Posted on 11/13/2012 8:41:25 AM PST by My hearts in London - Everett
My daughter who is currently in Naples, Italy is being separated unexpectedly from the Navy. Not sure if this will be Administrative or Honorable. She has a TS clearance and a clean Navy record except for failing PRT. She is planning on using the GI bill and continuing with college and applying in the mil contractor field when she is back stateside. She has college credits started towards a major in Criminology (she's changing it to Criminal Justice, she says) and minor in History. With everything that is going on with our military and 3 letter agencies, I'm concerned that this may not be the wisest choice when it comes to job choices or a degree. Can anyone give any solid alternative ideas for her to check into?
There aren’t any last options in the Navy the way it’s changed in the last couple years. Just trying to help her make the best choice for her now considering our messed up government and job market being what it is and is going to deteriorate to.
Failing PRT:
I was in the Navy too, Physical Readiness Tests are considered basic requirements to meet your service obligation.
Assuming that this isn’t due to a related service injury, my recommendation would be for her to ask for help with her PRT from her command. Many commands have special groups with daily physical fitness training.
When I was in, discharge prior to completing your service obligation for other than honorable (which is what we are talking about) resulted in you loosing your benefits including the GI Bill. What sucks is, you don’t even get a refund for what you deposited.
Lots of contractors will hire her just for the TS, after that, she could move around within a company.
1. She will be entitled to utilize her Post 9-11 GI Bill. As long as she had sufficient time to earn it. Her intentions as stated to go back school tells me she has it. She will collect Per Diem as living expense money and will be eligible for unemployment.
2. Do not waste the GI Bill on a Community College just to be close to home. (no offense I attended Community College for awhile) Unless it is unavoidable, use it at a major university. Post 9-11 is the Cadillac of educational grants. There may be better out there I have not seen it. Schools love it, even Harvard likes military folks, but only if they have the Post 9-11 GI Bill. She will also have State Veterans Benefits coming to her. If she goes to a local Community College, try utilizing a State Grant vice the GI Bill. It is such a waste to use 24 months of a 36 month free university education on an Associates Degree.
3. Nursing, Nurse Practitioner, Physicians Assistant or Programmer/Administrator. Obama care will make NP & PA’s golden. Doctors will be too expensive, will leave the practice or not bother to come to USA as those of us that can afford will now travel to them. Son had complete reconstructive knee surgery in China for $2K (US). Healthcare Administrators will become invaluable as doctors and hospital wander through the Obamacare minefield. VA is hiring, as are many other Fed Agencies. Not exactly popular people on this site, but with Bronco Bama in office, I doubt the Fed will shrink.
4. She has the TS, if it is a TS/SCI or above she is already worth $80K - $100K per year to many contractors or Fed Agencies. They really do not care if she passes a PRT, that clearance saves them and easy $150K. If her field was intel, tell her to look at MEA “Hot Jobs.” (Marine Executive Association) Do not worry it is open to all services and they link to NAVVET jobs also.
5. Did she deploy to Southwest Asia or Afghanistan? She may be entitled to free VA medical care for up to 5 years. She must check in with the local VA clinic when she returns and have a physical done. They will tell her what benefits she rates.
If all other aspects of her service were honorable, it is simply time for her to move on to something new. Military life is not for everyone, many people never quite adapt. ADSEP (under honorable conditions) is how the military deals with those who never quite adapt. This is especially true during a draw-down. If she was really making an effor and was a good Sailor, 10 years ago her Chief or CO could have found a way to keep her through her enlistment. With Perform to Serve boards and Officer rank reductions, even the Chiefs and CO's are at risk.
“Plenty of jobs for a TS cleared person, but she will need to move to the DC area for them.”
Or Colorado Springs. LOADS of fed/dod out here.
Depends upon the level of TS, and what type of investigation. TS/SCI or a Poly and she is golden!
New Zealand is nice.
The clearance ends when her military service does.
Thank you all for your informative posts and the private messages. My daughter thanks you and so do I. Lots of great posts already and any further ideas and advice is most appreciated also. I have my daughter perusing this thread and if she has any questions, etc. I will post them for her. (Still trying to get her to become a FReeper! lol)
Yes
Information Security
as long the discharge is “honorable” or even just “general under honorable conditions”, I don’t think there are serious adverse effects on employment, generally;
though certain government jobs or jobs with some government contractors may have some negative views of even a “general under honorable conditions” discharge;
and, I have no doubt that some employers ask only when someone was discharged and don’t even ask what kind of discharge was given - should they?, well you’d think so, but I think many don’t
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_discharge
The Wikipedia page lines up with my memory - recently retired AF MSgt, did 1st Sgt duty, so I was involved in several discharge cases.
“Administrative” is the process used for the discharge, as opposed to punative. An admin discharge can be honorable, general , or other than honorable. Tell her to make sure it will be honorable (general might read “general under honorable conditions” which means general, not honorable.) If it’s not going to be be honorable, it’s time to get a lawyer (unless there is a lot more going on than you have told us.)
She should go talk to the ADC as a minimum anyway.
Don’t know what state you are in (looked at your profile page - needs a “Like” button), but Texas is starting a “Hire a veteran” program. I think the first job fair was this past weekend for Veterans’ Day.
If the investigation is current they can pull the existing data - they don’t need to re-do an initial investigation, which is the big expense.
hope she does well and things work out for her. Thank her for her service, please!
Job? That’s so 90’s, with everything free now work is obsolete. Seriously, if she’s knows her way around a kitchen and can work an ironing board her options are endless.
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