NROTC

ViperGirl and hanksmom, 

Hopefully the wait for TBS won't be too long for your Marines. My DS's original orders were for Jan 14 but those were moved up to Dec 6. Six months on IRR was a long time in limbo. He was lucky, he is the first besides the prior enlisted to go to TBS. Some from his class aren't going until April and May. That is a long time on IRR.

ViperGirl, 

I think it is more luck of the draw. Aviation doesn't seem to matter since DS has his aviation contract. It also can change at the last minute one of his friends was to  report with him and his orders changed the 2nd week of Nov. But that is the Marine Corps.

Colorblind test - anyone have issues? Anyone permitted a retake? My son took the test for the second time after his eyes were dilated and he did not pass. Although the first time he took it he got a perfect. Just looking for others experiences.

Today our DS began his XO/CO tour. It is going to be an interesting couple of years. We so happy all of his hard work is paying off. University of Washington NROTC class of 1997. 

@RoTcMoM - He was the BnCO second semester in 1997.  Great group of people there. 

Hi Lukes Mama:

Your son will interview with more than 1 Admiral :D   Good luck to him over the next day or two.  My daughter just started Nuke school- will be a long year.

My daughter just took the ASTB,  Her score was 7/7/7.  Does anyone know if this is good?   She wants NFO.

Asked my son. ASTB score of 7/7/7 is 88th percentile, so pretty good.

Lukes Mama -- how'd it go?  By this time of the day, my son knew lol 

Praying for the best for him!!

hugs to you

Thank you helenp.  She is wondering if she should take it again.   I guess they take the last score.  The first time she got a 5/6/6 so she was pleased she did better.  However, since you can only take it 3 times she doesn't know what to do!

Lukes mom - Congrats to your son!!

Congrats to everyone's 1/C MIDN. Crazy to think they get commissioned in a few short weeks. 

Our daughter got commissioned 2 years ago & it seems like just a few months ago, so it's hitting me hard that now our son will also be an Officer (and on the opposite side of the country w/ us stuck in the middle).  Looking forward to the day tho -- family will all be together & our Ensign daughter will give our son his Oath of Office.  Can't wait!

ViperGirl - So, who will choke up, your hubby or your son?  That'll be an awesome day for your family.  Congrats!!

Commissioning is this Saturday.  Unbelievable.

Alaskan mom -- If a group is started for a Moms of Female Officers, i'm in!  I've been following the Moms of Officers group for some time now & i'm not sure a "girls" group is necessary, but, i'd join if one is formed.  

I think I did see a Moms of Daughters group buried in the list of thousands somewhere.  I didn't join it at the time.  I know you can search for groups by keyword so you can probably find it that way.  Of the thousands of groups here- my daughter ended up on I swear the one ship that didn't have a group- lol.  She's also at Nuke school and I'm finding the Nuke mom's group is 98 percent enlisted .  So I just lurk :)

I'm new to this group and forgive me, but I'm not a mom. My daughter was granted a NROTC scholarship starting August after being at RPI for 3 semesters. She started classes and was informed that the assistance doesn't start until after a physical which hasn't been scheduled yet. She tried for a 4 year scholarship and did a physical then which she passed, but was disqualified for having too many college credits due to attending a junior college for her last 2 years of high school. (The classes for high school were also given college credit.) Luckily, RPI isn't worried about the tuition - YET. They admit that the Navy is not as prompt as the other services. 

I found the discussion on Dropping Out of NROTC very informative, especially the reference to the service academy forum about the same subject. The euphoria of getting a scholarship overshadows the possible pitfalls. An accident can render a midshipman medically disqualified and result in disenrollment from NROTC and a substantial bill (repayment of all assistance received) to the government even if the accident was through no fault of the mid.

My daughter will hopefully sit down with a responsible officer that will take the time to explain the implications of all that is included in the NROTC contract that could bind her to possibly $180,000 (in her case) in reimbursements for not meeting all possible conditions the government has stipulated (i.e. "for any other reason"). (The government appears to cover all possible bases.)  But how often does a home loan or even a college loan administrator sit down to do this?  As parents, we may never get the opportunity to see the contract to be able to advise. Here's hoping you have raised your kids to be wary of contracts and never sign until they have plenty of time to review it and/or have a competent representative to review and explain it.   

