December 23

Ok update since I JUST filled out the sheet to apply for my rating.

See the thing with A-school. It's a 2 year wait. But changing your rating
(which is actually MUCH easier paperwork wise) is also 2 years. So if I get
a rating in March (well actually may/junish, it takes that long to find out)
I'm really waiting about the same amount of time. Only with the former I'm
e-3 in deck. Whereas for the others, I can go for e-4 and above in another
department. Oh and its easier paperwork wise and you pretty much WILL get it
because you'll have 2 years in a rating with a performance record and
accolades and all that sumsuch.

So on the sheet I put down
1) Operations Specialist
2) Quartermaster
3) Yeoman

I would have put yeoman higher but the number of slots they're offering for
the ship is low so....

OS sounds like a cool rate. Its probably the most technically
challenging of the ratings.

I still didn't get an answer on diver and whether I can apply after we get
back even if I take the rating test. I have one person saying I'd have to
skip the rating exam if I wanted to do that and another saying the opposite.

Of course this could all go to hell and I don't get picked up to take ANY of
the 3 ratings (which could and has happened). If that's the case well then
DIVER here I come in June when we get back.

For STA-21 (officer college program), I can apply at any time and I'm going to
try to get more info for that. It's a huge package and is really hard to get
together at sea but....well its just like when I applied for marines. Just
getting letters of rec and a long essay on why you want to be a naval
officer and all that jazz. I'll slowly organize myself for that over the
deployment. Its probably best to wait until I have a few awards from this
deployment and a stellar record to hoist myself up on when I apply.

I'll keep you updated. We learn in a few weeks if we get to take the tests
we applied for. Then we can re-apply if we don't get anything if there's
time left.

Al