Separated from USNA to OCS

[btbswimmer]

So..I was separated from the Naval Academy with an Honorable Discharge and a RE code of JHF. this was during my firstie year so I am required to serve as enlisted upon July 1, 2019 after completing my degree.

I made a really bad mistake and it cost me my diploma and commission. I am happy to serve as enlisted as I was enlisted before. Some of my mentors from the Academy are pushing me to apply for OCS. I auto-qualify as a pilot and NFO due to my ASTB scores and that would be amazing.

My question is...Am I allowed to apply? legally? Do I have to return to enlisted service first before applying or can I apply now as I am finishing my degree? I just don't want to screw up again.

 

[Capt MJ]

So..I was separated from the Naval Academy with an Honorable Discharge and a RE code of JHF. this was during my firstie year so I am required to serve as enlisted upon July 1, 2019 after completing my degree.

I made a really bad mistake and it cost me my diploma and commission. I am happy to serve as enlisted as I was enlisted before. Some of my mentors from the Academy are pushing me to apply for OCS. I auto-qualify as a pilot and NFO due to my ASTB scores and that would be amazing.

My question is...Am I allowed to apply? legally? Do I have to return to enlisted service first before applying or can I apply now as I am finishing my degree? I just don't want to screw up again.

Glad to hear you are finishing your degree after the double-whammy of no degree/no commission from USNA due to your own admitted errors.

JHF is “failed to meet course standards,” or something like that, as I recall. That’s not the worst kind of thing it could be, and an Honorable Discharge is also a good thing.

So, you have some time before 1 July. When do you get your degree, May, June? OCS will want you to have that in hand, so that tightens the window.

Keep in mind OCS is a flexible tool for officer accession. The needs of the Navy also rule here. The numbers of OCS sections and section sizes is directly related to planned and actual intakes from USNA, NROTC and other commissioning sources in any given FY.

To get the best answers for what might be possible - and waiverable - you need to talk with an officer recruiter. Those folks usually work out of a regional or district recruiting staff office. See below for the one closest to you. Remember too what a great former boss once said to me: “Navy policies can change or exceptions made. Unless they were carved in stone on a tablet and carried down from a mountaintop, there is always a chance.” The Navy will have to need you more as an officer (perhaps pilot) than an enlisted person. You may need to marshal some support or endorsements. You will have to be “better than sliced bread.” All would have to be greased pending your degree completion.

http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/pages-nrd/regions/nrc-commands.html

Keep us posted. If you can pick yourself up after this and keep going toward your goal, then you will have learned some important lessons.

 

[btbswimmer]

So, you have some time before 1 July. When do you get your commission, May? OCS will want you to have that in hand, so that tightens the window.

[/QUOTE]
So its not official yet that I will get into OCS. Not sure if I made that clear or not. I was just trying to figure out if I am even allowed to apply?

On another note, Yes I completely agree. I feel my recommendations are going to be key in this. Fortunately, My Batt-o, the old head supply officer and a mentor of mine AD in the ethics department and was once director of the leadership Conference are all supporting me. I can not thank them enough! They have all been way to good to me through this entire process. Academics are going well at my new school too

 

[Capt MJ]

You did make it clear. I edited “commission” to “degree” in my original post.

No matter what, if you end up returning to enlisted status, you have every tool, skill and motivation to be a recognized leader and first-rate sailor whom your chain of command should be glad to strongly recommend for a commissioning program. It is not over until you age out. Meanwhile, talk to an officer recruiter ASAP. They talk to college seniors - they found me my senior year, and I was off to OCS after graduation. The CO’s of the recruiting regions are usually O-5 or O-6. Down the road, if you talk to an officer recruiter (usually O-3 or O-4, often aviators), and it looks possible, then you ask your former BattO or other mentor to make an informal call on your behalf to that CO. That personal insight could well be a powerful force for you. More formal letters could come later.
Don’t delay - meanwhile, kick butt at school.