Jake's Mom,

The NSTC M-1533.2 instruction will give some information on the service assignment process starting on page 6-30. There are few firm dates in the manual since the dates are sent via other communication.  Below is a link to NTSC instructions pdfs

http://www1.netc.navy.mil/nstc/NSTC_Directives/manuals.asp

The process is explained to your DS/DD and starts during the sophomore year with the service assignment survey.. Different service designations have different procedures. Nukes and Seal prospects have individual interviews and can be selected at that time. Once the service assignments are done, work on placement can proceed. The "needs of the Navy" are continually evolving and can cause delays and changes. It is compounded with force reductions. 

Hey NROTC moms and other group members:

I'm sorry I haven't been on here in a while and especially sorry I didn't catch what happened a few weeks ago between Vipergirl and Lasersailer.  That is definitely a private conversation that doesn't belong on this public board.  I'm going to delete it from here.  In the future please do not hesitate to drop me an email if something like that happens and I need to check in over here :)   If anyone would like to step up and volunteer to become an assistant moderator for this board just send me a message.  There is really nothing to it. 

I'll be away for a few days hopefully celebrating my Navy girl's graduation from Nuke school.  Return next week :)

If there are any moms "lingering" from when you had Midshipmen ... 

Did any of your Ensigns have their belongings packed up & moved from YOUR home after they were commissioned?

Most of our Ensign's belongings are at our home.  He just has a small amount of his stuff at the apartment where he is living while being "stashed" by the Navy before he reports in November.

Do you have any tips or suggestions for me to help this process ... for example, how to ensure they only pack his stuff & not any of ours; where would it be best to "collect" his stuff for the packing process, etc ??  

Is it true that even if i pack some of the stuff (clothes that will be stored) the Navy movers will unpack & re-pack it all??

Anything else i should know??

thanks for your assistance!!

My son just did this on Monday! He also found it more financially economical to move himself and then get reimbursed for his moving expenses. He rented a U Haul trailer and moved himself from St. Louis to Pensacola. He is unloading and carrying his stuff up the stairs to his 3rd floor apt as I type this. The Navy has Moving Consultants for information and advice that he called often. That's all I know because he did it all himself. All I did is help load the trailer.

Thanks for the advise.  I think he just wants the Navy to do it.  Our daughter moved herself across the country (she & i drove a big Penske truck & pulled her car behind) & she did not come out ahead financially.  And, it was NOT because we weren't frugal along the way!   

He has friends that have told him how easy it is to have the Navy move you & that sounds better to him than renting a truck & getting it weighed at both ends & packing himself, etc. It doesn't cost him anything for navy to move him, except gas to get to his location when he drives his car there, so financially, he's good.  

So, anyone else with tips, i'm still open to them!!

Always had a full move for DITY move but from the 11 moves I remember as a Navy brat and active duty, no two moves were the same. Put all your son's items in a single room or area. Some movers are known to take things so you need to watch over the packing and loading. Some movers will take packed boxes, but others won't. Some packers are paid by time on the job and some want to ensure a good packing job to minimize breakage. If there is a lot of stuff, there might be one or two days of packers, then the movers (truck driver and helper or two) will come to load the van. Most likely there won't be that much so the movers will be putting your load with others so it is important all the items are marked/labeled.  Ensure your son calls the Navy household goods coordinator BEFORE the truck is to arrive. If the truck arrives in the area and your son hasn't called, the stuff will go into storage. That's more handling so more to break and get lost. Also, some areas items cannot be stored wrapped in blankets so they will be repacked in paper allowing for theft and damage to happen. It will be more difficult for a claim because they will be a battle of whose at fault - the shipper or the storage company.

Ensure the packers made out a good inventory list and get it to your son to have on hand when the goods arrive. The best moves are when the van driver goes from your house then to your son's place without any delays in between.  Hope this helps.  

thanks lasersailor & MattsMom, the more info the better!!  i appreciate you ALL taking the time to respond!! 

Can any of you provide insight on the uniform process for a NROTC senior? My son claims that uniforms cost $4000 and it is his responsibility to purchase them before commissioning. Any information would be  appreciated.

Thanks, Jill

I agree on the $4000 comment .. I've also heard that.   Like Suzie said, if you buy every single piece (and brand new), it'll probably cost you that much. yikes.  My son has also got some pants from other marines who no longer need them. That saved us money as well.  No one has mentioned the sword - I believe that's a pretty penny also.  yes?

Our son spent less than $200 to get all his officer uniform stuff outfitted.  They got to keep everything that had been issued by the Unit & he just bought a new cover and all the bars, etc to change out.  Some of the pieces don't fit like a glove like the expensive custom uniforms, but he rarely wears dress whites or dress blues, so he doesn't care.  And, they do still fit & look nice.  He's waiting to spend his $$ on the stuff he will wear every day, so he is comfortable on a daily basis. -- one of his LtJG sister's suggestions.

