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Old 06-20-2015, 01:18 PM   #201
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Shipping out soon as a CTR.
Congrats! It's an awesome rate with tons of opportunities to do cool sh!t!


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As a junior CT going surface, what's the likelihood I'll go on small decks vs a carrier?
Something that specific is really needs of the Navy at the time you're up for orders. But there are more small boys than big decks, so if that's what you're looking for then it shouldn't be that hard.

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I'm on the fence about subs, if I don't volunteer will this negatively impact my career?
CT's only go on subs as part of DIRSUP (direct support). They're their own community in their own right and not being part of that won't affect you negatively at all. DIRSUP shops are part of NIOC's, so you would be there and deploy out as needed to do your mission work.

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Is Aircrew closed to first enlistment CTs?
Aircrew is totally open if there's spots available and you can hack it.

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How competitive is TIO?
Highly. Think less "competitive" though and more "selective". To be eligible for TIO you need to have at least 1 tour as a CT before hand, so this is closed to first tour Sailors. Once you're eligible, you would submit a package and a TIO recruiter would be in contact with you. You would need to meet SpecWar physical standards and they also comb through your entire life (it gets down pretty personal). Even if you meet all that criteria, you have to be someone they want in the teams. If they don't feel like you're the kind of guy they want with them while they're getting shot at, then you aren't gonna get in no matter how qualified you are.

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At the time of reenlistment, do you get to choose your next command? Say a sailor has been DIRSUP for X many years and now they want to be stationed at an NIOC, is it likely the Navy will accommodate them? I want duty at an NIOC at some point in my future career so I can better transition into a three letter agency after service, but I want to travel and experience the Navy's many platforms beforehand.
DIRSUP shops work out of NIOC's, so you would be killing 2 birds with one stone. At a NIOC you'll also be working closely with three letter agencies, so you'll have plenty of time to network and get a feel for everything. If you have some longevity in your Navy career as a CT, you're definitely going to end up at a NIOC at some point.

In regards to orders; when your first contract is up, that's when you contact the detailer (guy who sends you orders) and you negotiate with him based on what's available, what you're qualified to do, and what you wanna do career wise.

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Old 06-20-2015, 01:24 PM   #202
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CT's as a whole are the technical side of intelligence (hence the SIGINT aspect). Where IS's think about the big picture, we're down in the weeds looking at actual signals, 1's and 0's, you name it. So just in general, focus on your technical skills first before going off and doing high-speed stuff like TIO, Aircrew, and DIRSUP. If you're weak as a CT in tech skills then you aren't worth much lol

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Old 06-20-2015, 01:39 PM   #203
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DIRSUP shops work out of NIOC's, so you would be killing 2 birds with one stone. At a NIOC you'll also be working closely with three letter agencies, so you'll have plenty of time to network and get a feel for everything. If you have some longevity in your Navy career as a CT, you're definitely going to end up at a NIOC at some point.
Mileage may vary here. Where I work, the DIRSUP guys are a completely separate facility and don't interact with the rest of us very often. I doubt most of them have been able to network much.
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Old 06-20-2015, 03:04 PM   #204
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Thanks for your reply. I won't wrap my head around it too much, since it won't be up to me but it sounds like an NIOC gives a wider range of job knowledge? Being a good sailor is definitely higher on my priority list than traveling.
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Old 06-20-2015, 03:44 PM   #205
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Thanks for your reply. I won't wrap my head around it too much, since it won't be up to me but it sounds like an NIOC gives a wider range of job knowledge? Being a good sailor is definitely higher on my priority list than traveling.
Being at sea (or in the air) is the best way to learn. The more time you spend ashore the more your skills will languish. Unless youre one of those weird linguist folks ;)
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Old 06-20-2015, 07:26 PM   #206
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Being at sea (or in the air) is the best way to learn. The more time you spend ashore the more your skills will languish. Unless youre one of those weird linguist folks ;)
Yep, the reverse is true for us. Dirsuppers on long deployments have a much harder time maintaining their languages since many of our resources are only available on shore. I will find a way to deploy at some point though. It's going to happen.
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Old 06-21-2015, 09:13 PM   #207
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Default Reserve CTN?

