Trying to decide... - Navy For Moms2024-03-28T10:25:12Zhttps://navyformoms.ning.com/forum/topics/trying-to-decide?commentId=1971797%3AComment%3A7060393&feed=yes&xn_auth=noHi Cynthia,
I have to say I a…tag:navyformoms.ning.com,2012-07-04:1971797:Comment:71692762012-07-04T17:13:06.714Zamandamomof4https://navyformoms.ning.com/profile/aamomof4
<p>Hi Cynthia,</p>
<p>I have to say I am curious about what decisions have been made by you/your son :) I read through all the replies but didn't see any follow up by you.</p>
<p>We have raised all our children with the idea of going to college after high school but that doesn't always fit in with what they want. My son is very smart but he hates pointless schooling. We realized when he was in the 6th/7th grade that he would not be going to college right out of high school because I had no…</p>
<p>Hi Cynthia,</p>
<p>I have to say I am curious about what decisions have been made by you/your son :) I read through all the replies but didn't see any follow up by you.</p>
<p>We have raised all our children with the idea of going to college after high school but that doesn't always fit in with what they want. My son is very smart but he hates pointless schooling. We realized when he was in the 6th/7th grade that he would not be going to college right out of high school because I had no intention of going with him and making sure he was doing his assignments and turning them in. High school was a struggle because he just didn't care about what he was learning. His saving grace was that he was accepted into a vocational program for Diesel technology. He spent part of his school day there. In that program he got all A's and B's because it was meaningful to him.</p>
<p>My son has wanted to be in the military since he was little. When he was about 12/13 I told him I was ok with that but I prefered the navy. My family has a naval background and my husband was also in the navy. So this year when he graduated high school he joined. He will be going to boot camp in Oct. With bootcamp, sub school and A school he will have possibly a year of schooling before he gets his first duty station. I am not worried about it though because it will be schooling similar to the diesel program and will be important to him. If I were sending him off to college I would be worried every day that he would flunk out.</p>
<p>I think you need to base the decision on what would be most in line with your sons personality. Does he love school; doing homework, writing papers, labs? Does he want to jump in there and learn what he needs to learn to get to work?</p> Hi Cinzia,
We had many of the…tag:navyformoms.ning.com,2012-06-16:1971797:Comment:71275362012-06-16T17:23:21.973ZJackFlashhttps://navyformoms.ning.com/profile/Al986
Hi Cinzia,<br></br>
We had many of the same questions. We were/are encouraging our son to attend college first and join later as this was the advice we were repeatedly given by almost every Officer we encountered. That's one thing to note, someone's personal experience shapes their response. All of the Officers we spoke with had all entered as Officers, so of course they thought it was the better way to go. On the other hand, I've also met many enlisted quite happy with their path, having opted to…
Hi Cinzia,<br/>
We had many of the same questions. We were/are encouraging our son to attend college first and join later as this was the advice we were repeatedly given by almost every Officer we encountered. That's one thing to note, someone's personal experience shapes their response. All of the Officers we spoke with had all entered as Officers, so of course they thought it was the better way to go. On the other hand, I've also met many enlisted quite happy with their path, having opted to join ahead of college, with plans to use the GI Bill later, or take college courses while enlisted with support from the Navy.<br/>
<br/>
I met one SEAL, who confessed he wished that he'd gone to school first, earned a degree and entered as an Officer, but this was more of a maturity issue versus anything else. Another SEAL told me he was glad he'd gone to school first simply because there was no way he would have been ready (mature enough) for the program before his college days. Every individual is different. My son can't be talked out of joining, which is good, in my opinion. If they can be talked out of it, they didn't really want it enough, right? ...so I tried!<br/>
<br/>
It's an honorable choice at any time, and I commend each and every one who choose to serve. My husband enlisted at the ag…tag:navyformoms.ning.com,2012-06-16:1971797:Comment:71270712012-06-16T13:58:37.826Zbeachmom76https://navyformoms.ning.com/profile/beachmom76
<p>My husband enlisted at the age of 21 after learning the hard way that even with an athletic scholarship, colleges expect you to attend classes! How unreasonable can they be? He was enlisted for 12 years then was commissioned through the Limited Duty Officer (LDO) program. He earned his degree while on active duty, but it wasn't easy since he has spent most of his career at sea. He found that his years as an enlisted man gave him a different perspective on leadership. He also finds that the…</p>
