Navy OCS

[Guest clsutton21]

I didn't really see a better place to put this.

I am hoping to join some part of the armed forces come my graduation. I do know that if you have a college degree that you automatically go in as an officer(if you make it through OCS). I'm not really sure what to expect with OCS, if anyone knows or has gone through it could you let me know so I have some idea before making an appointment with a recruiter. Also, my degree will be in Biology with a focus on microbiology...I plan on applying to some med schools with that degree.

The reason I will probably choose the Navy is due to my grandfather being in Cuba during the Missile Crisis and my uncle being in Vietnam, both in the Navy, so I'd like to sort of continue the family tradition. Plus I hear they have a good medical program.

Any info would be valued so I have some idea what I'd be getting into. Thanks.

Edited September 12, 2009 by clsutton21

[willis68]

Congrats, I am partial to the Navy as most of my family were in, for me that is the best branch of the service

[Daniel]

You dont automatically go in as an officer just for having a degree. You do not have to have a degree to become an officer.

[Daniel]

Direct commission officer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Guest clsutton21]

You dont automatically go in as an officer just for having a degree. You do not have to have a degree to become an officer.

I must have confused going in as a med school student with having a degree in something else. Thanks.

[Daniel]

My point was really that people join to have their college debt paid off and go in as enlisted. They come in as Specialist/E-4's though.

[Daniel]

I am talking about the Army here. Im not familiar with the other branches.

[Guest clsutton21]

I guess I was thinking of this:

Microbiology: Health Care Sciences: Medical Service Corps: Health Care: Careers & Jobs: Navy

But even then it says they require a MA, so you were right. I want to go in for the experience, not for the school repayment. I have 2-3 more semesters of Bachelor's work after this and so far I'm not in debt at all. =D

[mk19]

Organized Chicken **** , lots of running around and learning things that your Sgt would have to prove you worng on. good luck

[Guest MERRILL]

I was a Naval officer, but I was commissioned through the AOCS program at Pensacola, Florida. The A stands for avaition. We were trained by Marine Corps sargents. The regular OCS uses Navy Chiefs. The training is vastly different because of the different roles that the officers fulfill. The training I had was not too bad physically but mentally it was a bit...er trying. we had a 25% washout rate. Aviation officers have a different mind set from the regular types.

[Guest clsutton21]

I was a Naval officer, but I was commissioned through the AOCS program at Pensacola, Florida. The A stands for avaition. We were trained by Marine Corps sargents. The regular OCS uses Navy Chiefs. The training is vastly different because of the different roles that the officers fulfill. The training I had was not too bad physically but mentally it was a bit...er trying. we had a 25% washout rate. Aviation officers have a different mind set from the regular types.

I wanted to be a pilot...but was told that it's not allowed with vision that needs to be corrected. I wear contacts and was told even with corrective surgery that it wasn't possible.

[Guest mustangdave]

I wanted to be a pilot...but was told that it's not allowed with vision that needs to be corrected. I wear contacts and was told even with corrective surgery that it wasn't possible.

TRUE...you can't be a "PILOT"...you can be a "Naval Flight Officer"...back seater...unless they've changed the rules

[Guest clsutton21]

TRUE...you can't be a "PILOT"...you can be a "Naval Flight Officer"...back seater...unless they've changed the rules

I have control issues...I always have to be the one driving.

I can understand why they won't let people with contacts and glasses pilot, but why not when you have the surgery if it's works as well as it is supposed to?

[Guest JHatmaker]

but why not when you have the surgery if it's works as well as it is supposed to?

This is assumption on my part, but with laser eye surgery, I believe your close range vision deteriorates quicker over time. Everyone I've know who's had it has had to wear reading glasses within 1 year of having lasik.

[Daniel]

It is also something that has to be redone every so often.

[Guest mustangdave]

I have control issues...I always have to be the one driving.

LMAO...I understand...but the back seater gets to play with the bombs and stuff...its a trade off.

[Guest clsutton21]

I had no idea that the surgery had to be redone and didn't know anything about the deterioration of seeing up close. I may have to rethink getting it done, then; although, not having to wake up every morning and put contacts in would be nice.

Can you be a civilian pilot with corrected eyesight? Say, if I wanted to get a personal pilot's license.

[Guest db99wj]

This is assumption on my part, but with laser eye surgery, I believe your close range vision deteriorates quicker over time. Everyone I've know who's had it has had to wear reading glasses within 1 year of having lasik.

Not necessarily.

Your vision will change, for the worse, as you age. Lasik won't stop that but it will not make it faster and it doesn't have to be redone because of that. "reading glasses vision" is something that happens to many people with or without surgery but the surgery itself doesn't "cause" or "speed" up that process.

I had the laser surgery about 7 years ago, came out with 20/15. Went to the eye doctor (my uncle) several times over the years and it stayed at 20/15. Went last week, after not going for 3 years, and my vision has worsened to 20/20...., I'm getting in my late 30's and my doc thought I would probably start needing some readers, or at least see some deterioration in my eyes. Nope, on the test, the checker thing with the letters on it, got so close my eyes crossed, could see it perfectly! He also said I might be on that won't need them or won't need them until my 50's plus. With all that said, we had a discussion about this. And that is what he told me. He is also not the one that did the surgery, he is not the biggest fan of it. (He also taught/ran part of/retired from the Optometry school here in Memphis) My case might be unique, he does admit that if he were to have the surgery our could chose the results, mine would be the ones he would choose.

Also don't think if you have it, and don't tell, they won't know. He can still see the laser incision flaps.

It is also something that has to be redone every so often.

Not because of speeding up the process. The surgery doesn't stop the deterioration of your sight, IE getting old and needing glasses, it just takes them back to a corrected version. So if you have the propensity of failing vision (naturally going to happen), then that will still happen, it will just start from your corrected vision. How "bad" it gets, will depend on your own eyes and other environmental process that occur to your eye.

Edited September 14, 2009 by db99wj

[Guest HexHead]

Also don't think if you have it, and don't tell, they won't know. He can still see the laser incision flaps.

PRK = No flap.

I had PRK done by Ming Wang. It was a better procedure in my case. They told me during one of my follow ups, I had no scarring and nobody would be able to tell I had laser surgery from looking in my eyes.

[Hotshot]

To get back on target....

GO NAVAL AVIATION. They seem to have it better than the surface guys. I know....

[poak]

Even if you got a surgery to correct your vision, and had no scaring to make it evident, they would most likely still find out. The doc might not be able to tell, but I'm sure all pilots receive extremely thorough background checks, and the worst thing for them to find is a lie.