I signed a few weeks ago for CTN in the reserve. Would anyone happen to have some insight into what the job entails for reservists? I understand that most of what you do as a reservist is really just training, but are there ever any opportunities to support active duty CT's, federal agencies, etc. on drill weekends? Also, are there ever any opportunities for reserve CTN's to volunteer for deployments or is that mostly handled entirely by the active CT community? I've heard of some Army cyber guys doing this so I'm just wondering for the future.

Okay, one more question (maybe ); What kind of benefit does the reserve have on civilian job marketability? I'm about 3/4 through my comsci degree and I'm hoping to combine that with my reserve experience to eventually land some sort of federal cybersecurity position. Not to say that this is the only reason I'm joining the reserve, I'm just thinking long term.

If any of this has already been answered, just tell me because I'm sure I could have missed it. Thanks everyone!
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Old 07-07-2015, 08:34 AM   #208
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Got this question in my inbox:

Quote:
Do CTT's travel a lot?

Is A and C school extremely hard?

Do they do a lot of maintenance or "fixing" with the technology or do they mostly operate it?

Are you likely to be able to get a good first duty station being a CTT? (Italy, Hawaii, or anywhere overseas?)

Does the CTT rate have a large amount of people in it?
=============================================
Travel: I went to 30 countries on 3 continents onboard my first ship. Now that can vary; I was on a small boy that could get into more ports and was also an independent deployer, whereas a Carrier couldn't do that much. But it all depends on the ship and deployment schedule. In a nutshell though, we have the capability to travel a ton.

School: A-school for us is at Corry Station in Pensacola, FL...THE BEST DAMN A-SCHOOL LOCATION IN THE NAVY. You'll start with Entry Level ELINT (known simply as ELE). The hardest part about the class for most people is memorizing things, but practice makes perfect and rarely does someone fail enough to drop. C-school if you're a tech consists of a few more months learning to fix the gear. If you're going to a ship, you'll also go through Shipboard Operations (Shipboard Ops) to learn to operate the AN/SLQ-32 (pronounced Slick-32). Overall, if you qualified for the job then mentally you should be fine.

Maintenance: There is a specific NEC for the school to repair the gear (If your contract is for 6 years, this is you). But what separates us from other rates is that we also operate our equipment. 4 year guys are strictly operators, but you're gonna be helping with the maintenance anyway so don't stress. Your watch station will be in the Combat Information Center (CIC, aka "Combat") manning the SLQ-32. CTT's are responsible for all Electronic Warfare duties onboard as well as Anti-Ship Missile Defense (ASMD). If the ship gets shot at with a missile, it's our job to stop that sh!t; and you have seconds to respond so you better know your sh!t or people die. That dovetails nicely with doing maintenance on the gear as well as operating it, because you get a chance to become a technical expert with your equipment.

Duty Stations: This totally depends on what's going on for the detailer at the specific time you're up for orders. As a first tour Sailor, you really don't get much say in where you go. When it comes time to re-enlist, that's when you get options. As a whole though, CTT's can go basically anywhere in the world. I landed in Florida, but 2 guys went to Japan, 1 to Washington state, 3 to Cali, and a couple to Norfolk. Just depends on the needs of the Navy when you're applying for orders.

Rate size: We're larger than some of the other CT rates, but compared to the rest of the Navy it's a small community. Stay in long enough and you'll start knowing people all over the place. I love our rate and I love the people in it. We all see pretty like minded and like what we do.

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Old 07-07-2015, 08:39 AM   #209
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If you have further questions or need clarification, keep them coming!

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Old 07-12-2015, 01:53 AM   #210
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Thank you! I also was wondering how they did your security clearance? Like what does it consist of? Who interviewed you?
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Old 07-12-2015, 06:04 AM   #211
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Thank you! I also was wondering how they did your security clearance? Like what does it consist of? Who interviewed you?
Your process will go something like this:

Fill out an SF-86 (typically your recruiter gives you this; you've probably already done it.)