<p>My husband enlisted at the age of 21 after learning the hard way that even with an athletic scholarship, colleges expect you to attend classes! How unreasonable can they be? He was enlisted for 12 years then was commissioned through the Limited Duty Officer (LDO) program. He earned his degree while on active duty, but it wasn't easy since he has spent most of his career at sea. He found that his years as an enlisted man gave him a different perspective on leadership. He also finds that the enlisted Sailors have a great deal of respect for officers whom they know have walked in their shoes.</p>
<p>Our daughter attended the Naval Academy and is now a LTJG on a destroyer. She found as a 21 year old ensign that it was tough to lead people who were often older and much more experienced. That has improved over time, but her first year was pretty difficult. She was lucky to get a great education and have a guaranteed job when she finished school. That, plus no student loans (service academies are basically free), and she is pretty set financially. </p>
<p>I guess my point is this: your son should choose the path that seems best to him. Not everyone is ready for college at 17 or 18; others benefit greatly by the years in school before choosing the Navy as a career. Whichever path your son selects, there will be opportunities for him to advance and have a successful Navy career. </p> Hi Cynthia,
My son is 17 y.…tag:navyformoms.ning.com,2012-05-14:1971797:Comment:70603932012-05-14T15:52:42.152ZA Proud Navy Momhttps://navyformoms.ning.com/profile/Meg476
<p><strong>Hi Cynthia,</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>My son is 17 y.o. and enlisted in the Navy on March 15, 2012. He will be leaving for bc on September 6th. Here's my story . . . .when our son said that he wanted to join the Navy, we begged and pleaded with him to get a college degree first. We had him talk to several military personnel, a Navy Seal, a Navy Seebee just to name a few. Everyone recommended that he get his college degree first especially since he was a high honors…</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hi Cynthia,</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>My son is 17 y.o. and enlisted in the Navy on March 15, 2012. He will be leaving for bc on September 6th. Here's my story . . . .when our son said that he wanted to join the Navy, we begged and pleaded with him to get a college degree first. We had him talk to several military personnel, a Navy Seal, a Navy Seebee just to name a few. Everyone recommended that he get his college degree first especially since he was a high honors student. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Regardless</span> of what everyone has told him, he enlisted. It didn't matter what preaching everyone did, it was HIS decision. His reason for enlisting was that he was burnt out with school, did not want college debt, and was not interested in becoming an officer. He is ready to start training for his Hospital Corpsman job. When we met with his recruiter, we made it clear to him what my son wanted to do. My son did not sign on the dotted line until he was guaranteed a spot for Hospital Corpsman. He scored so high on his entry test that he could have been in the Nuclear Engineering program. Not once did his recruiter pressure him into going into that field. My son is certainly officer material. Would have loved it if he did ROTC or attended college first, but it is not what HE wanted. I have never seen him so happy and ready to start basic training. The recruiter also told us that the training he will receive will convert into college credits. That made me feel much better knowing that if he decides to end his Navy career, he will have something. My son says he plans on staying in for 20 years. We are very proud of him and support all military personnel. So, I guess what I am trying to say is that you need to have a heart to heart with your son to see what he really wants to do and listen carefully. It won't matter what everyone else's advice is. I am happy to say that even though basic training will be tough, I know that my son will be in great hands. No worries about college partying, etc. and no college debt. Navy4Moms has been a wealth of information and support for me. Best of luck to you and your son!</strong></p>
<p></p> Hi Cynthia,
I know I am not…tag:navyformoms.ning.com,2012-04-24:1971797:Comment:70159152012-04-24T05:45:52.534ZVeronica/NavyWifehttps://navyformoms.ning.com/profile/VeronicaNavyWife
<p>Hi Cynthia,</p>
<p></p>
<p>I know I am not a mom, but I understand from being married to my husband that if your son has the opportunity to go to college then he should go to college. Having a little knowledge under the belt before he went to the Navy would not hurt. But if he feels that he could be doing more, then the Navy would be a great place to learn and grow as well. Its a decision that he will carry with him for the rest of his life. If he can not decide whether he wants to go or…</p>
<p>Hi Cynthia,</p>
<p></p>
<p>I know I am not a mom, but I understand from being married to my husband that if your son has the opportunity to go to college then he should go to college. Having a little knowledge under the belt before he went to the Navy would not hurt. But if he feels that he could be doing more, then the Navy would be a great place to learn and grow as well. Its a decision that he will carry with him for the rest of his life. If he can not decide whether he wants to go or not, then maybe he should make a list of the pros and cons. At the end of the day, the question he should be asking himself is whether or not he wants to live his life wondering "What if?.."</p>
