Recruit with Integrity Card
January 10th, 2012
Through a recent action by Navy Recruiting Command, it appears that reported instances of recruiter impropriety has risen to a point that a proactive, preventative action must be taken from the headquarter’s level.
Please note: Recruiter impropriety is a relatively rare occurrence committed by a very small number of those serving in the billet. The vast, overwhelming majority of Sailors who serve in recruiting proceed with the professionalism you should expect by members of our armed forces.
Beginning earlier this month, Navy Recruiters have been provided with “Recruit with Integrity” cards that must be provided to all applicants at their initial face to face contact.
The front of the card;
The card’s reverse; (Read the rest of the article…)
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USS San Francisco Art Work
December 15th, 2011
Recently, the USS San Francisco had some original artwork completed on the doors leading to the various work centers and offices aboard their nuclear powered submarine.
The video tells the thought process that went into the design for each door;
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FY-2012 LRP Ratings
December 1st, 2011
The Navy’s Student Loan Repayment Program (LRP) is an enlistment option, it is not something you can opt into after you have shipped to Recruit Training Command. Also, keep in mind that having the LRP program as part of your enlistment guarantee makes you ineligible for the GI Bill, until you reenlist for a second term and serve a minimum of 24 months of that term.
Last year, all the ratings were eligible for LRP at the time of one’s enlistment, but now, only the following ratings are eligible for the Navy’s Student Loan Repayment Program.
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Designer Drugs Will End Your Career
November 17th, 2011
The Navy’s drug abuse policy is crystal clear – zero tolerance. Sailors that unlawfully use, possess, promote, manufacture, or distribute drugs and/or drug paraphernalia shall be disciplined, as appropriate, and kicked to the curb; normally, with loss of all benefits, including the GI Bill and other Veteran’s Administration benefits. No second chances. No waivers.
The Navy’s policy includes the use/misuse, possession, promotion of all substances recognized as illegal by the federal government and the controlled substance analogues (synthetic/designer drugs), natural substances (e.g., fungi, excretions), chemicals (e.g., chemicals wrongfully used as inhalants), propellants and/or prescribed or over-the-counter drugs or pharmaceutical compound with the intent to induce intoxication, excitement, or stupefaction of the central nervous system – Products that contain synthetic cannabinoid compounds, such as Spice, Genie, Blaze, Dream, Ex-Ses, Spark, Fusion, Dark Knight, Yukatan Fire, and K2. Natural substances such as salvia divinorum and mushrooms. Common items abused by inhaling or huffing, such as dust off, glue, paint thinner and gasoline. Over-the-counter products such as Robitussin and Coricidin HBP.
If you are thinking about joining the Navy, you must understand that this is not a joke – think about it, if you get kicked out for drugs, more than likely your parents won’t want you living in their house (make sure you ask before you join, “hey, Mom and Dad, if I get kicked out of the military for drugs, can I have my old room back? I suggest you stand at more than arms length when you ask), employers won’t hire you, and you won’t even get an unemployment check – your best hope is that somebody left a semi-intact refrigerator box (Read the rest of the article…)
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USS Cole
October 12th, 2011
Today, pause for a moment in memory of the 17 Sailors lost during the October 12, 2000, terrorist attack on USS Cole(DDG-67) in Aden, Yemen.
Along with those who lost their lives or injured, the memory I have of that day is the heroic way the crew fought to save their ship. A testament to their leadership and training. Never forget.
Thirty nine Sailors were injured by the blast; the following is Chief Taitt’s personal account of that day’s events. (Read the rest of the article…)
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FY-2011, A Record Setting Year
October 6th, 2011
Each year, congress mandates the number of Sailors that are allowed to be serving in the Navy. In a nut shell, the changes in mission requirements, Fleet retention, and that mandated end-strength number for 2011 ultimately drove the number of billets available for Navy Recruiting Command to fill for each of the Navy’s ratings in the last fiscal year.
Navy Recruiting Command’s active duty accession mission for FY-2011 was 33,400.
For the first year in the history of Navy Recruiting Command while attaining it’s mission, the percentage enlisted in the upper-mental group category was an astounding (Read the rest of the article…)
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Discharged Under DADT?
September 8th, 2011
Did you get kicked out of the service under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) law? After the day the law is repealed, expected on 20 September, you will be eligible to get back in.
Veterans with an RE-4 discharge code, if it was received solely due to DADT, will be treated the same as any other Veteran that received an RE-1/RE-R1; unless there was any other misconduct that was a basis for the discharge, and/or if the discharge was not characterized as honorable.
No preferential treatment will be provided. That means that just like all other qualified Veterans seeking reenlistment, (Read the rest of the article…)
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Military Retirement Under Fire
August 3rd, 2011
In 1986, the Department of Defense implemented the REDUX retirement plan for all those who joined the military after 01 August of that year. REDUX retirement provides a 2% per year for the first 20 years of service (Final Pay and High Three retirements provide 2.5%) which means if you decide to retire at 20 years of active service, you get 40% of your base pay in a monthly check for the rest of your life with a yearly adjustment (based on the CPI, same indicator used for Social Security adjustments) for cost of living. But with the REDUX retirement system, you get an increase to 3.5% for each additional year passed 20 and can get to 100% for 40 years. When REDUX was first implemented, those under the program did not have the option of choosing the High Three program like they can today.
I was a recruiter in New Jersey in 1986 when the REDUX plan was being implemented. Most applicants were oblivious to the change, as a matter of fact, most applicants didn’t know there was a retirement program of any sort, let along the details of it, but some did and the change mattered to them.
Recruiting in the mid-1980′s was about as tough as it could be. The parents of the applicants we sought were draft eligible during the Vietnam War – the last thing most wanted was to see their child join the military, but when the REDUX change was announced, Veterans were dragging (Read the rest of the article…)
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Forrestal – Kennedy
June 21st, 2011
A Merchant Mariner, Elliott Kolner, had just recently finished 30 days aboard the SS Regulus, which is moored one pier over from Forrestal and ex-USS John F. Kennedy, when he snapped this picture.
The former USS Forrestal (CV-59) and USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) await their fates in the Philadelphia shipyard. (photo: Elliot Kolner)
Both the Forrestal and the Kennedy are awaiting their next set of orders – Forrestal is set to be sunk as an artificial reef – the Kennedy is on hold, as the Forrestal once was, to become a floating museum.
The Forrestal was decommissioned all the way back in (Read the rest of the article…)
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Afghan Military Enlistment
May 19th, 2011
During the 2011 Milblog conference, I had the privilege of asking Lt. Gen Caldwell, the Commander of NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan, a few questions about the recruitment of members into the Afghan National Army (ANA). In response, the General described the contributions of the United States Army recruiting personnel who were brought over to Afghanistan to assist in the formation and implementation of Afghan National Army Recruiting Command (ANAREC). During the round table, he also offered up the services of his speechwriter, Major Good. I took advantage by asking a few follow up questions that specifically addressed the requirements one must meet in order to join the ANA.
Not surprisingly, the requirements for joining the Afghan military are really not all that different from that of the United States military. The Afghan National Army has a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) where a basic literacy test is administered (we utilize the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)). The MEPS also has doctors and a medical staff that perform physicals, provided required immunizations and even make a determination whether the recruit is actually the age his or her documents indicate. There is an oath of enlistment, but it is taken during the second week of training with their kandak (battalion).
The Afghan National Army Oath (Female Officer Example): (Read the rest of the article…)
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