DEP is a Management Tool

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50 Responses to “Purpose of the Delayed Entry Program”

1. neveapartinheart says:

   August 22, 2008 at 7:36 am

   It’s good to read a little more of why the DEP is in place. I know that sometimes my husband will complain about how hard it will be to convince someone to join and then wait around for 6 months to a year. But ultimately, if people really want to join, they will do what it takes. Plus it is a good time to get in shape and get more mentally ready.

   Thanks.
2. NCCM(ret) says:

   August 22, 2008 at 11:40 pm

   More than anything I want the right message to get out – I have read too many articles stating DEP is a “try out” period. DEP is NOT like serving on active or reserve duty.
3. TJP says:

   October 30, 2009 at 12:05 pm

   Is there a way to actually prolong your time in DEP? What I mean by that is, could I request that I don’t leave until a certain time at MEPS? I was hoping to wait at least a year before I left for basic, because I just started a new job and wanted to put in at least a year on the job before I left. How would I go about doing this?

   TJP
4. NCCM(ret) says:

   October 30, 2009 at 12:19 pm

   TJP,

   You will be given options that marry up the job with a date – the dates are fixed to the job – so to leave at a specific date, you need to take a job that leaves during that time.
5. TJP says:

   June 21, 2010 at 9:13 pm

   Hi NCCM,

   I don’t know if you remembered me, but I asked you a question about getting a medical waiver for atrial septal defect last year. I just wanted to let you know that I’m leaving for basic training in a month, and I wanted to thank you for all of your help and advice on the medical waiver process. Getting the medical waiver was a frustrating, nerve-wracking ordeal, but you definitely help to assuage my anxiety throughout the process. I was able to get the job I wanted (Air Traffic Control) and am now just trying to prepare myself as best I can mentally and physically for boot camp and A school.

   I’ll be sure to keep in touch after boot camp.

   Thanks again, and take care!

   –TJP
6. NCCM(ret) says:

   June 21, 2010 at 9:24 pm

   TJP,

   Of course I remember.

   I look forward to hearing from you after boot camp; do well, Airdale!
7. Maggie says:

   April 6, 2011 at 11:29 am

   Hello!

   My husband is currently in DEP. I was told I should obtain a POA to act on his behalf while he is away (boot camp followed by numerous months of A School). I am having difficulty finding out how we go about getting a POA since we do not yet have military IDs/base access. I called our local base’s legal office and the individual put me on hold for a while only to come back and tell me that they can not assist with this service since he is not yet considered “active duty”. I asked whether we can make the POA effective the date of his active duty date (but just do it in advance before he ships off to bootcamp)and she answered “no”. I wanted to get a second opinion on this matter since it seems as though we should be able to take advantage of the legal services provided to us and get things in order before he laeves.

   Thank you for your help.
8. NCCM(ret) says:

   April 6, 2011 at 1:31 pm

   Maggie,

   I am not a lawyer, but I would not give a blanket power of attorney to any one, including my wife – POAs should be specific to the action that would be required to be taken, like signing a car title, etc. If you are aware of circumstances that might arise when he is in boot camp that would require his signature, then I suggest getting that POA prior to his shipping off, but the expense for it would be yours as you will not be allotted any benefits until he is sworn onto active duty.
9. Maggie says:

   April 6, 2011 at 3:30 pm

   Thank you – I guess we will have to take care of getting the POA once he graduates boot camp (while in A School). I’m not sure if this is the right place for it – but being “new to the Navy”, I have a question about what the service will cover. Specifically, will they pay for me to fly out to his graduation or pay for any travel expenses I incur while visiting him in A-school (25 weeks long)?
10. NCCM(ret) says:

    April 6, 2011 at 4:54 pm

    Maggie,

    No. The only time travel costs are covered for the dependents is when he is in receipt of permanent change of station (PCS) orders – it will pay for you to move from the old location to the new one, it will also fund the moving of your household goods (furniture and all your other worldly possessions) and your vehicle (if you drive it, you get so many cents per mile).
11. terry says:

