Ask A Spook! Cryptologic Questions

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by Willow

I have a question regarding my contract. My rate is CTN and I'm going in as an E-2. I have an A & C school in my contract. One of my enlistment guarantees is "Training in the Advanced Electronics Field (AEF)... and advancement to paygrade (E-4) per MILPERSMAN Articles 1160-040 and 1510-030." My recruiter just told me I would automatically get E-4 after completion of A-School, but after reading 1510-030 there seems to be a few catches.

On Page 8:" ... c. Personnel are authorized guaranteed advancement to E-4
after successfully completing “A” school or advanced training
required to attain rating designation and after serving 6 months
TIR as an E-3. The following must also be completed or obtained
prior to advancement to E-4:
(1) All requirements completed for advancement in rate;
(2) Performance appraisal review;
(3) Command officer’s recommendation. "

If I'm reading this right I won't get E-4 immediately upon completion of A-school, since I'll be an E-2 during A-school and won't have fulfilled the necessary 6 months TIR as an E-3.

Was my recruiter right about getting E-4 immediately upon completion of A-school or is my reading of MILPERSMAN correct? Also, is it normal to get Command officer's recommendation if you get good grades and graduate?

I forget which MILPERSMAN article it was in, but I read that A-school for CTN's is in and of itself considered advanced training, and as such rewards an NEC to it's graduates. Does this mean that CTN's with a C-school would get two NECs somehow? Or just the initial one, perhaps?

Thanks for any help you can give!

So a couple things here...

Your recruiter is both right and wrong at the same time. Yes you will be a push-button 3rd class, but you WILL have to have TIR to get promoted. That's standard for any automatic E4 in the Navy regardless if you're a CTN, Nuke, whatever. The part about the CO's recommendation, you don't need to worry about that part. The command will get all the needed paperwork together, as this is a normal occurrence and there are gonna be plenty of other people in your same position. Once you get the TIR out of the way, it's a pretty simple process to get your crow.

Before CTN A-school was JCAC, it was a series of Network Analysis courses (BDNA, IDNA, ADNA). Those I believe did grant an NEC for some reason, but now that all those courses fall under JCAC, I don't believe you'll be getting an NEC just for A-school. C-school though, yes.

/r
CTT1