That will head off and get assigned to an investigator who will start doing background checks with law enforcement, credit checks, ect, ect.

Once that's done, they'll start interviewing the folks you listed as contacts (people who know you well) They'll also ask them for contacts and will talk to those people, so you never really know who they're going to meet with when it's all said and done.

At A-school you'll do another interview with some security folks to go over everything.

If you're bound for certain shore duty stations, you'll need to complete a polygraph as well. Don't sweat this one at all, it's EASY. Pretty much "hey....you a spy?". Don't believe all the stupid stories people make up about the FBI or CIA or who ever doing theirs (it's BS).

If you're not heading to one of those sites, you won't need one (this is the most likely case).

Just jump through the hoops and you'll be fine. Doesn't really take much work on your part.

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Old 08-09-2015, 02:10 PM   #212
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Bumping for a new user

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Old 08-09-2015, 03:51 PM   #213
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Just some background info:
Finishing a B.S. in Economics this December at TAMU (gig 'em ags!) and looking at going in as a CTN (I've looked at the other CT rates as well as IT and I've pretty much decided that it's CTN or bust for me).

Recruiter told me he couldn't really give me a good number regarding demand until after the new FY in October, so I understand if you can't really give a precise answer. I figured maybe being inside the community you might have a little more knowledge. Anyway, questions:

1. What's the demand look like for CTNs?

2. What are the most likely duty stations for CTNs to go to right now for first
tour (INCONUS)? (I understand if you can't really answer this one as well due to the whole not knowing demand issue)

3. How quickly (keep in mind I'm going in as an E3) does one usually get put into a leadership position within the community?

4. What opportunities for personal growth (certs, training, etc.) could I expect to be available outside required job training?

5. What is the job market like for CTNs post-Navy? (i.e. Are DoD contractors fighting over them because of the clearance and/or skills? Is there a specific position you see a larger number former CTNs going into?)

6. Typical day in the life of a CTN? (I understand that there isn't a lot that can be said with this one, but I figure there's no harm in asking)

These are the main ones I can think of right now. I'm sure that I'll have more once I learn more.

Thanks for any and all help.
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Old 08-09-2015, 05:23 PM   #214
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Just some background info:
Finishing a B.S. in Economics this December at TAMU (gig 'em ags!) and looking at going in as a CTN (I've looked at the other CT rates as well as IT and I've pretty much decided that it's CTN or bust for me).

Recruiter told me he couldn't really give me a good number regarding demand until after the new FY in October, so I understand if you can't really give a precise answer. I figured maybe being inside the community you might have a little more knowledge. Anyway, questions:

1. What's the demand look like for CTNs?
Every month, each rates Community Manager (a Master Chief in charge of manning levels within their rate) puts out a Community Overview slide showing the manning levels at every pay grade and year group. Here is the slide for CTNs

http://www.npc.navy.mil/bupers-npc/e...Pages/CTN.aspx

As a whole for E3 and E4 area, it looks pretty wide open. So it'll come down to A) if you qualify and B) is there a quota the month you're going to go down there and pick a rate. With the way it looks though, if you qualify then you shouldn't have too much trouble getting it. You're recruiter is being lazy for not looking that up (it's possible he doesn't know about it, but that's a weak excuse for a Petty Officer). October has nothing to do with it as this gets updated monthly. He's just thinking for when the budget starts over (Oct is the start of the fiscal calendar) and they can start paying for orders and billets to get you guys shipped out.