Hi. I'm Arwen. I am former Navy enlisted, as is my husband and older son. I've been on this site for more than 5 years (for my son), but the officer process thing is new to me. My daughter is currently in NJROTC, and is going through the process to apply for an NROTC scholarship, at U Washington, Washington State U, U Idaho, U Colorado Boulder, and U California, San Diego. She's also applying to Annapolis. So, any tips for helping her through this would be appreciated.

My son spent about $2500 on everything.  We didn't help him find sales, or anything that went along with his uniform.  He was on it right away, he was pretty excited!!

Great advice from all-- thanks for the help!

Navy uniforms and policies can be found at this site: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/uniforms/uniformregul...  

Read the comments below each uniform to find out what is actually required. Swords are required for official ceremonies like Change of Commands (CoC's) and are for Department Heads and above; normally LCDRs and up. (Weddings aren't official Navy functions but are a nice touch.) Usually, several Department Heads borrow someone's sword at CoC's. Dinner Dress Blue/White jackets are not required for LT's and below.  Only aviators need to get brown shoes.  Flight suits, flight jackets, and flight boots are issued, not bought. The DoD has shelf lives for these and auction them off so you will see them in surplus stores and other places. Just keep the receipts if you buy these to prove they are not Gov't property anymore.

All potential Line officers should constantly use good sunglasses to preserve their eyesight and be wary of eye strain (computer screens, florescent lights, etc.). Remember, don't damage "Gov't Property" (sunburns, injuries, overweight, etc.). 

Hi Arwen !!  My main advise is get the scholarship application in early & make it accurate.  Plus, she'll need good grades, good test scores &, depending on the interviewer, it may help tons if she has been involved in community & school activities especially in leadership positions.  Having been in NJROTC should help.

Had 2 go through NROTC.  1st one "earned" her scholarship partway through freshman yr of college -- tho there's not as much $$ for that anymore.  2nd one got his offered to him on the spot during his interview Sr yr of high school.  He didn't get it for one of the schools he applied/got accepted to, though, so we had to request for it to be changed to a school he had been accepted to.  Though we were told that may be a problem, it wasn't, it was just a bit time consuming to get it changed (several phone calls, some emails, wait, more phone calls & paperwork, wait, etc.)

Are there specific questions you have?  

When my son started the journey we actually got great advice from the commander in charge of regional recruiting. He told us there is a scoring grid for all candidates. Here are the categories: grades, planned major, letter in a high school sport, office in a high school club, and community service. Oh, if I would have known then, what I know now.

My son has just accepted the NROTC scholarship Marine option for the Fall Semester of 2015.  I am new to this and was wondering what I should expect as far as obligations between now and when school starts in August.  Should I be contacting someone on campus?

Thank you so much usmcmom! He will be attending the University of Oklahoma.  I'll check out the link you sent.

sarahskmfg -- congrats on your son getting a scholarship.  That is awesome!!  I agree with usmcmom, the NROTC unit will probably be in contact with your son.  One thing i would suggest, if anyone contacts the Unit to find out more information, please have HIM be the one to contact them, not you.  He will gain more respect from the Unit that way than if "his mom" contacts them.  

Need some advice.

My son got NFO and is all set to commission in May. He even has the certificate from the Navy. They just came to him this week and said that he is disqualified. He had his eye exam and they over dilated his eyes and he could see NOTHING so he failed the color blind part. then he went on summer tour and had the doctor on base do the exam again and he passed. But they just found out last week that the paperwork did not come through. Now his officers at college are scrambling to get another test, but he has to go to Norfolk. Anyone ever heard of this happening? He is so disappointed. And fingers crossed that it all works out in the end.

Jill 

Jake's mom -- hang in there & tell you son to hang in there.  Our son had to get new physicals (don't remember why) at Great Lakes.  It took lots of work from one particular Unit staff member, but due to his diligence our son got commissioned on time.  We didn't know until about a week before if the Commissioning with his class would be "real" or not.

If the Unit is working on it, hopefully it will happen -- and on time.

sarahskmfg - Ensure your son is ready for USMC fitness test when he reports to OU. It will be hot in August so he should be ready for the heat. He needs to call the Unit and ask what he should study before coming. Some Units expect their newbies to have some things memorized like ranks, 11 General Orders of a sentry, Marine Corps organization structure, etc. He needs to take the initiative.  

thank you lasersailer!  I'll pass the message on to him.

