Another question for our great Naval Officers, can you help?

Question

Okay people I have another question that you would love to answer(probably not). I want all information possible on the buddy program in the Navy. How long does the buddy program lasts? In the program will the two people be stationed together everywhere they go? Go ahead answer away....and I'm talking about just being completely informative, tell me everything. Thank you all for answering my question and of course the best answer, ten points. Good Luck

Answer 1

The above answer is VERY GOOD. In fact it is taken right out of COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8f (the Navy Recruitment instruction). Unfortunately that manual expired in OCT of 2005. The new instruction COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8G (which is be used today), removes the “Recruit training and assignment to initial duty station” category. So, here is the current instruction:

a.Buddy groups shall not consist of more that four individuals.
b.All members of any one BUDDY group must be enlisted on the same day, at the same MEPS, and arrive at RTC together.
c.All members of a buddy group must have a VE line score of 42 or higher (ASVAB SCORE)

So… Everything down to the categories in the above answer is correct. Category (A) is still open as long as the above criteria’s are met. Now, I just got off the phone with a MEPS station, the Buddies DO NOT have to pick the same job. However if they do the have a very good chance of classing up at school together and then selecting orders together the same duty station..

Any questions email me….Hope this helps.

Answer 2

The Navy Buddy Enlistment Program provides for the enlistment of small groups of not more than four male individuals or four female individuals who wish to remain together for as long as possible during their enlistment. It really makes boot camp easier knowing that someone you know from back home is there for you. I wish I could have joined the Navy through the buddy program, oh well. P.S. I do know of some people who left to go to boot and got split up into different divisions, it happens, but rarely.
After boot camp, if you and your buddy have the same job "A" school. You will go there together too. As far as your next duty station, good luck! I don't know of anyone who stayed together through boot, "A" school, and first duty station together.

Answer 3

I didn't see anything about such a program on navy.mil, but I did hear of it while I was in the Navy. I would talk to a recruiter. Don't take his word for ANYTHING. Get him to show you an enlistment contract, and read the words of the actual agreement you would sign if you decide to join. Then I recommend you speak with someone who is not a recruiter about his experience being in the program and being in the Navy in general. It isn't the nonstop adrenaline rush you see in the commercials. You probably would get some useful vocational training.

If you are considering joining for "money for college," also consider that you could just go to college first on an ROTC scholarship and do your time afterward as an officer. Statistics show that most people who enlist for college money never complete a degree. Of course, the military will be quick to blame the individual . . . .

I hope this helps.

-an ex-navy officer

Answer 4

Usually, your buddie will stay with you through boot-camp, after that, you each go to your own duty station. This was initiated during the 70's in an attempt to keep some guys from being home-sick during the first few (and mentally, the hardest) weeks of basic. I'm sure it helped, as they still have the program.

Answer 5

You don't have to be an officer to go into the buddy program. I went in with my buddy and we went as far as "boot". Then he went his way and I went mine. Never saw him again?

Answer 6

ou have to be the same gender, and the buddy system last through your first duty station. "Duty station" is not synonomous with "unit".

Answer 7

The Navy Buddy Enlistment Program provides for the enlistment of small groups of not more than four male individuals or four female individuals who wish to remain together for as long as possible during their enlistment. The program should be conducive to stimulating enlistments among high school graduates and others from a local area, and assists enlistees during the transition period of adjustment from civilian status to military status. The length of mutual assignment is determined by the respective category in which each individual is enlisting. Individuals within a buddy group must all be assigned to the same category. Mixing categories within a buddy group is not authorized. Mutual assignment is made in only one of two categories:

Recruit training only.
Recruit training and assignment to initial duty station.

Categories

Buddies Through Recruit Training Only. Enlistment in this category is restricted only in that all individuals start recruit training on the same date. Any mixture of enlistment programs is authorized. Recruiters should make clear that recruit training is for approximately 8 weeks and does not include subsequent apprenticeship training. Because of distribution and assignment constraints, women are eligible for this category only.

Buddies Through Recruit Training and Assignment to Initial Duty Station. Women are not eligible for this category. All applicants enlisting in this category must be enlisted in the Seaman/Airman/Fireman Program and within the same apprenticeship except as indicated below. Applicants must be enlisting in the same branch and class of the Navy (Example: All USN or all USNR.)

Buddy groups may consist of Seaman and Fireman apprenticeships only (that is, no Airman apprenticeship may be enlisted Buddy with anyone in the Seaman or Fireman apprenticeships for assignment to initial duty station). Seaman and Fireman in a buddy group may not undergo apprenticeship training together, although they will receive orders to the same initial duty station.
Airman aprenticeship buddy groups may consist of Airman apprenticeships only.
No expressed or implied guarantee may be made that buddies will not be separated by transfers after reporting to their initial duty station.

Restrictions on the Buddy Program

No buddy group may consist of more than four individuals.
No buddy group may consist of more than two individuals when assignment to initial duty station is guaranteed.
All members of any one buddy group must be enlisted on the same day at the same Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and arrive at the same RTC together.
Applicants enlisting under the Subfarer option will not be permitted to enlist under the Buddy Program for guaranteed assignment to an initial duty station. They may, however, undergo recruit training together.
Because recruit companies are all-male and all-female, buddy groups must be all- male or all-female.
All applicants enlisting under this program are assigned to the same recruit company, and initial duty station as guaranteed within this program. However, recruiters must explain to all who enlist in the Buddy Program that extenuating circumstances may require that they separate during or subsequent to, the recruit training period because of:

Sickness or other medical reasons.
Failure to show satisfactory progress in recruit training or apprenticeship training.
Failure of one or more of the group to meet minimum requirements for regular recruit training or apprenticeship training.
Change in coast of choice by any member of the buddy group.
Failure to meet minimum water survival qualifications.
Acceptance in another program that requires a different flow of duty assignment between completion of recruit training and first duty station (for example, if member enlists in the Seaman/Airman/Fireman and Buddy Programs for guaranteed assignment to initial duty station and subsequently elects to extend his enlistment during recruit classification to be eligible for assignment to Class “A” School).
Request of any member of a buddy group to be dropped from the buddy group. Guarantees remain in effect for the other members of that particular group of buddies.
Other circumstances resulting in a delay during or subsequent to recruit training.

Inadvertant Separation

Occasionally, administrative errors may result in inadvertant separation of "Buddies." To prevent such situations, recruiters should counsel all applicants enlisted in the Buddy Program concerning action to take when a recruit believes he or she has been wrongfully separated from his or her buddies. Such counseling should include:

The importance of reporting to the Liaison Petty Officer as soon as possible after arriving at RTC the fact that of being separated from his or her buddies.
That in cases of different assignments to recruit companies the recruit should notify the receiving officer.
That in case of receiving orders to different duty stations the recruit should notify his or her Company Commander.