    June 6, 2011 at 4:07 pm

    my son is 23 and wishes to join the Navy. He is 6’2 and around 285, but is currently in very good condition. (x football player). he is not going to meet the weight requirements, and is probably a little over the body fat requirements, but i am sure he would pass the physical requirements in the good or excellent stage. He wants to leave, a.s.a.p.. He currently works for the Mo. Dept. of Corrections, and has little time for workouts. any ideas?
12. NCCM(ret) says:

    June 6, 2011 at 4:35 pm

    Terry,

    He will have to evolve his lifestyle to include healthy eating and physical exercise because he will, of course, have to be within the enlistment standards. The following post was written by a person who was very much in the same boat, pardon the pun, he lost upwards of 65 pounds to join. He is currently in the Navy doing a stellar job. Here is how he did it; http://www.navycs.com/blogs/2010/04/19/a-future-sailors-weight-loss-journey
13. Austin says:

    November 13, 2011 at 7:36 pm

    Hi NCCM,

    I was reading the comments here and I was wondering if you might be able to answer a question that I’ve been getting several different answers about. I live right by a base and was wondering if I would be able to get an ID card that would allow me to get on base and use the gym while I am in the DEP.
14. NCCM(ret) says:

    November 14, 2011 at 8:07 am

    Austin,

    You should get a DEP ID after you swear in at teh MEPS, but it will not grant you base privileges (not an official ID card and would be easy to duplicate) – I have heard of some base facilities, like the gym, pool, etc., that will except the card because the recruiter has worked it out. Talk to your recruiter.
15. melissa says:

    December 6, 2011 at 10:35 pm

    Does anyone know if it is common to be shipped out after you graduate if you are enlisted in the DEP program and just waiting for you deploma from high school?
16. NCCM(ret) says:

    December 6, 2011 at 10:57 pm

    Melissa,

    A lot of people ship to boot camp after they graduate high school. Are you talking about being a mid-term graduate? If so, the school will have to produce proof that you have finished all requirements for graduation, and you would also have to be at least 18 years of age (or within 60 days of your 18th birthday).
17. babs says:

    December 28, 2011 at 9:27 am

    hello NCCM…i’ll be leaving for bootcamp in june(MM surface)..can i reenlist when my contract is over because i don’t want to wait in the individual ready reserve..ALso,is it true that the navy can deny me of reenlisting even if i met all their requirements….When can i start my reenlistment process while on active duty…thanks
18. Sam says:

    February 17, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    Hi NCCM..my son is a senior in high school and has signed his initial paperwork, gone through MEPS and is scheduled to swear in and “pick a job” next week. He was heavily recurited for the Navy Nuke program. Based on his ASVAB scores, he did not have to do any additional academic testing for qualification. We had to get a medical waiver and that has been approved. Now we have been told that an education waiver is required because he is taking concurrent education classes that will give him both high school and college credits. I guess there is some confusion because even though the classes are taken at the high school via ednet, they are labled “distance education”. We have been assured this education waiver is merely a formality, but it could delay things 3 to 4 weeks. In the meantime, our recruiter has requested that we go through with the swearing in and pick another job until the Nuke waiver comes through and upon receiving the waiver, he can reclassify my son and get his job/contract changed to Nuke. We live approximately 5 hours from MEPS and our recruiter says this would greatly help the process as reclassification is paperwork that can be handled locally without going back to MEPS. Is this common or advisable? I should mention that our recruiter has been wonderful and very informative but we just want a second opinion as my son will be turning down a full scholarship at an elite university to enter the Nuke program.
19. NCCM(ret) says:

    February 17, 2012 at 6:52 pm

    Sam,

    It sounds like he needs a Type 2 Non-Traditional Education wavier. In order to process that waiver, your son must take the NAPT (part of the waiver process – I’ll post the reference at the end of the comment). That said, there is a provision for enlisting as a Nuke when awaiting a Type 2 waiver. It is called the Delayed Entry Nuclear Field Program (DEN). From the instruction, “Only those applicants who have a high probability of being accepted into the NF Program will be permitted to enlist as a DEN.”