My daughter has a meeting Thursday with the freshman advisor at my daughter's college unit (she is going college option - no scholarship). Does anyone have any input on what kinds of questions she should ask?

Arwen --  I'll try to give this some more thought before Thursday, but some of the questions you all should be asking are ...

What is expected of the College Program students at that Unit?

Is there actually any money available for scholarships for College Program options these days? (there was 6 years ago when our daughter went through - she got a scholarship that way, but by the time our son got there 2 years later college program scholarships had dried up.  I suspect they won't want to answer this one, and i do realize it is difficult to know because the wants/needs of the government are ever-changing, but some type of satisfactory answer should be received.)  Perhaps a better question might be -- How many scholarships have been given to college programmers at that Unit in last 2 years? And, were they full scholarships or partial?

What does she have to do to earn a scholarship?  What are the main criteria that the staff will be looking at when they select college programmers to receive scholarships?

What are her obligations after she graduates?

How often & when is PT?

How often & when are study hours?

Is there tutoring within the Unit, or does the Unit help her find tutoring, or must she seek it out on her own?

That's all of the "bigger" questions i can think of right now.  Hope that it's helpful.  I'd be happy to share or answer any questions that i can.  We had college programmer that earned a scholarship mid-year freshman year (and eventually everyone in her class that stuck it out got scholarships.)  We also had a child that got a full scholarship from the beginning  (i'm not sure any of his college program classmates ever got scholarships cuz $$ dried up), so we've experienced it from both those angles.

Hope it goes well!!  

Well stated Jn/Jf Mom!  I concur completely with the questions you have suggested.  In regards to the number of scholarships offered/obtained, you might also ask for an explanation of how the scholarship applications are put together and submitted for national consideration.  It's important to realize that even with the full support of unit staff/command, the scholarship award can still fall through.

The scholarship isn't the goal. Her #1 concern is to get into the unit and #2 concern is to be commissioned. If there's a scholarship along the way, it's frosting on the cake.

Arwen --- At our kid's Unit, as of 2010, if a scholarship had not be earned by the end of sophomore year the students couldn't continue on as a College Programmer.  They had to drop out of NROTC and could not be Commissioned through the Unit.  I don't know if that is nation-wide, or just at some Units.  Better make sure you check on that.  

One of our son's roommates still wanted to be Commissioned (marine), so he had to drop out of NROTC, then get "attached" (i have no idea the right term) to an officer recruitment class in the area.  He worked out and did other activities with them Jr & Sr years of college, then got Commissioned somewhere else (not the college Unit) soon after graduation. 

If she doesn't get a scholarship and has to get out of NROTC, then she can always go through OCS - Office Candidate School (i think it's OCS for Navy) after graduation & become a Naval Officer.  If you ever talk to a recruiter make SURE it is an "Officer Recruiter" not a regular recruiter. 

That is different from what I was told. When we visited the NROTC unit last year they said that there are four possibilities for a college option midshipman.

1) If they excel as freshmen they may be selected for a three-year scholarship and have a military obligation on leaving the program and attend summer cruises.

For those not awarded a scholarship at the end of the freshman year, the end of the sophomore year is a another decision point, and the unit has three options.

1 - they do not meet the unit standards and are dropped from the program with no military obligation.

2) - they meet the unit standards and are allowed to continue, and begin to receive a small monthly stipend, but must continue to pay their own tuition. They may or may not be commissioned on completion of studies, according to the recommendation of the unit command. The student has no military obligation. They are not allowed to go on summer cruises, except for the senior cruise on recommendation of the unit command.

3) if they excel as a sophomore they may be awarded a 2 or 3 year scholarship to cover the final years of tuition, and have a military obligation on leaving the unit. They attend summer cruises.

Arwen-- Nice!  I like the way that Unit does it better than what happened at my kids' Unit.  Maybe that has been changed throughout, though, i wouldn't know.   

I always thought it was a shame that good kids, devoted to ROTC & good students were turned away like they were.

We met with the freshman advisor, and he confirmed what I remembered from last year. Unfortunately, there are more scholarship students admitted this year than usual - 30 in a unit that usually gets 10-12 a year. Which means they may not accept *any* college program students this year. He offered that she may take the year 1 classes as a civilian, and be considered for her sophomore year.

She also needs to work on her fitness. It's her biggest weakness. She's not a physical person and much prefers academic pursuits, so this will be a challenge. If she really wants this she is going to have to do what she hates the most.

Thanks for the update, Arwen.  I was wondering how it went Thursday.   Godspeed to your daughter in her pursuits.