Military Recruiting

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;
Navy Recruiter Integrity Card - Recruiter Responsibilities
The card’s reverse; (Read the rest of the article…)


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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.
(Read the rest of the article…)


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FY-2011, A Record Setting Year

October 6th, 2011

America's Navy, A Global Force for GoodEach 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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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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Military Education Requirements

May 9th, 2011

With the use of the Department of Defense’s three tiered education evaluation system, the education requirements for joining the military can be very confusing and frustrating. Today, an Associated Press article questioned the DoD’s stance on those who receive a high school diploma via an online course. Before we discuss the article, I provided a brief explanation of each of the three tiers;


Tier I

In a nut shell, for a Tier I classification, a classification/credential that removes any education caps and allows for a service minimum ASVAB qualification score, you must have at least 75 percent of the credits earned towards your high school graduation requirements, per academic year, through classroom based (student-teacher environment), instructor-led learning experience. High schools, Home schools and Adult schools must be evaluated by the service’s educational specialist, and Post-Secondary credits (15 semester hours or 22 quarter hours of college credit) earned must be from an accredited degree granting institution listed in the current or applicable American Council on Education (ACE) Accredited Institutions of Post-secondary Education (AIPE) Directory. College credits earned through on-line internet courses from an accredited AIPE institution are acceptable as long as you are also attending classes via classroom instruction.

Use this link for a much more detailed explanation of Tier I credentials.

Tier II

(Read the rest of the article…)


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Latest Navy Eligibility Changes

April 13th, 2011

A few of the instructional changes that became effective today.

The days of the 15 year old sneaking off to join the military have long since past, and now, age restrictions are becoming more stringent. Because of the restrictions placed on minors being assigned to combatant units, those 17 years of age may enlist into the Delayed Entry Program, but may not leave for boot-camp prior to their 18th birthday, unless their 18th birthday will occur no later than 60 days from date of leaving for boot-camp. This policy change also applies to Future Sailors currently in the Delayed Entry Program as well as all new contracts written on or after today.

The Cryptologic Technician – Networks (CTN) rating entry (Read the rest of the article…)


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Navy Recruiting Command, 40 Years Young

April 6th, 2011

For forty years, Navy Recruiting Command has been seeking the best and brightest America has to offer. In most places in the United States, beyond the various news stories and radio/TV commercials echoing the latest slogans produced over the years, the only “Navy” people see is that of our recruiting force – some of the finest Sailors in the United States Navy.

During the last 40 years, our recruiters have interviewed an estimated 23 million (Read the rest of the article…)


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Navy Citizenship Requirements

February 2nd, 2011

Only U.S. citizens, U.S. non-citizen nationals, Canadian-born North American Indians, and aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence, are “citizenship eligible” for enlistment in the U.S. Navy or Navy Reserve. Proof of citizenship is one of the Basic Enlistment Eligibility Requirements (BEERs). Exceptions exist for citizens from the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau. This post lists the various status’ and documents required for enlistment based on a consolidation of current Navy instructions and publications.

A described, some legally documented non-U.S. citizens and immigrant aliens can join the military, they may not be enlisted into any job or program that will require a security clearance, but will afforded all the same military pay, allowances and benefits of U.S. citizen serving in the same billet (rank, location, assignment, etc.). If you claim dual citizenship (U.S. citizenship and citizenship in any other country), you are eligible for enlistment, but you will not be classified into any rating/program requiring a security clearance. You may be considered for entry into ratings/programs requiring a security clearance only upon official renouncement of your non-US citizenship.

Employers can sponsor immigrants that allow them to obtain a visa to lawfully enter and work in the United States, but the U.S. Navy cannot provide such sponsorship. To be clear, (Read the rest of the article…)


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