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2. What are the most likely duty stations for CTNs to go to right now for first
tour (INCONUS)? (I understand if you can't really answer this one as well due to the whole not knowing demand issue)
You'll be going to a NIOC for your first tour, almost without a doubt. So NIOC Texas, Georgia, Washington (Ft Meade), Hawaii, or in rare cases, Pensacola. If you don't end up at one of these as your first tour, you're the exception lol

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3. How quickly (keep in mind I'm going in as an E3) does one usually get put into a leadership position within the community?
It will depend on how you are as an individual, what quals you've gotten, and what the makeup is of your shop rank wise. If there's a ton of PO2's, then I'm not gonna put a Seaman or PO3 in charge. You'll make PO2 fairly quick though compared to other rates. Also, you'll be working in a joint environment; so you'll also be in competition with them in some cases.

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4. What opportunities for personal growth (certs, training, etc.) could I expect to be available outside required job training?
At a minimum we'll send you to get your CCNA, maybe your CEH, etc. It'll depend what shop you end up in but you'll definitely get some certs out of your time
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5. What is the job market like for CTNs post-Navy? (i.e. Are DoD contractors fighting over them because of the clearance and/or skills? Is there a specific position you see a larger number former CTNs going into?)
You're not gonna have a hard time finding work outside of the Navy. I wouldn't say contractors are fighting over them, but if you wanna come back there's usually at least the opportunity. I can't comment on specific positions we're taking though for OPSEC purposes. But suffice to say you'll be able to find work either as a contractor or with a civilian company.

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6. Typical day in the life of a CTN? (I understand that there isn't a lot that can be said with this one, but I figure there's no harm in asking)
0700: Get to work
0730: Quarters with your division
0800-1130: REDACTED
1130-1230: Lunch
1230-1600: REDACTED
1600+: Go home

Obviously I can't discuss what you'll be doing at work. Even if I could, it varies wildly depending on what shop you work in. But suffice to say you'll have plenty of cool shit to work on. And when you're not busy, you're working on quals or learning new shit.

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These are the main ones I can think of right now. I'm sure that I'll have more once I learn more.

Thanks for any and all help.
Yep! I'll throw in some bonus material here though.
I'm the LPO of a cyber division right now, so here are some of the basic things I have new guys coming into my shop explain to me so I can gauge their level of knowledge:
=============================================
I expect you to be able to subnet without a subnetting calculator and be able to explain to me the basics of networking (routers, switches, hubs, ect). This is basic knowledge.

Explain how PKI works (public keys, private keys, etc.)

Explain how DNS works.

What's a traceroute?

Explain what a Hash is. If you get that, what's salting?
And if you get that, what's more secure: hashing or encrypting? Why?

What's the difference between a threat and a vulnerability?


Anyway, that's just a few. But those are all pretty basic questions so if you're struggling with those start doing your homework.

/r
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Old 08-10-2015, 09:39 AM   #215
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Thank you for that information regarding the current manning as well as the technical insight, CTT1.
Another question I had regarding my recruiter & MEPS: When I was talking to my recruiter and told him that the only job I'm honestly willing to sign for was CTN, he told me that he wouldn't send me to MEPS and that I need to give him several of my other choices before he'd send me down. Is this a normal occurrence within recruiting or do I just need to seek out a different recruiter?
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Old 08-10-2015, 10:07 AM   #216
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Thank you for that information regarding the current manning as well as the technical insight, CTT1.
Another question I had regarding my recruiter & MEPS: When I was talking to my recruiter and told him that the only job I'm honestly willing to sign for was CTN, he told me that he wouldn't send me to MEPS and that I need to give him several of my other choices before he'd send me down. Is this a normal occurrence within recruiting or do I just need to seek out a different recruiter?
That's pretty normal since it costs money to send you down and it's not like they can guarantee if CTN will be available or not, or if you even qualify yet. So why would the Navy spend money on your hotel, food, and medical exam if you limit them on your options for joining? It's the military, not Burger King haha (ie you can't always have it your way)

Nobody says you have to sign for something else, but with them you need to have options, because if CTN isn't available then you just wasted their time and money.

Also, CTN isn't the only rate that does Cyber. CTR's are there, I'm down there, and there's CTI's that help out. Honestly I would look into CTR, as they can do Cyber as well (and they do), as well as a huge spectrum of other cool shit. They also can go to sea, on airplanes, Special Warfare, and submarines, whereas CTNs are going to be stuck shore based in an office their whole careers. Just something to think about.

