SEAMAN PACT to GM - 1 point waiver help!

[NavySoriano]

Hello everyone! My names Michael Soriano I depped in the Navy on 10/24/14 and Im very happy to be joining the Navy armed forces. I joined as Undesignated Sailor because at the time at meps i was not offered any jobs I was interested in. I got a 64 on my asvab however I was disqualified from HM and MA because of a minor alcohol consumption i got when I was 17, so my recruiter told me about the Seaman Pact. I leave for basic in January and have taken a look at the jobs the Seaman pact can strike for and now I really want to be a Gunners mate. Of all the jobs on the list its the one I really want to do and have set my mind on it, however today at my mentorship meeting I found out I am one point away on my line score for being qualified. I scored a 203 and need a 204, my question is am I totally screwed and cant be a gunners mate? I heard about the 1 point waiver but what are my chances of it getting approved? is there a wait period for that kind of waiver even if I am going to bootcamp in January already? I'll work really hard in bootcamp and as an undesignated sailor doing whatever it takes if I can still possibly strike for gunners mate, will I have to just tell my career counselor that? I have done all my research on the rate and I decided if i cant be a HM or MA then I really want to be a GM. Any Insight would really help thank you! and have a happy thanksgiving everyone.

[BloodyPheonix]

Well I've heard that you get one ASVAB retake before you incur a six month waiting period for the next one, but that might vary between MEP Stations and it typically is applied to increase scores to get a contract not improve scores after you have one. I'd ask your recruiter if you can retake the asvab to try to qualify for GM.

[FlyNavy]

Even if you don't get it before you leave, Undes guys strike GM all the time. Once you're in the fleet, just start volunteering your time in the GM shop and get qualified with their stuff. Once you're able to strike you'll already know all of their stuff, will ace the test, get converted, and you'll be good to go! Happens all the time.

/r
CTT1

[NavySoriano]

Really? can I still volunteer going into the GM shop and get converted even if my line score is off by one point? i needed a 204 and got a 203. That does sound like an awesome plan! learning their stuff but will the Career Counselor be okay with letting me strike that job if my line score is a point of? thats honestly what im worried about. Im dedicated to do whatever it takes!

[MickeyMcD]

I don't even think your ASVAB scores matter all that much once you hit the fleet, does it?

[kforbs126]

I don't even think your ASVAB scores matter all that much once you hit the fleet, does it?

Yes it does.

[Haasino]

Your chances of retaking the ASVAB prior to shipping out as Undes is very unlikely... Recruiters need to fill quotas for PACT, and ASVAB retests are usually only done if someone fails so they can join. Simply put, you're already a check-mark on your recruiting station's monthly quota board.

The plus side is, you can retake the ASVAB once you're active duty... when the time comes that you're eligible to strike for a rating, you're also in more control of your affairs than you are as a Future Sailor. Right now, you have a recruiter who handles all affairs with MEPS and has ultimate authority over you leaving for RTC. In the fleet, you're going to have a career councilor who's office you can effectively occupy and who's presence you can annoy daily in order to get what you want... in this case, an ASVAB re-test.

[ProudCONavyMom]

My son was depped in last year in August. He scored around 89 on the ASVAB and wanted to join as SWCC or MA. I'm not sure what his recruiter told him while standing there at MEPS, but he ended up in PACT. I was really scared for him not getting what he wanted. He went to RTC in January 2014. He graduated in March. He stayed on base in Illinois in PACT-A school until May. Then he was sent to Naval Base San Diego and deployed on a frigate a few days later. He will be coming home again after Christmas, but it was a quick transition that we weren't really aware of. January in bootcamp, March in A-school, May on a ship and deployed thousands of miles away.

As far as I know from his experience, your ASVAB doesn't matter after you go to MEPS and get assigned a rate. During this first deployment, in the beginning he was assigned to scrape paint and reorganize equipment, etc. But the idea for a PACT-SN is to work in the different ratings on the ship they are eligible to strike for. So once they were underway, he was assigned to the CS rating and served food and took orders for the officers and cleaned up. It wasn't what he wanted to do, he was awake first and slept last on the ship for months. He was also passed over for ashore volunteer opportunities due to his responsibility to the CS rate.

