Future_Dan
22 Aug 03, 13:34
Im back after a very long day yesterday sitting in the LA MEPS service counselor's waiting room yesterday from about 7am to 4:45.
Most of you may remember my story, as it was the topic of many posts and rag on recruiter sessions. Hopefully, some of the new guys trying to become pilots as well will be able to use my experience to avoid getting into the mess that i have been living for the past 7 months.
As of Aug 5th. my packet has been sitting in the office at Ft. Knox. My "in-person" board (i can't remember what the interview was called) went really well. All three officers gave me 25/25 on their sheets and said they were impressed with my maturity and so on... . IN a lapse of better judgement, I let my recruiters have some time to take care of what i thought needed to be done to make sure my packet gets reveiwed on the sept. 15th board. Keep in mind Aug 21st. was my ship out day for my enlistment as a OH-58 repairer. I would call my recruiter about once a week to see if there was any progress on my packet and to see if i would still be shipping on the 21st. Everytime, I was told that the SFC of the battalion was working on it and talking to the people at Ft. Knox.
Monday rolls around and im starting to get somewhat worried. Thursday, I'm supposed to be leaving and i still know nothing. My recruiters tell me monday that if we dont know, then i wont be leaving, which im fine with, but that there is a possibility that they will have a definite yes or no by then on the packet, which i am highly doubtful, reasonably so in that they can't influence the board results before the board even meets.
Tues, I still have no idea, and now they are telling me to be prepared to leave on thurs. which, quite frankly, scares the "junk" out of me in that I was going on the assumption that I wouldn't be leaving yet. I am neither physically nor finacially prepared. I hesitate, but i end up calling Ft. Knox and speak with the individual in charge of civillian applications. He confirms that he has received my application and that it is on administrative hold due to the fact that i am currently a DEP. He also confirms that he hasn't been contacted since Aug 5th, when he received my packet, in regards to getting an exception from the rule that DEPs can't put in packets. Suprise. My recruiters were feeding me a line. Im guessing that the SFC was hoping that i just hold my breath and then go quietly off to basic, disqualifying my packet, making me wait at least a year to start over. The man at Ft. Knox proceeds to tell me that there would have been plenty of time to get an answer back on the exception. Next he tells me there is only 2 ways for my packet to get reviewed on the 15th of sept. 1. DEP loss. 2. They get the exception and renegotiate the contract for me to have a later ship date.
Wed. I head back to LA (I was down in San Diego with my parents) The SFC wants to meet with me at 5pm to tell me whats going on. I now know there is only 2 ways for me to get on the board and that if "get on the bus" i'm screwed. I show up at the recruiting station at 5 and finally see the SFC at about 6:30. He takes me outside so he can enjoy a smoke (Im not a smoker, but I dont really care if he smokes around me) He tells me that my chances are still pretty slim and that there is a large influx of private pilots from the civillian sector applying. I hold my ground, telling them that i would still prefer to get my 2 boards, before considering shipping as an enlisted. THIS IS THE KICKER. He asks me if i have any recent injuries. He then proceeds to tell me that in order to delay my ship date I should fake an injury for the pre-ship medical exam. THIS pisses me off. I tell him im not going to compromise my honesty in order to delay and that i'd prefer to find another way around this. He tries one more time to go for the injury ploy, saying it's not a big deal. I hold firm. THIS IS THE ONE THING I FEEL SAVED MY BUTT. THANK GOD I HAVE CONVICTIONS. I then let him know that I spoke with the gentleman at Ft. Knox and that he said there are only the 2 ways for me get boarded. The SFC refuses to believe that someone higher up would advocate a DEP loss. He decides that the only way to keep me going is to get the exception. I leave around 7:30 with this: My immediate recruiter will pick me up at 4am to take me to MEPS. I will go through the medical exam and the SFC will meet me down there at 7am and try to get the exception put through.