Just say you're interested in the other CT rates as well, maybe IT. Nobody says you have to sign for those anyway, it makes them feel more cozy, and you get your MEPS processing done. It's a win-win.

/r
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Old 08-17-2015, 03:44 PM   #217
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Found this and trying to understand everything on this slide. Anyone mind "translating" what I'm seeing on here?
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...99804247,d.aWw
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Old 08-17-2015, 03:48 PM   #218
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Found this and trying to understand everything on this slide. Anyone mind "translating" what I'm seeing on here?
That's April's slide, so don't use it. You can download the newest one here:

http://www.npc.navy.mil/bupers-npc/e...Pages/CTN.aspx

It basically shows you the manning levels at each paygrade, sea/shore, Zone A/B/C/D/E (groups of how long you've been in. You're group A), advancement opportunities, and overall manning levels as a percent of what it should be.

For each rate there is a Community Manager in Millington, TN (typically a Master Chief) who creates these slides to show where their rate is at manning wise and to announce any specifics (like Hey! We need more of NEC XXXX or something). These Master Chiefs are essentially the head of their respective rates for most things. Don't confuse this with a Detailer though; the Community Managers just do manning levels. They have zero say in where you get assigned.

/r
CTT1

Friendly disclaimer: The community managers ARE NOT a point of contact for a Depper. Don't contact them asking what's gonna be available when, MEPS questions, anything. They're not gonna be able to do anything for you and it's not a good idea to piss off the head of your prospective rate haha

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Old 09-24-2015, 10:31 PM   #219
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My recruiter is pretty useless about everything CT related, so he gave me absolutely no indication of what my scores mean. My ASVAB is pretty self-explanatory (97%ile) but I'm super confused as to what my DLAB score of 141 means for my hopeful future as a CTI.
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Old 09-25-2015, 09:08 AM   #220
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141 is a good score for the DLAB, it shows you have a high chance of being able to pick up other languages quickly. They'll probably give you a CAT IV with that score, but it'll depend on what's available when you go to bootcamp.
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Old 10-07-2015, 03:41 PM   #221
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Just curious, what do ( does? ) CTM / CTT / CTR translate to career wise in the civilian world?
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Old 10-08-2015, 07:25 AM   #222
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Just curious, what do ( does? ) CTM / CTT / CTR translate to career wise in the civilian world?
Overall, signals intelligence is a primarily military/government job. You'll be in a good position with industry experience and your clearance to work at a wide range of federal agencies (pretty much any 3-letter: NSA, CIA, DIA, ect, etc)

They also translate well to anything in the technology field. So if you wanna go on to do say, system administration or security or something, you've already got a background doing technical work. CTM and the 6yr (AEF) CTT track will give you a ton of hands-on electronics training as well.

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Old 10-12-2015, 12:43 PM   #223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CTT1(SW)Griffin View Post
Overall, signals intelligence is a primarily military/government job. You'll be in a good position with industry experience and your clearance to work at a wide range of federal agencies (pretty much any 3-letter: NSA, CIA, DIA, ect, etc)

They also translate well to anything in the technology field. So if you wanna go on to do say, system administration or security or something, you've already got a background doing technical work. CTM and the 6yr (AEF) CTT track will give you a ton of hands-on electronics training as well.

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Appreciate the response CTT1.
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Old 11-17-2015, 08:41 AM   #224
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Bumping for new user

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Old 11-30-2015, 04:18 AM   #225
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Wink MEPS on Wednesday

I'm going to MEPS in 2 days for my physical and to pick my job. I was thinking about CTR, CTN, CTT, or IT. If none of these are available what jobs should I ask for? I already have some coding experience and I would prefer to stay within the technology field. Thanks ;)
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Old 11-30-2015, 03:26 PM   #226
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I'm going to MEPS in 2 days for my physical and to pick my job. I was thinking about CTR, CTN, CTT, or IT. If none of these are available what jobs should I ask for? I already have some coding experience and I would prefer to stay within the technology field. Thanks ;)
If none of those are available your best bet would be ET or FC (you would contract as AECF and then go either of those routes later one). Both get to work on and do cool shit and both are heavily technology based.