    If the nuclear program is the only program he would want to join, then I would wait until either he receives the DEN option or is outright approved for the program; otherwise, the option the recruiter has proposed is good, as long as he enlists into a program he’d be happy with.

    The reference for having to take the NAPT (it does not provide for exceptions, ie. high ASVAB): COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8J – VOLUME IV, Chapter 1, Section 1, page 6, paragraph 2f “Type 2 Non-Traditional Education.”

    The reference for the DEN program: COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8J VOLUME IV, Chapter 1, Section 1, page 8, Article 010105 “DELAYED ENTRY NUCLEAR FIELD PROGRAM (DEN).”

    Hope this answers your questions.
20. Sam says:

    February 18, 2012 at 12:41 am

    Thanks so much. This was great info. And we are working with our recruiter on this now.
21. nellz says:

    February 27, 2012 at 6:39 pm

    hi i am in the navy dep and im scheduled for bootcamp on april 30th. my family lives overseas and i wanted to visit them before i leave for bootcamp.. at first my recruiter was telling me yes that was before i go to meps now he is telling me no. i am jus going for two weeks. could i do so. what are the consequences.
22. NCCM(ret) says:

    February 27, 2012 at 6:57 pm

    Nellz,

    You can go visit, but you should be back from your trip in enough time to complete your pre-shipping/recertification requirements (30 days before your ship date) – you should be back, really, no later than the 25th of March to ensure everything is in order. And remember to update your SF-86 with the trip.

    Discuss it further with your recruiter with these dates in mind.
23. Lrp says:

    April 7, 2012 at 6:48 pm

    OK what i am about to say can obviously warrant some thoughts of my commitment level and that is understandable. I already feel stupid enough and guilty Nd am just simply saking a question AS i have not Spoken to my recruiter yet. It is my 20th birthday weekend and i have a little over a month in dep before my shipdate. At a Friends house i Made the choice to take 3 shots. We walked roughly 8 blocks to another house for a party which is normally a sate place to be. Tjia night however was cramped and within 10 mins of Helmy Theresia cops came. Some kids got rowdy and the whole block got covered by officers and campus PD We couldnt go back to the first house because he Only rented a room and Theres a curfew for noise. We decided to walkman Around for awhile to get the liquor out of my system before driving. Unfortunatley the party was emptying out. Fights everywhere cops chasing kids. My group was fine but i still Didnt wanna drive in the area for awhile. Hindsight being 20 20 should have called a taxi or something but it was a stressful environment. Anyway We end up almost back Home in the suburbs and im pulled over for my headlight. I passed the sober test but did Admit to a Couple drinks a few hours before Nd blew a .022 bac underage drinking and driving ticket. I am willing to pay for the lawyer and such WHO Said can help me avoid probation pay a fee take a Class and get the case dismissed etc. I Know This Will effect my shipdate and dissapoint alot of people mostly myself but any idea if i Will be permanently sperated. Just trying to get an idea anything Will help. Side note the commander in my division Said no waivers Will be granted within 60 days before leaving but is There any hope. Pleset and thankyou.
24. NCCM(ret) says:

    April 7, 2012 at 7:25 pm

    Lrp,

    Because you have a driving w/alcohol ticket, you would fall under the “Behind the Wheel” rule, which means you will have to be discharged and then wait a minimum of one year from the date of your arrest to process again. Provide your recruiter with the circumstances and charge, then hope it somehow does not fall under the rule.