Thursday (or as i might like to think of it: THE WORLDS LONGEST DAY) I get picked up at 4, we make it to the MEPS station about 4:45. The other ships are there and then the lines start. Wait here, wait there... YOu have been through it, i dont have to go into detail. I get through with medical and go to the service counselor about 7am. She sees me and i tell here whats going on and that i shouldn't be shipping that day. She calls my recuiter and finds out that my SFC is upstairs in operations working on my situation. I go out to the waiting room and proceed to wait. And wait. and wait. The SFC finally comes around at about 10:30 and tells me they are talking with Ft. knox and working on getting the exception. He then tells me that they should know pretty soon Noon. I eat the lunch they provide. 1pm. 2pm. 3pm. 3:30. The dodger game is almost over. The SFC comes in. Smiling and excited. Gagne is pitching and the dodgers just scored. He askes me when Gagne "Came out" and tells me he was just there, at the game. (I guess i can't be too pissed, it's out of his hands, why should he have some fun, right....) Tells me to sit tight a recruiter will be by soon to pick me up. Nothing about the results of the exception. 3:45... 4:00... 4:15... 4:30... 4:45... I still have no idea whats going on, if they are going to try to reno my contract or if i lucked out and DEP lossed. He finally comes and gets me to take me home. Still no word. We get out to his car. Another smoke. and gives me the print out of the email. The exception was refused. Im a DEP loss. Success!
On drive back, he moans about the process and that the Army should have let me Reno and this and that.. I was pretty tired with only about 3 hours of sleep and a long day of anticipation. We chat about this and that. I will have to say this for him: He is the consumate saleman, which i hope will work out to my advantage. I mention that it's been six months since i took the AFAST, which i didn't score as well as i think i could have, had i studied and practiced. He tells me he thinks he might be able to get me another test date and that i might be able to better my score, a chance i plan on fully taking advantage of. This time, i will get the study guide and I believe, with a little practice, i should be able to score in the 120-130 range. (i scored a 105 without any prior knowledge of anything on the test.) That should be after I get a FQ-NS on the first board, which i half expect due to my low score. In the email with the exception refusal, it said my chances are 1 in 3 based on the previous results.
Hopefully, all the other guys trying to get in will take this to heart.
DONT ENLIST. Exhaust the WOFT packet option, then consider enlisting and working your way into it. If you all want anymore info, send me a message or just post if here. Better yet: Go to the warrant officer recruiting page and call them. I spoke with SFC Garrett and Mr. Howell. They gave me all the info I needed.
(sorry about the book, I had a lot of info to get out there)
Tired_Dan
Most of you may remember my story, as it was the topic of many posts and rag on recruiter sessions. Hopefully, some of the new guys trying to become pilots as well will be able to use my experience to avoid getting into the mess that i have been living for the past 7 months.
As of Aug 5th. my packet has been sitting in the office at Ft. Knox. My "in-person" board (i can't remember what the interview was called) went really well. All three officers gave me 25/25 on their sheets and said they were impressed with my maturity and so on... . IN a lapse of better judgement, I let my recruiters have some time to take care of what i thought needed to be done to make sure my packet gets reveiwed on the sept. 15th board. Keep in mind Aug 21st. was my ship out day for my enlistment as a OH-58 repairer. I would call my recruiter about once a week to see if there was any progress on my packet and to see if i would still be shipping on the 21st. Everytime, I was told that the SFC of the battalion was working on it and talking to the people at Ft. Knox.
Monday rolls around and im starting to get somewhat worried. Thursday, I'm supposed to be leaving and i still know nothing. My recruiters tell me monday that if we dont know, then i wont be leaving, which im fine with, but that there is a possibility that they will have a definite yes or no by then on the packet, which i am highly doubtful, reasonably so in that they can't influence the board results before the board even meets.
Tues, I still have no idea, and now they are telling me to be prepared to leave on thurs. which, quite frankly, scares the "junk" out of me in that I was going on the assumption that I wouldn't be leaving yet. I am neither physically nor finacially prepared. I hesitate, but i end up calling Ft. Knox and speak with the individual in charge of civillian applications. He confirms that he has received my application and that it is on administrative hold due to the fact that i am currently a DEP. He also confirms that he hasn't been contacted since Aug 5th, when he received my packet, in regards to getting an exception from the rule that DEPs can't put in packets. Suprise. My recruiters were feeding me a line. Im guessing that the SFC was hoping that i just hold my breath and then go quietly off to basic, disqualifying my packet, making me wait at least a year to start over. The man at Ft. Knox proceeds to tell me that there would have been plenty of time to get an answer back on the exception. Next he tells me there is only 2 ways for my packet to get reviewed on the 15th of sept. 1. DEP loss. 2. They get the exception and renegotiate the contract for me to have a later ship date.