After his 3 month stint as CS, he was SURE that wasn't for him. He was again assigned to just scraping paint and standing watch. (Get ready to stand watch. There will be a LOT of that.) But in November he was told he needed to chose from these four rates, LS, GM, CS and BM. Having known he didn't like CS or BM, he was choosing between LS and GM. I haven't understood why he had to chose then, or why he couldn't chose MA like he wanted, but I guess we'll get he whole story when he gets home. He is happy about it though. He really wanted to work with weapons, so I guess he'll be happy with that.

One thing I do what to express; he is happy in the Navy. He enjoyed most of the time in boot camp; his division earned the CNO flag. He's enjoyed deployment and the places he's seen. He said that if it weren't for being away from home, it would be the perfect job. But we all expected that. He's mention on more than one occasion that it really is more of a mental adjustment than anything. It is what you put into it. He was looking for a once in a lifetime experience and found that in the Navy.

Good luck to you and thank you all so much for your service. Know that your sacrifice is incredibly appreciated.:wavetowel2:

:mysterymachine:
Dawn

[LT Guppy]

Just wanted to clarify a couple things. My comments are in bold.

My son was depped in last year in August. He scored around 89 on the ASVAB and wanted to join as SWCC or MA. I'm not sure what his recruiter told him while standing there at MEPS, but he ended up in PACT. I was really scared for him not getting what he wanted. He went to RTC in January 2014. He graduated in March. He stayed on base in Illinois in PACT-A school until May. Then he was sent to Naval Base San Diego and deployed on a frigate a few days later. He will be coming home again after Christmas, but it was a quick transition that we weren't really aware of. January in bootcamp, March in A-school, May on a ship and deployed thousands of miles away. This is really luck of the draw. Some Sailors will deploy immediately, some won't deploy for a year or more. It just depends on where their ship is in it's cycle.

As far as I know from his experience, your ASVAB doesn't matter after you go to MEPS and get assigned a rate. Your son has a pretty decent score, which is why it probably wasn't a limiting factor for him. During this first deployment, in the beginning he was assigned to scrape paint and reorganize equipment, etc. But the idea for a PACT-SN is to work in the different ratings on the ship they are eligible to strike for. So once they were underway, he was assigned to the CS rating and served food and took orders for the officers and cleaned up. Nearly every Sailor in the Navy will do about 3 month's with the CSs. It is called cranking. Basically, there are jobs required of the CSs (helping in the galley, washing dishes, being the wardroom attendant) that they simply can't cover due to manning, so all junior Sailors take a turn helping out (usually in their first 6 months or so). It wasn't what he wanted to do, he was awake first and slept last on the ship for months. He was also passed over for ashore volunteer opportunities due to his responsibility to the CS rate.

After his 3 month stint as CS, he was SURE that wasn't for him. He was again assigned to just scraping paint and standing watch. (Get ready to stand watch. There will be a LOT of that.) But in November he was told he needed to chose from these four rates, LS, GM, CS and BM. Having known he didn't like CS or BM, he was choosing between LS and GM. I haven't understood why he had to chose then, or why he couldn't chose MA like he wanted MA is not a rate one can typically strike for, but I guess we'll get he whole story when he gets home. He is happy about it though. He really wanted to work with weapons, so I guess he'll be happy with that.

One thing I do what to express; he is happy in the Navy. He enjoyed most of the time in boot camp; his division earned the CNO flag. He's enjoyed deployment and the places he's seen. He said that if it weren't for being away from home, it would be the perfect job. But we all expected that. He's mention on more than one occasion that it really is more of a mental adjustment than anything. It is what you put into it. He was looking for a once in a lifetime experience and found that in the Navy.

Good luck to you and thank you all so much for your service. Know that your sacrifice is incredibly appreciated.:wavetowel2:

:mysterymachine:
Dawn

[FlyNavy]

So once they were underway, he was assigned to the CS rating and served food and took orders for the officers and cleaned up.
Dawn

Your son wasn't assigned to be a CS during that time, what he was doing is something we on the boat call "Cranking".

