group/deppersinbutnotyet read some of the discussions for good info

http://www.navyformoms.com/group/leavinforbootcampindecember here you'll connect with others leaving in December. There may still be N4M's there from '09 but the 2010 deppers will start to join soon.

Search groups for his rate (job), A school, lots of very cool groups...if you have an interest, search for it...it may be here.

[gddz]

you know that is soo true they really are like car slesmentrying to meet a quota ....if i had a nickle for all the fale information my fiances recruiter gave us i would be a millionaire