Wed. I head back to LA (I was down in San Diego with my parents) The SFC wants to meet with me at 5pm to tell me whats going on. I now know there is only 2 ways for me to get on the board and that if "get on the bus" i'm screwed. I show up at the recruiting station at 5 and finally see the SFC at about 6:30. He takes me outside so he can enjoy a smoke (Im not a smoker, but I dont really care if he smokes around me) He tells me that my chances are still pretty slim and that there is a large influx of private pilots from the civillian sector applying. I hold my ground, telling them that i would still prefer to get my 2 boards, before considering shipping as an enlisted. THIS IS THE KICKER. He asks me if i have any recent injuries. He then proceeds to tell me that in order to delay my ship date I should fake an injury for the pre-ship medical exam. THIS pisses me off. I tell him im not going to compromise my honesty in order to delay and that i'd prefer to find another way around this. He tries one more time to go for the injury ploy, saying it's not a big deal. I hold firm. THIS IS THE ONE THING I FEEL SAVED MY BUTT. THANK GOD I HAVE CONVICTIONS. I then let him know that I spoke with the gentleman at Ft. Knox and that he said there are only the 2 ways for me get boarded. The SFC refuses to believe that someone higher up would advocate a DEP loss. He decides that the only way to keep me going is to get the exception. I leave around 7:30 with this: My immediate recruiter will pick me up at 4am to take me to MEPS. I will go through the medical exam and the SFC will meet me down there at 7am and try to get the exception put through.
Thursday (or as i might like to think of it: THE WORLDS LONGEST DAY) I get picked up at 4, we make it to the MEPS station about 4:45. The other ships are there and then the lines start. Wait here, wait there... YOu have been through it, i dont have to go into detail. I get through with medical and go to the service counselor about 7am. She sees me and i tell here whats going on and that i shouldn't be shipping that day. She calls my recuiter and finds out that my SFC is upstairs in operations working on my situation. I go out to the waiting room and proceed to wait. And wait. and wait. The SFC finally comes around at about 10:30 and tells me they are talking with Ft. knox and working on getting the exception. He then tells me that they should know pretty soon Noon. I eat the lunch they provide. 1pm. 2pm. 3pm. 3:30. The dodger game is almost over. The SFC comes in. Smiling and excited. Gagne is pitching and the dodgers just scored. He askes me when Gagne "Came out" and tells me he was just there, at the game. (I guess i can't be too pissed, it's out of his hands, why should he have some fun, right....) Tells me to sit tight a recruiter will be by soon to pick me up. Nothing about the results of the exception. 3:45... 4:00... 4:15... 4:30... 4:45... I still have no idea whats going on, if they are going to try to reno my contract or if i lucked out and DEP lossed. He finally comes and gets me to take me home. Still no word. We get out to his car. Another smoke. and gives me the print out of the email. The exception was refused. Im a DEP loss. Success!
On drive back, he moans about the process and that the Army should have let me Reno and this and that.. I was pretty tired with only about 3 hours of sleep and a long day of anticipation. We chat about this and that. I will have to say this for him: He is the consumate saleman, which i hope will work out to my advantage. I mention that it's been six months since i took the AFAST, which i didn't score as well as i think i could have, had i studied and practiced. He tells me he thinks he might be able to get me another test date and that i might be able to better my score, a chance i plan on fully taking advantage of. This time, i will get the study guide and I believe, with a little practice, i should be able to score in the 120-130 range. (i scored a 105 without any prior knowledge of anything on the test.) That should be after I get a FQ-NS on the first board, which i half expect due to my low score. In the email with the exception refusal, it said my chances are 1 in 3 based on the previous results.
Hopefully, all the other guys trying to get in will take this to heart.
DONT ENLIST. Exhaust the WOFT packet option, then consider enlisting and working your way into it. If you all want anymore info, send me a message or just post if here. Better yet: Go to the warrant officer recruiting page and call them. I spoke with SFC Garrett and Mr. Howell. They gave me all the info I needed.
(sorry about the book, I had a lot of info to get out there)
Tired_Dan