PACT / Undesignated Sailor

[Chief J]

Originally Posted by Texasailor2015

If you are a PACT Airman/Seaman going in as an E-3 does it still take a full year at your command before you can strike a rate?

Yes and No. I've heard this a lot, and this seems to cause some confusion.
A STRIKER is someone who is working with a rating that has not taken the test yet.
Once you are eligible to take the E4 exam, you will take it for your rating(let's use STG as an example) of choice. If you score well enough to be advanced, you will now be STG3. If you just pass the test, you are now STGSN. Either way, you are now RATED.
The one year waiting period is where they will allow you to go and work full time with your future rating BEFORE you are eligible to take the test. So you would be a undesignated Seaman Apprentice working with the STG people so you could better learn the job while waiting to be eligible to take the exam. This is rare, because you will still count against the command's manning for "undesignated" sailors. They too have a job to do, and allowing you to leave for another department makes the other undes sailors have to pick up the slack.
Long story short, coming in as an E3 means that your waiting time is very short before starting your new career field.
Hope this helps!