    I wish I had better news.

    http://www.navycs.com/blogs/2008/09/05/behind-the-wheel
25. Jennifer says:

    May 1, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    Hi,
    I am wondering if I could qualify for the DEP program. I am 37 and want to join the naval reserve. I am only 5’2 and overweight at the moment. I was wondering if I joined now could I qualify for the program in order to get into shape? I know I have to join before I am 39 due to age restrictions, so my time is limited and of great urgency when it come to losing the weight. I would like to enter by November of this year which if I work hard enough I believe I can but was wondering just in case I don’t meet that deadline could I qualify. Thank You.
26. NCCM(Ret) says:

    May 1, 2012 at 1:39 pm

    Jennifer,

    You must be fully qualified medically for military service in order join the delayed entry program for the active and reserve components of the Navy, so you would not be able to join the DEP program until you are within the height-weight standards.
    http://www.navycs.com/navyheightweightchart.html
27. Tanya says:

    May 30, 2012 at 3:48 am

    My son went to MEPS today and signed a DEP contract. He scored a 96 on the ASVAB and met all requirements to join the Nuclear Program. However when he returned they enlisted him for 6 years as a Missle Technician. He said there was a waiting list for the Nuke program and that they would reclassify his job. He is not leaving till November, so I am wondering if he should ask to be released from DEP because that is not the job he wanted. Everything I read says that if it’s not in the contract, that it’s not true. His contract included no signing bonus, no navy college fund, and a lower starting pay grade than he was told he would start at.
28. NCCM(Ret) says:

    May 30, 2012 at 6:00 am

    Tanya,

    When a person goes to enlist with a specific job in mind and the job is not available when they go to MEPS, there is two things they can do. First, of course, is to go home and hope the job becomes available the next time they go to the MEPS, or second, a person can enlist into a job that has the same number of active years required of the job they want and then submit a DEP Action Request (DAR – submitted by the Recruiter) to change the job while they are in DEP. In most cases, I recommend joining in a rating/program that you are qualified for and you would be happy with doing if your first choice doesn’t become available (if fully qualified for the nuclear program, a position should open up fairly quickly (a few days, max?)), but when it does open up, the Future Sailor does not have to make the trek back to the MEPS – the new contract can be done via the fax machine in the recruiting station.

    I hope that makes sense. I highly recommend that you have the recruiter come to you and explain further, answer all of your questions, and to provide solid expectations of when to expect the opening to be filled. Not since the years 1991-92 has the nuclear field experienced any caps on the number of qualified people they would except, so again, I don’t think he will be waiting long to get his reclassification.
29. Gene says:

    June 10, 2012 at 10:17 am

    My son recently passed the nuclear test…he had narrowly missed about 90 days earlier. If accepted, which seems more procedural than anything else, he was told that he would not go to basic until April 2013.

    First question…..how likley is it that a spot could open up before April?

    Second…..if he has to wait until April will he have to go through MEPS again, since he went through in February 2012?
30. NCCM(Ret) says:

    June 10, 2012 at 10:32 am

    Gene,

    Seats do occasionally open up, sometimes you may find out 2 days before it leaves, so you have to be pretty flexible.

    Once he is eligible to enter the program, he would have to go back to MEPS to do an inspection physical (any time after 30 days that you return to the MEPS for processing, you need an inspection physical – it checks that there have been no changes in your medical history and your height and weight), get his Nuke contract and swear-in. If he is already in the Delayed Entry Program and in a 6 year program, he would not have to return to the MEPS as his new contract can be done at the recruiting station. In April (or sooner if rolled up), he would return to the MEPS and complete an inspection physical, then ship off to RTC.
31. Gene says:

    June 10, 2012 at 11:57 am

    Thanks for the informative response.
32. joan says:

    June 21, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    my fience is wanting to join the navy he has an associates as a machinist (cnc & manual machine work and cnc programing)he was looking into the nuke(nf) program he is 24 and will be 25 Dec 12th if he joins in july/august is there a possiblity of him getting in, since his age and the age requirements? he talked to a recruitor yesterday and took a pre-asvab test and score 74 in general he’s wanting to wait till july/august so he can brush up on some of the critia to score higher.Also were not married yet but we will also have a daughter come august will this be a problem for him joining and us not being married yet bc of a unborn child yet?
33. NCCM(Ret) says:

    June 21, 2012 at 7:27 pm

    Joan,

    If he is single and the baby is born before he leaves for boot-camp, he has to relinquish physical custody of the child by court order. Absent a court order, a child support order awarded by the state that the child resides in may be used to determine eligibility for enlistment. The court order or child support order (with appropriate official signature) is required prior to processing for enlistment.

