We are entering the Navy

[deke]

My son has been waiting two years to join the Navy.  He graduates in May, has been homeschooled his whole life and is well on his way.  We met the recruiter in Aug.  He informed us because we were not tradional school we needed College credit, 15 to be exact.  So we went the next day, passed the dual credit test and began school a week later at the community college.  We went back right after he turned 18 last month, and the paper work has been a whirlwind.  We even signd up for an extra class and his 15 credits will be done in May.  So he went and took the Asvap test, made 81%.  Last night he went to the hotel, and went in to enlist today.  He made it through his physical and then was told he could not enlist today.  There is something the recruiter said in his paperwork they have to correct but they expect him to go back next week.

Now I am curious about something that happened while there.  He was in the waiting area and a Chief (I think) came in and asked for Mr. _____. My son went with him where he was told this man is the Nuclear Program, and my child was 5 questions away from making it into the program.  He told him all these great things about the program, and said since he was nontraditional school he would have to take this other math test anyway. He wants my son to take the test and he believes he will pass. 

So I wonder if this is something we should believe, I have heard the recruiters are not always upfront, and I just want to prepare ourselves if this is just grand talk.

 

There was no other discussion of jobs with any other person while he was there, just this man who seemed to come look for him.

 

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks

Bj

[deke]

He got a call yesterday, he goes back Tuesday night, he has to stay the night again, but they said everything was fixed so he should be enlisted Tuesday!

[Angie]

Recommend you not get your hopes up that he will be enlsited Tuesday.  The jobs are tight and not a lot of openings....he could end up qualifed with no job.  Or they could offere him something he doesn't want.

[mumziepooh]

It does sound like they thought he might qualify for NUKES if he could show competency in the math test.  My son had a 99 on the ASVAB and they tried to talk him into Nukes for a very long time but he was NOT interested.  It isn't for everyone. Your son has good scores and should be able to get a good job - provided the Navy has a need for that job.  They have a big need for Nukes.

[Arwen]

They also wanted my son Sean (93 ASVAB with 97th percentile math scores) to go nuke. However, his dad was a sub nuke and Sean wants nothing to do with that, he knows what they actually do, LOL. He wants computers, preferably CT. IT may be acceptable to him, but wants "better" because his brother went IT. Sibling rivalry... they are *very* competitive. Meanwhile his recruiter is telling him that if he turns down a job he can't go back, which we KNOW isn't true. Le sigh...

[deke]

UPDATE....We took the Nuke test, and found out he only missed 11, the recruiter said he blew it out of the water.  They are having us wait to the beginning of the month to enlist.  We were told all the new jobs open at the beginning of the month.  A little confused on nuke program. They are saying he has to finish this semester of college credit because of the nontradional schooling.  They are saying he should pick a job, sign a contract, and when the nuke paperwork is all done he would tear up old contract and sign new one.  We think it sounds a little strange, why not just wait and see that everything goes through for nuke?  We are a little worried he will end up stuck somewhere else if he signs up for a different job first. 

 

Bj

[Anti M]

I'd wait.  What you sign tends to be what you get.

[Mom2aSailor]

My daughter took the info that Craig posted to her recruiter and we got her status changed, so she didn't need to use any college credits for a H.S. dipolma. They accepted her homeschool dipolma and now will go in as an E-3 with all her college credits.  Get that fixed, it will make the difference in what your son goes in as!  :)
JennNY

[deke]

Enlisted...yeah! Friday my boy was sworn in. He signed up for aviation electronics, but after our meeting today with the recruiter it is pretty definite he will be switched to te nuclear program after his college credit.  Everything discussed was when he switches and details on that.  At this point his ship out date is Nov. 9th, but we were told that is not when he will go.  He enters as an E3 because he is an Eagle Scout.  YEAH!

[Danno]

It used to kill me as a former recruiter when smart applicants who were home schooled or had a GED and it was very hard to help them. Often times, people in this scenario scored higher than people with traditional education but due to the Navy's current manning requirements, they tend to lean toward the side of traditional education being preferred.

Anyone with a non traditional education is required to take the advanced placement test to qualify for nuke regardless of their score. The 15 college credits your son enrolled in should void the home school issue though since 15 college credits (100 level classes and above) are equivalent to traditional high school education (also called tier 1).

I would bet that the reason he needs this test is due to the  81% you mentioned. The ASVAB test is not scored on a percentage but instead it is a percentile. The majority of people I put in the nuke field scored in the 90+ range. 

[joe]

The math test is probably the one for nuke. He wouldn't have to take it unless he was going for nuke. They are probably trying to sway him to go nuke. It is a good thing. It is hard to find applicants qualified for the nuke field, but they could have been more upfront about it.