My son is currently in boot camp and he is going to be S-Pact when he gets done in a few weeks.  He's a little worried about it and isn't crazy that he will have to wait a year to strike for a rating but his dad and I have told him that if he has a good attitude and works hard that he will get noticed.  His recruiter has told him the same thing.  

Kristi, yes he is still positive.  We are able to communicate almost everyday when they are in port.  He has made so many good friends, and learning so much.  He loves where he is (homeport is Spain).  The hours are long, but the travelling is great.  The ship is his home, so not too comfy, but he really doesn't complain.  He admires his Chief very much and fellow shipmates.  He's only been 3 months on ship, but I am sure he will achieve what he wants.  Keep the faith!

My son got his wish list favorite for his first duty station and is pretty excited to be headed out to see the world. I've read all the negative posts and comments on a lot of sites, so of course I was a nervous wreck initially, but he seems okay with knowing that there will be a lot of hard work, and that some of it will be very tedious. He wasn't ready to choose when he signed his contract and since going to boot camp, he has become interested in learning more about a few rates that have caught his attention.