    I have no way of knowing whether or not a Nuke seat will become available for him to leave before his 25th birthday.
34. joan says:

    June 22, 2012 at 10:32 am

    okay thank you very much
35. Pierson says:

    June 28, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    Just curious as to whether or not it is a requirement to finish all of the PQS’s in the DEP handbook. I’m already an E-3 due to college credits so advancement is not an option for me at this point. i’ve been working hard and studying but my time is running low. If i do not complete them can i still go to boot camp?
36. NCCM(Ret) says:

    June 28, 2012 at 12:32 pm

    Pierson,

    Completing the DEP PQS is not required, but it would be unimaginably helpful to you. Knowing that information will make your boot-camp experience more fulfilling and a lot less stressful.
37. elsie says:

    August 18, 2012 at 3:23 pm

    I joined two Weeks ago and the job I wanted wasn’t available so I choose a job that leaves nnext yr in Janary I don’treally want that and I want corpsman is it possible to change my job and get that? My Recruiter said that theres hardly any jobs open and I can’t change it
38. NCCM(Ret) says:

    August 18, 2012 at 3:28 pm

    Elsie,

    Your recruiter is accurate. The number of jobs that are coming available have been fewer; there are countless people who are trying to get in that cannot for what ever reason. If you decide the Navy is not for you, then tell your recruiter, I am sure there are numerous people that would like to have the job you did get. Please don’t misunderstand what I am trying to say, I am not trying to be harsh – just stating the reality – I have enormous respect for you for the decision you made to serve your country.

    I hope everything works out for you.
39. Sergio says:

    November 2, 2012 at 9:53 pm

    Hello,

    I joined the Navy the other day. The job i wanted was restricted for me because of security clearance. I wanted to say no right there but they told me that taking another job would help beef up my security clearance. I have a problem of like to please people and can’t say no sometimes plus was my 2nd straight day at MEPS and I was very tired so I ended taking the job. Also my recruiter told me that you could change jobs after 18 month of service. Right there after taking the job I felt like getting engage with the wrong women, I know that I will be unhappy. . I respect the NAVY and I really wanted to serve but I just can’t have the commitment serving for 4-8 years in something I won’t enjoy. Also I don’t think is wise to serve if I won’t be happy and depressed. I know that I made a mistake of not thinking this through before signing up.
    I wanted to know if its normal that people leave the DEP, and leaving just days after signing up. After all my recruiter is a very nice guy and I know this thing screws recruiters. I hate myself for this but I just can’t go along with it.
40. NCCM(Ret) says:

    November 2, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    Sergio,

    Many people get cold feet and question their decision to join, and a few of them ultimately decide to back out.

    I will tell you and everyone else reading this reply, you will NOT be able to change ratings after you are in for just 18 months (unless you are in one of the apprenticeship type programs or if the rating you are in merged with another rating or phased out). If you join with an A school guarantee, you will, minimally, have to complete your first enlistment before you can even think about changing.
41. Kyndra says:

    February 4, 2013 at 1:29 pm

    Hello,

    I have recently decided to join the Navy but am very nervous about it. To most of my family it kind of looks like I made a spur of the moment decision but that is not what it is at all. I’ve actually been thinking and on this for several months and decided in December that this is what I need to do. I have briefly spoken to a recruiter and he is very friendly and wants to help me. I was just wondering if you could help me ask the right questions so that I can know exactly what it is I am getting into. That would be very helpful. Also there are very few things I am interested in for a job, what I want is something in legal or if at all possible photography, those have always been interests in my life. I don’t want to pull out if those jobs are not available but I’m not sure what else I would and to do. I’m not picky but I want to be able to do something that I will enjoy. Do you have any advice for me?
42. Ashlee says:

    February 16, 2013 at 9:08 am

    Hello,

    My husband is interested in joining the Navy and hopes to go into Intelligence, Cryptology, or Cyber warfare. He already has a 4 year degree and would like to go to OCS if possible, but he knows it is extremely competitive so he’s open to enlisted jobs in the above areas. I was recently offered admission for a graduate school program in the United Kingdom and if I accept we would be living in the U.K. until the summer of 2014. My questions are: would my husband be able to complete his MEPS this summer while we are still in the U.S. and then join the DEPS program for the year we are living overseas (with the intention of going to boot camp in 2014), giving him more time to prepare? Also, would he know his job before we left and could this job change over the course of the year? Given what we’ve heard about job competition and waiting lists for boot camp, I’m wondering if DEPS would be a better option than him delaying the process until we return in 2014.

    Thank you!
43. NCCM(Ret) says:

    February 16, 2013 at 10:08 am

    Ashlee,

    Assuming he wants to leave for boot-camp after the Summer of 2014, I would recommend that he join the United States Navy while you live in England. Navy Recruiting District New England has an office in Kaiserslautern, Germany that would handle his enlistment — the recruiting district pays any costs associated with processing, and the local U.S. Embassy would have the contact phone number or he could call the Navy Recruiting District in Boston at (617)753-4592 when he is ready to start. Everyone who joins starts in the DEP — the time in DEP is determined by the date the rating/program he enlisted into requires him to leave to be able to make the class starting date — that time frame can be up to a year, and it could also be in as little as a week. The day he joins the DEP, he will know for what rating/program he enlisted for.
44. Kelvin says:

    May 2, 2013 at 12:16 pm

    Hello,

    I am currently waiting on a type II waiver for navy nuke program because my biological father is a citizen of China. Its a little more than a month now and I was wondering if it does get approved, do I need to take the NAPT? ( I initially auto-qualified)
45. NCCM(Ret) says:

    May 2, 2013 at 12:19 pm

    Kelvin,

    One has nothing to do with the other. As long as you are qualified without the NAPT, you should not have to take it because of the family member’s citizenship issue.
46. Kelvin says:

    May 2, 2013 at 12:28 pm

    Thank you!

    Also I was told that the waiver will take 2 months and how likely do you think the waiver will get passed? He does not work for the Chinese government and I have very little contact with him. I I have said before, I am aboub one month into this waiting game already.
47. Kelvin says:

    May 2, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    Also in addition to the previous post, what exactly are the steps for the waiver?
48. NCCM(Ret) says:

    May 2, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    Kelvin,

    I do not have much personal experience with citizenship security waivers, so I am not the right person to ask; however, before that type of waiver is sent, I assume the power that be was contacted and a likelihood established — based on that, like your chances.
49. Jada says:

    June 16, 2013 at 6:12 pm

    I am currently in the Navy’s Dep and leave this July on the 10th, but want to leave at an later time, is that possible ?
50. NCCM(Ret) says:

    June 16, 2013 at 6:19 pm

    Jada,

    That would depend on many factors. First, you cannot be in DEP more than 365 days, so if the job you have is not available in the window you have between the date you currently leave and the 365 date, then you cannot change your date without changing your job. Then it comes down to whether or not you are qualified and want any of the jobs that do leave between the current date and the 365 day date. It also depends on the reason you want to roll-out, if your reason is not valid, and very few are, then expect to be discharged at the soonest so someone who wants to leave in the job you would be vacating can have it. So, basically, it’s complicated, but possible. Start now though; waiting until the last minute makes it very difficult — contact your recruiter first thing in the morning.