The Navy recruiters told me to enlist first (DEP) then apply for an officer commission right away.?

Question

Should I enlist in the Delayed Entry Program and attempt to become a commissioned officer during the wait or is this is a scam by the recruiters? I am considering the air force and maybe army as well. I 'm just not very confident about my chances of becoming an officer. I have a 3.1 or 3.2 GPA from Purdue University (2003)in communications. What would you do?

Answer 1

The military has recruiters for officer candidates. You need to find one of those. Do not enlist without making sure you have some kind of guarantee about things. Recruiters can and do lie to fill quotas.

Answer 2

This is insane. There is no "officer recruiter." The Marine Corps has OSOs (Officer Selection Officers.) There may be other recruiters that appear on campus in hopes of selling the various officer programs. All others are recruiters and have quotas. With a college degree you are qualified for OCS, OTS or OCC. If you are flight qualified the Navy has NAVCADs. If you don't know these abbreviations look them up. Do not enlist unless you are willing to serve as an EM, which is fine. I am retired from the Air Force with 25 years after graduating from AFROTC. My father was a career enlisted man who served 30 years (We overlapped six years.)

Answer 3

You already have your degree so go OCS (Officer Candidate School)

DEP is Delayed Enlistment Program which is ONLY for the enlisted grades.

Officers are commissioned not enlisted.
If you have a military base around you, you might check with the Military Personnel Office or Public Affairs they might know what you have to do. When you find out, contact all the services you are interested in and see which may better fit your personality.
Also, there is an age limit so you may want to pay attention to that as well.

Answer 4

Get it in writing that you will be accepted to OCS or can enter as an officer before you enlist in the delayed entry program or anything else. Enlisting first you may end up as an E-3 instead of an 0-1 or higher.

Answer 5

I'd run! I spent 20 + years in the Nav. Most of it with the Marine Corps. Love my beloved Corps. I was enlisted. By the time of my retirement, I'd accummulated enough credits for at least a bachelors. I digress.
If they're not going to do the paperwork to give you a commission up front, but instead want to do the enlisted paperwork, my advice is to walk away. Don't sign anything until you get what you want and it's in writing!

Answer 6

To be honest, I think you should go enlisted and then try to go officer. Being in the military is beneficial in itself. Besides I always hear the guys complaining about having to TEACH the officers how to do their (meaning officers) jobs and trying to get past their cocky mentality. See when you go officer without being enlisted you go out into the fleet not knowing how the department works and so the ENLISTED guys have to teach you the ropes.


ANOTHER NOTE: Enlisted personell that go Officer are more respected.

Answer 7

The Navy recruiters need you to enlist to fill their quota. If you want to be an enlisted person, go ahead and enlist. If you want to be an officer, do not enlist, sign up for OCS.

Otherwise you will still be enlisted years from now.

Check out the Coast Guard! They treat you so much better!

Answer 8

the GPA and degree are not competetive at this time for a Navy commission. so I think you would be smart to continue in DEP while submitting your OCS packet. that way, if you don't get picked up, you can still enlist, and after you hit the Fleet, you can submit another package.

BTW.. there are people who have shipped out to Boot camp and while at Great Lakes , were told they had been accepted to OCS. They were on a plane to Pensacola shortly thereafter.

My husband enlisted with a 4 year degree. 4 years later, to the day, he shipped off to OCS.

Answer 9

Request a commission first

Answer 10

...and if you join, they'll let you pet the Easter Bunny, too.