ALL junior personnel (including me, as a CT, when I was at sea) have to do about 3-5 months of working down on the mess decks for the CS's. This is because there aren't enough CS's to do everything that needs to get done to feed the crew everyday, so every division on the ship usually sends down either the new guys or the junior folks who haven't done it before. So since he was the new guy and S-division needed bodies, he had to take his turn cranking.

/r
CTT1

[JSlattery]

Your son wasn't assigned to be a CS during that time, what he was doing is something we on the boat call "Cranking".

ALL junior personnel (including me, as a CT, when I was at sea) have to do about 3-5 months of working down on the mess decks for the CS's. This is because there aren't enough CS's to do everything that needs to get done to feed the crew everyday, so every division on the ship usually sends down either the new guys or the junior folks who haven't done it before. So since he was the new guy and S-division needed bodies, he had to take his turn cranking.

/r
CTT1

As a quick side question, does this happen only ship side or does this happen on Shore Duty as well? (More just curious.)

[FlyNavy]

As a quick side question, does this happen only ship side or does this happen on Shore Duty as well? (More just curious.)

I'm not entirely sure, as the shore duty I'm at is a joint facility and civilians run the Mess Decks. I'm sure someone on here would have more insight into a Navy-only shore duty. But my guess would be it's unlikely. When I was on the ship, the Mess Hall on base appeared to be staffed by assigned CS folks. But it's entirely possible. We only ate there if the Mess Decks on the ship were unavailable.

/r
CTT1

[LT Guppy]

As a quick side question, does this happen only ship side or does this happen on Shore Duty as well? (More just curious.)

We don't at my shore command.

[FutureND]

As a quick side question, does this happen only ship side or does this happen on Shore Duty as well? (More just curious.)

I met my battalion while deployed to Okinawa about half way through and was put in the ward room working with the CS's for the last three months. Now in home port we still have people assigned to work FSA with the CS's. It is always junior personnel and usually for a 3 month stint. Good news is that you usually only have to do this once.

[CTR3(IW/SG) Freddie]

This is different from the TAD everyone dreads right?

[Haasino]

I can't speak for Naval Bases... but all the Naval Air Stations I've been stationed on have dedicated CS' at the galley, supplemented as needed by civilians. PACT or junior personnel go TAD within their squadrons, or occasionally staff the barracks.

[Auridan]

This is different from the TAD everyone dreads right?

Negative. Cranking is TAD, and since it's practically inevitable it's probably exactly what you're thinking of. But it's not THAT bad.

[StormyMelodies]

hold up?! There is a 1 point wavier?! People have mentioned it, but i thought they were kidding!! I am missing MC by 1 point! I got 114 and I need 115! My recruiter doesnt want me retaking the asvab because I got the score I needed for my top job and she doesnt want me to take a chance of ruining it. But MC was gonna be my second choice but I missed it by 1 point. Can someone please explain this to me?!?!

Sorry for randomly coming in. Saw the subject and my heart jumped!!!! hahahha

[FlyNavy]

hold up?! There is a 1 point wavier?! People have mentioned it, but i thought they were kidding!! I am missing MC by 1 point! I got 114 and I need 115! My recruiter doesnt want me retaking the asvab because I got the score I needed for my top job and she doesnt want me to take a chance of ruining it. But MC was gonna be my second choice but I missed it by 1 point. Can someone please explain this to me?!?!

Sorry for randomly coming in. Saw the subject and my heart jumped!!!! hahahha

As far as I'm aware there is no waiver for the score; you can only retake the ASVAB as a whole. If you do better, then you get a better score. If you do worse though, that is now the score you have to work with. It's a gamble really.

And if you got the score you needed for your top pick, why bother going back to qualify for your second pick? That doesn't make any sense! :)

/r
CTT1

[StormyMelodies]

My top pick is an AG. lol. So its not "easy" to get. Which is why I wanted a second choice.