<p></p>
<p></p> On a funny note, there were t…tag:navyformoms.ning.com,2012-04-23:1971797:Comment:70134362012-04-23T05:31:55.849ZBunkerQBhttps://navyformoms.ning.com/profile/BunkerBee
<p>On a funny note, there were two prior enlisted candidates in my son's OCS class that really really impressive (I met them both). One was a SEAL (no other words necessary) and the other a Mexican woman in her late 20s, husband an enlisted sailor, a mother w 2 kids. She was not that tall but well-muscled. She was one tough cookie. My son said she had no problem carrying a 230 lb sailor on her back at a drop of a hat. There was one enlisted guy who had a real hard time, academically and…</p>
<p>On a funny note, there were two prior enlisted candidates in my son's OCS class that really really impressive (I met them both). One was a SEAL (no other words necessary) and the other a Mexican woman in her late 20s, husband an enlisted sailor, a mother w 2 kids. She was not that tall but well-muscled. She was one tough cookie. My son said she had no problem carrying a 230 lb sailor on her back at a drop of a hat. There was one enlisted guy who had a real hard time, academically and emotionally (going thru marital difficulties). But he made it thru w the help of the other candidates.</p>
<p>Whatever path the individual decides - it's never forever - you can change. Opportunities will come up. My sailor was a college grad, who was commissioned. My younger son attended West Point for two years - he too would have been commissioned had he stayed. They both feel that officers in general would be better if they all served as enlisted personnel for at least two years prior to being commissioned.</p>
<p></p> She may decide after getting…tag:navyformoms.ning.com,2012-04-23:1971797:Comment:70137242012-04-23T05:20:01.584ZBunkerQBhttps://navyformoms.ning.com/profile/BunkerBee
<p>She may decide after getting her degree to apply to the OCS program. On a sub, only commissioned officers can be XOs or COs. Regardless, it's no easy task to become a CWO - the process is more rigorous than ever. The Navy is turning down smart college grads everyday because their educational training is NOT what the Navy needs.</p>
<p><em><strong>Members ask questions forgetting that it's not what their sons/daughters want from the Navy that matters but whether their sons/daughters have any…</strong></em></p>
<p>She may decide after getting her degree to apply to the OCS program. On a sub, only commissioned officers can be XOs or COs. Regardless, it's no easy task to become a CWO - the process is more rigorous than ever. The Navy is turning down smart college grads everyday because their educational training is NOT what the Navy needs.</p>
<p><em><strong>Members ask questions forgetting that it's not what their sons/daughters want from the Navy that matters but whether their sons/daughters have any capabilities that the Navy needs.</strong></em></p>
<p>Does this sound harsh? Yes, very. But it is the fact of life trying to make being a part of the Navy a career path. The days of oh, you can't think of anything to do, go join the Navy and see the world are long, long gone.</p>
<p>For those who are curious, here is some info on CWOs & LDOs</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://usmilitary.about.com/od/navypromotions/a/navwarrant.htm" target="_blank">http://usmilitary.about.com/od/navypromotions/a/navwarrant.htm</a></p>
<p>If a family can swing the college expense, I would recommend sending the kid to college for a year or two, provided they have fun but work hard as well (maintained a certain grade point , no DUIs, no drug scene, don't get pregnant, etc. etc). At the two year mark, I would reevaluated whether continuing the college path - w or w/o NROTC (or other program) - or continue w college, complete the degree than decide if OCS or enlisted is the choice (this as I said in my last comment depends on what the degree is in).</p> When you are in a NROTC progr…tag:navyformoms.ning.com,2012-04-23:1971797:Comment:70132592012-04-23T02:19:47.831ZBunkerQBhttps://navyformoms.ning.com/profile/BunkerBee
<p>When you are in a NROTC program (at a college which has a NROTC program), you are already in a program for future officers. Upon admission into a NROTC program, you can go to a college with a NROTC program, in a major which the Navy deems necessary to fills the officer ranks. You can not just use the NROTC program and study whatever you want. Those admitted into the program must maintain a certain grade point average and participate in training (not sure about the schedule here). Typically,…</p>
<p>When you are in a NROTC program (at a college which has a NROTC program), you are already in a program for future officers. Upon admission into a NROTC program, you can go to a college with a NROTC program, in a major which the Navy deems necessary to fills the officer ranks. You can not just use the NROTC program and study whatever you want. Those admitted into the program must maintain a certain grade point average and participate in training (not sure about the schedule here). Typically, those admitted to the NROTC program are high school students who didn't want to go to the Navy Academy or were not offered an appointment. There is also the NUPOC program for those studying engineering, physics (or some other related major).</p>
