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The U.S. Army is the only service that offers a guaranteed job, MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) for enlisted personnel. However the MOS's you are interested may not be available or you may not be qualified for the MOS. You can typically wait for an MOS under the Delayed Enlistment Program, commonly called DEP. Granted, there are grumblings about "That's not my MOS" when in reality the vast majority MOS's also have the clause "and other duties as assigned"...
Thank you, I did not know that.
Any idea when the Navy stopped doing it?
It was done in the 70s when I first enlisted, and continued up until I retired in '01.
During the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00's in the Navy your rate was in your contract. But if you failed your 'A' school then they would change your rate to something else.
The U.S. Army is the only service that offers a guaranteed job, MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) for enlisted personnel. However the MOS's you are interested may not be available or you may not be qualified for the MOS. You can typically wait for an MOS under the Delayed Enlistment Program, commonly called DEP. Granted, there are grumblings about "That's not my MOS" when in reality the vast majority MOS's also have the clause "and other duties as assigned"...
That is not correct at all...Almost every enlisted person that joins the United States Navy has a guaranteed job in their contract when they DEP in. There are a handful of PACT seats but the vast majority have a guaranteed job in their contract. The other services do as well.
I can count on two hands the amount of people I put into the Navy without a guaranteed job in the 15 years I recruited for the Navy. One of them was my nephew that I put in the Navy. He was offered some great jobs but wanted an Aviation PACT job. I tired to talk him out of it and push him towards some of the other great jobs he had to choose from and he said "I want to be out on the flight deck launching aircraft" and wouldn't be persuaded. He is still in to this day (launching aircraft) and tells me every time we talk "I wish would have listened to you and took one of those other jobs they offered me". The people that take the few PACT seats are also offered job guarantees but some of them don't like the jobs being offered and take the PACT job which comes with a guaranteed choice of first duty station.
It was done in the 70s when I first enlisted, and continued up until I retired in '01.
During the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00's in the Navy your rate was in your contract. But if you failed your 'A' school then they would change your rate to something else.
They didn't stop, it is the exact same today...Every single person that joins the Navy has a guaranteed job in their contract except for the few PACT seats we have and no one is forced to take those. Anyone can have a guaranteed job if they want it.
The Navy enlisted jobs, are called ratings. The Navy divides many of their ratings into sub-specialties, through a system called Navy Enlisted Classifications, or NECs. For example, in the Army, "Operating Room Specialist", and "Radiology Specialist" are two separate jobs (MOS 68D and 68P, respectively). In the Navy, an operating room specialist and a radiology specialist hold the same rating (job) -- that of HM (Hospitalman). In the Navy, if Navy Hospitalman wanted to become an operating room specialist or a radiology specialist, he/she would have to apply to "C-School" (advanced training), and be awarded NEC HM-8483 or HM-8451. Unfortunately, you cannot get a guaranteed NEC for most Navy enlistments. You can only get a guaranteed rating.
"IS the job guaranteed for me?
Yes, but you must remain qualified to retain that reservation. Basically, once you have signed your contract at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and have sworn into the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), you have reserved that job, and the Air Force has taken action to hold that job reservation for you." Contact Us: Frequently Asked Questions - airforce.com
Gotta agree about going OCS versus enlisted for later in life; not a horrible idea to go enlisted but could feel awkward, and your life experience really comes into play in leadership positions.
While the Navy does use NEC's for duty assignment purposes that doesn't make the statement correct that the Army is the only service that guarantees a job.
I was guaranteed the job of Aviation Electronics Technician (AT) when I came in and worked on all the avionics on the EP-3 Aries II Reconnaissance Aircraft. I held the NEC for an EP-3 Avionics Tech but that had nothing to do with me not being guaranteed a job, that was just so I could be sent to the proper duty station in the future as I was specialized on the EP-3. If I was an F/A-18 Avionics Tech I would have the NEC for that aircraft but I would still be an avionics tech guaranteed. I held multiple (over 10) NEC's that I earned every time I completed the training for that NEC. That allowed me a broader choice of duty stations as I could go anywhere there was an opening for one of those 10+ NEC's I held.
The beauty of the example you posted about the Navy Rate of HM is that if a Corpsman is a Operating Room Specialist and wants to become a Radiology Specialist they are both part of his job and he just needs the training to get the NEC and he can do either. Everything in the hospital is in the job description of the HM and HM's hold multiple NEC's they earn each time they complete the training required. Some NEC's are earned via OJT and some require a formal school. What you're saying is that a Operating Room Nurse isn't the same as an ICU Nurse which isn't correct. They both have the job of Nurse but one is specialized in one area and the other is specialized in a different area.
Navy ships have full hospitals on board (Carriers) and only a few Corpsman (HM's) to man them. The HM's need to be able to do multiple positions in the hospital (radiology, surgery, pharmacy, etc.) with multiple NEC's since there are so few of them on the ship. The Navy can't afford the room to bring a separate person to staff every department in a ships hospital. Some ships don't even have a doctor on board and just have a Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC is another NEC) who acts as the doctor while underway.
What you just posted about NEC's is correct but the previous post was not factual at all.
"IS the job guaranteed for me?
Yes, but you must remain qualified to retain that reservation. Basically, once you have signed your contract at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and have sworn into the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), you have reserved that job, and the Air Force has taken action to hold that job reservation for you." Contact Us: Frequently Asked Questions - airforce.com
Gotta agree about going OCS versus enlisted for later in life; not a horrible idea to go enlisted but could feel awkward, and your life experience really comes into play in leadership positions.
Be TOTALLY, COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY HONEST on your MEPS intake physical....anything you "skip" can and will be used against you should you do otherwise. Fair system, but YOU need to be HONEST with them up front. Any and all required AETC waivers are MUCH easier to get when honest at MEPS than once you have lied and proven yourself less than honest as a retention waiver.
This advice does NOT come from a "has been" but from someone that is currently involved in trying to help those TODAY, HERE AND NOW remain AD.....
IMO 29 is a little old to be considering going into the service. Boot camp and all the physical stuff it entails is one thing when you are 20 but much harder as you age. Not saying you can't do it, but our bodies change A LOT as we get a few years on them and you might find it hard to keep up. Before you sign up, put on a backpack and go for a 5 or 10 mile run on a 95 degree day. See how your body takes it.
That being said, there was a time when I would have said going into the service was a great option for a young person.............we were not at war anywhere, and it was like going to a regular job for the most part. Then we stuck our noses into the mid east and things changed. We are now dealing with people who shoot at us and are continually trying to blow us up.
I was in the Marines and hated every second of it. I wish I had gone into the Air Force or Navy instead because IMO they treat their people a lot better. My ex GF Son went into the Air Force and has worked his way up to being a Recruiter. He owns two homes, drives nice cars, and will retire from it with a nice pension at an age where he can still work at another job.
Like anything else, there are people who love being in the service and people who hate it. You just have to figure out what category you fit into.
just a drive bye, thank you all and bless you for serving our country and protecting our freedom. I wish I had opted in. I salute you all.
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