AECF - FCs and ETs

SO my daughter is a MEPS and she was offered this rating today and took it. Not even one we looked at she was hoping for HM or AG but this looks exciting. So how does it work? Does she get to decide which path FC or ET to take or do they see what her strengths are and choose for her? I have no information at all on this rating - doing my research now. She is swearing in as we speak. =)

AECF is an excellent choice. It will serve your daughter well. She won't have a choice as to which rating of the two; it will be assigned to her.

One more question - she doesn't ship until July of next year. Any classes she can take on a college level that would give her a little headstart on this rating?

AHawk76, Any computer classes will help, communications and information systems, math, electronics.

OK a little help here please.....Sailor graduated ET A school over a week ago...got a detach date to leave GL (verbal) and 2 different C schools or 2 separate parts there of 1 actual C school??  Things got really messed up with shutdown of govt and he is still waiting hard orders, but has the detach date and report in date and was verbally told Japan.  I am just confused and trying to figure out the last time frame he will be in the US yet.  Thanks from one really confused Mom

meant to say a detach date from GL and a report in date (within the week now)

Any additional knowledge can't hurt. However, the Navy will teach electronics their way and people's preconceptions can actually interfere with that. She should focus on enjoying her remaining freedom because she'll have a long grind ahead once she starts.

Anti M--can you help here? This discussion was on another group and I do not know the next step....Another Mom replied that her daughter too went thru another incident (had most of the ship against her at one point for making the "right" move and was suicidal at one point) and is biding her time right now...

"I am in need of some advice. My daughter is currently deployed. She is an Ensign. There is an officer above her so verbally abusing her she is getting desperate. She's losing sleep, having nightmares and even being threatened by this guy that he will not pass her for her quals so she has to stay under him. No matter where she goes, he's there literally abusing her. At one point he would only do this when alone with so that no one else could hear what he said to her, but I guess today he even spoke inappropriately to her in front of others. She's a nervous wreck, needless to say. He has even gotten others to bully her.
Any suggestions on how I can help her?"

Chris, I'd suggest speaking to the Command Masterchief, the XO, or put in for a formal Request Captain's Mast in order to speak on on one to the CO.  She should have her concerns put down in writing, and document the abuse each time it happens.  

If she is struggling with depression, she should talk to the hotlines set up, or go to medical.  If she doesn't want to go that route, she an speak to a chaplain.

@AHawk... she should not take courses beforehand.  The Navy teaches things a bit differently, but they do teach from the atom up. Math courses can't hurt, and even courses on how to study and take tests, but just say no to extra instruction.  She'll have to "unlearn" half of it.  I went in to the ET program with poor math and science skills, but I came out on top of my class.  

What she should study is Naval history, her general orders, and all she is required to memorize for boot camp.  There's more academics and tests in boot camp than you'd imagine.   Boot camp is far more of a pressure cooker than A school, so knowing that info beforehand is a huge boost up.  She should also work on her physical fitness and basic swimming.

@MyKid... if your sailor is an ET, it is possible to have more than one C school.  Sometimes they are related, and would be taken in sequence, or he may simply be learning two sets of gear.  No telling how long each school will be until he has hard orders.

Chris, I agree with Anti M., the abuse should be reported.

AHawk, my daughter earned an AA degree in technology, which earned her a skip of E2, she went to E3 after PIR. She still said A school was much harder then college. 

AECF usually gives them an auto-advance to E-3 upon PIR no matter how much civilian schooling they have.  E-4 upon graduation from A school, when the Navy advances the next cycle, and they have their time in.  They are all treated as E-1 in boot camp, although there may be a slight variance in pay.  

I thought A school was easier than college!  Fewer distractions, less drama, and the teaching/testing style suited my learning style.  I suppose it is a very individual thing.  

MyKidsInTheNavy,  The orders for C School are probably attached to orders for permanent duty. My sons orders after A School included 3 "schools" and his permanent duty station. He may already have been told what ship he will be attached to. 

My son went to San Diego for school before heading to Japan, and did have three different training classes while there. I don't know what your sons schools are, but my son was in San Diego for about seven months if that helps.

Thanks Anti M, One mom stated her daughter has tried a couple of these things and is being blocked, but will forward this to her. Is the parent asking questions outside of the military sending backlashes? A congressional contact from her home state looking into the allegations a bad road to take? 

Anti M, another gal has tried to get to the Chaplan, but after making an appt, which must have to go thru rank for approval, it is stopped.

They cannot stop her from seeing a chaplain.  No way that has to be approved by her chain of command.  That is supposed to entirely private and personal.  

I don't know what is going on, but there's obviously more to it than we can know.  It doesn't sound right at all.  Getting a congressional rep involved brands her as someone who can't handle her own affairs, a label which will follow her.  

There is an effort in congress to take the reporting of sexualharrasment/abuse/rape out of the chain of command excatly becasue of problems like this one. Speaking out and going to your congressional contact would not be a bad idea.

For more info go to: http://www.notinvisible.org/

To help; click on Take Action and sign the petition

Thanks Anti M, that's what I thought….  :(

I appreciate your thoughts Vickyrun, don't want to make her life any more miserable….