<p>The Officer Candidate School program is for college graduates (or those about to graduate). My son did not consider joining the Navy until his senior year in college. If he had decided earlier and had been accepted into the NUPOC program (for nuke officers), he could have saved up 60 to 70K for the last two years of his education.</p>
<p>Here is the bottom line. If you have a degree in science, engineering, computer science (or programming) or a special skill (like fluent in Arabic) - the Navy will probably find a place for you. If you have a degree in sociology, women's studies, history of the Ottoman Empire - it's best that you go the enlisted route first, then try an get into the OCS program.</p>
<p>Hope this makes sense.</p>
<p>BQB</p>
<p>My son just completed his 5 years commitment to the Navy as a nuke officer on a sub.</p> I would find out how his chan…tag:navyformoms.ning.com,2012-04-23:1971797:Comment:70132392012-04-23T02:02:05.330Zcoolmachttps://navyformoms.ning.com/profile/coolmac
<p>I would find out how his chances are of being commissioned. Last year, there were very few if any officer spots for people just walking in with a college degree. If he is serious about the navy, I would suggest looking into a Navy ROTC program if he wants to do that. There could be benefits of signing up and completing school once in. I don't know how that works though. I think they pull officers from the NROTC programs before they just sign random people up. Good luck.</p>
<p>I would find out how his chances are of being commissioned. Last year, there were very few if any officer spots for people just walking in with a college degree. If he is serious about the navy, I would suggest looking into a Navy ROTC program if he wants to do that. There could be benefits of signing up and completing school once in. I don't know how that works though. I think they pull officers from the NROTC programs before they just sign random people up. Good luck.</p> I am a real believer in going…tag:navyformoms.ning.com,2012-04-21:1971797:Comment:70107592012-04-21T23:41:31.223ZBunkerQBhttps://navyformoms.ning.com/profile/BunkerBee
<p>I am a real believer in going to college right out of high school. There is nothing like experiencing the college scene as an eighteen year old. I loved it. My husband loved it. Our older son loved it. Our younger more or less loved it. You really can't put a dollar tag on it. Of course, much depends on the financial situation of each family because sending a child to college is expensive and more expensive today than 5, 10 years ago. Circumstances change. </p>
<p>As far as dollars and cents…</p>
<p>I am a real believer in going to college right out of high school. There is nothing like experiencing the college scene as an eighteen year old. I loved it. My husband loved it. Our older son loved it. Our younger more or less loved it. You really can't put a dollar tag on it. Of course, much depends on the financial situation of each family because sending a child to college is expensive and more expensive today than 5, 10 years ago. Circumstances change. </p>
<p>As far as dollars and cents go, I know several young whipper snapper who dropped out of college and they make more money than any of our kids (or the total sum of any number of our kids) will ever make. I have also encounter a number of "stars" from high school who have flamed out.</p>
<p>It's difficult to assess in high school what would be the better path. The military track has worked out great for Lady Hamilton's daughter - that is a wonderful indication that the Navy could be a fantastic solution for the right individual. I also know of individuals who joined the Navy right out of high school and hate it. They would have been better off, living at home, going to a community college for awhile - they really were not ready to be part of a large organization - they needed more time to meander along at a different pace.</p>
<p>We do have many Navy recruits who joined because after 5-10 years of college and/or work have decided that a career in the military has lots of advantages. Often joining at an older age makes the recruit appreciate the opportunity more. I am in support of any individual who sincerely wants to serve our country at any age.</p>
<p>My son (an nuke officer for 5 years) is very, very smart (with many academic and athletic awards in high school, college and in the Navy). He freely admits that he has encountered a number of enlisted nukes who are innately more intelligent that he is but for whatever reason simply didn't go to college. He suggested to them to go back to school, get their degrees, become officers w/o too much success - it's too difficult for some to make it work within the enlisted career path (particularly for those in the sub service). Some like the idea of going to school to learn more but have no desire to be officers. Clearly, potential earning level for an enlisted person will never be higher than the level for an officer.</p>
<p>shermb, I would suggest that your son as soon as he can (if he is interested), because he has a college degree, apply for the Officer Candidate School program. Good luck to him.</p>