My daughter is in A school but should graduate just before Thanksgiving.  Will she leave immediately for C school (she is ET) or do they usually hold them a while?  Also, does a stand down for holidays affect their leave time any?  She knows her base assignment already so when will she get to know what C school she will go to?  Sorry for all the questions I just don't know how it all works.

@Marti... Thanksgiving is technically just one business day off, Friday is a working day, although usually just a minimal muster.  It won't delay anything much.  Usually if she has orders to her new duty station, the C school orders are included in that, she goes to C school en route.  Does she have verbal orders or hardcopy orders?  It is rare for an ET to go to the fleet without a C school, and that is almost always attached to the orders.  She may or may not experience a hold while waiting for her orders, no way to tell until it happens.  Odd she "knows" her new duty station, but not the associated C school.  Is she positive about where she's going?   That isn't usually how it works, sounds like just verbal orders to me.

The stand down is for Christmas, and both A schools and C schools participate in that.  The fleet does not.  C schools for ETs can be anything from a few weeks to several months.  

My son as well as many others got shore duty coming out of Great Lakes.  The were given there duty station but he didn't even find out that he got a C school until he got there.  He was told he was staff and then given C school assignment.  That was in June of this year.

Some what of an update....everything got really messed up when the shutdown occurred so that has delayed things quite a bit as far as travel and such.  Anyways...Sailor did get his new command (ship) and has 2 C schools enroute.  One was to start 11/4, but CPC (if I got that right, the ones handling travel stuff) said they will not have it ready in time for him to detach as said tomorrow from GL, and now he sits and will miss the start of his first C school.....wow wow wow is all I can say.  They hope to catch up with travel paperwork by sometime next week and he will head out to C school sometime next week.

Nice, GoldnG8r

My son is in Phase 1 at Great Lakes for a FC. He is 19 my only son but I have 2 daughters. One is older than him and the other is younger. He started boot camp on 6/18/13. Due to him failing his run he didnt have a PIR. He waited for like a month because of the shutdown before he could get to a school. He started boot camp as an E-3 because he done ROTC in high school. So anyone with some advice on anything it will be greatly appreciated. Thank you all so much.

tylersmom, keep the support going, tell him to keep his chin up and nose clean. don't get frustrated, just try harder, get out there and run. Once my son got on his ship, he does bike instead of running for fitness testing, so tell him to keep his head high!

This is my first deployment over Christmas .Was wondering the way to send little gifts ,I hope this don't sound stupid but I just don't know ,Do you wrap them, any restrictions stuff like that . Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you

So Happy, got news that she will be moving to a new ship next month and Not in that group being forwrded deployed to Spain. She will be staying on VA! Happy dance!

woohoo!  My daughter finished her last test in A school and will graduate I think she said on Friday.  In December she will get her pin for her promotion to Petty Officer Third Class (she is ET).  Following the holiday stand down and a move to her permanent base, she will go to 3 C schools. 

Does anyone know if someone takes pictures of the A school graduation and where do you go to view them in the event they do take pictures?

Sometimes there will be pics on the TSC FB site.

https://www.facebook.com/TrainingSupportCenterGreatLakes

Thanks Anti M I will check there after her graduation.

It depends on what C school they go to. Some schools are longer then others. They general get orders near the end of the school but sometimes at the begining. Becasue the C school is thier speciality, they have to be on a ship that has that weapon. 

My daughter got hers at the end. She was hoping for San Diego but since she was alrady in Virigina at Dalhgren, she got Norfolk, Virginia.  

My son received his perm duty station orders at the same time he received his C School orders. It just depends on where and when they are needed I would assume.

NNPTC is nuke school and they do it up big.  The Great Lakes A school graduations have always been modest and quick.  If they know you;re attending, it may be an extra few minutes.  We stood in the hall and got our certificates.  

what's the chances of an et getting shore duty??

@Bondo... not very good.  It all depends on what rating they are.  Every rate has a sea/shore rotation, beginning with a sea tour (assigned to a vessel, unit or squadron which deploys).  Having shore duty right away would be very unusual, although it could happen if the Navy needed it to happen.  

Both ET and FC are sea-going rates.  FC almost assuredly would go to a ship first.  ETs have more shore options, but their rotation begins with sea duty too.

@ Anti M thank you i was fearing that's what it would be.... i guess i new the answer all along but was hoping i was wrong... is there anything else you could help me with like BAH she's still in A school so we should live ashore right??

Yes, the school is long enough for Live Ashore, she needs to apply for that right away, and get you moved up there.  You can rent of move into housing if it is available.  Navy housing takes all your BAH, but you won't need to worry about bills and it is right next to the base.  She should be getting BAH for you for your current location.  

well base housing is full and they have a long list... so we are looking into off base and she said something about an allowance?  and she already applied and filled out all the chits..

The allowance is BAH, basic allowance for housing.  It is based on zip code, does not count as base pay, and is not taxed.  

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm

do they ever deny anyone for of base living??

Only if they are in trouble, or behind in school.  

ok thank you.. so i can go ahead and get things set up for the move up their then? beings chances are she'll get the ok??