A 6 year STG gets knee deep into the sonar gear, which can be fun, and they are also kind of similar to CTs in some aspects.

Anything on submarines too is going to be techy; especially FC/ET or STS (STG for subs).

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Old 12-02-2015, 04:07 AM   #227
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If none of those are available your best bet would be ET or FC (you would contract as AECF and then go either of those routes later one). Both get to work on and do cool shit and both are heavily technology based.

A 6 year STG gets knee deep into the sonar gear, which can be fun, and they are also kind of similar to CTs in some aspects.

Anything on submarines too is going to be techy; especially FC/ET or STS (STG for subs).

/r
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Thank you I'm gonna write all of these on a scrap corner of paper to take with me to the hotel tomorrow. ;-)
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Old 12-10-2015, 09:21 PM   #228
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I'm going to MEPS in on Monday and I am supposed to pick my rate. But, my recruiter and I haven't talked at all about what rate would be the best for me. Is that normal? Or is that something that we should be talking about?'

Ive been looking at CTT, or something in the Crypto field.

Also, If I do get this rate, would 6 years or 4 years be better? I plan on being in for the long haul. But I have heard some controversy over how many years to sign for initially.

Thank you in advance!

Last edited by griggchloe; 12-11-2015 at 11:05 AM.
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Old 12-12-2015, 08:33 PM   #229
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I'm going to MEPS in on Monday and I am supposed to pick my rate. But, my recruiter and I haven't talked at all about what rate would be the best for me. Is that normal? Or is that something that we should be talking about?'

Ive been looking at CTT, or something in the Crypto field.

Also, If I do get this rate, would 6 years or 4 years be better? I plan on being in for the long haul. But I have heard some controversy over how many years to sign for initially.

Thank you in advance!
Your recruiter and you should absolutely be talking about jobs. That's the entire reason you're there.

(Speaking about CTTs here) As far as 6y vs 4y, the 6y guys are technicians that get extra electronics training in Pensacola. Typically they will be on ships for most of their career. 4y folks have more lateral ability to go between communities (ship, sub, air, etc). If you want more on the technical side than operations, the 6y contract would be better. If you enjoy the operational side more then the 4y route would be better.

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Old 12-13-2015, 08:23 PM   #230
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How seriously does the Navy take foreign contacts in regards to a TS clearance? I had a prior relationship with a Chinese national and (foolishly I guess) tried to update my foreign contact information. They had me cut contact (something I was opposed to) and write a statement. The nature of the relationship was close friendship/language exchange. Will it disqualify me? I'm afraid of shipping only to find out I'm ineligible for TS and have to do some undesirable job.

Also, what is CTN A-school like? Should I bother getting IT certifications like A+ or Network+? Thank you.
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Old 12-13-2015, 08:32 PM   #231
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How seriously does the Navy take foreign contacts in regards to a TS clearance? I had a prior relationship with a Chinese national and (foolishly I guess) tried to update my foreign contact information. They had me cut contact (something I was opposed to) and write a statement. The nature of the relationship was close friendship/language exchange. Will it disqualify me? I'm afraid of shipping only to find out I'm ineligible for TS and have to do some undesirable job.

Also, what is CTN A-school like? Should I bother getting IT certifications like A+ or Network+? Thank you.
Foreign Contacts are a BIG deal. It's not an outright disqualifier though, unless you try to hide it and it gets discovered (they will find it eventually, trust me). If you're planning on going into the Intel/Crypto world, continuing contact with someone in China is going to be an issue. Get everything well documented and let DONCAF make the call.

As far as CTN school, don't bother going to get those certs yourself. All those CompTIA certs are incredibly low level and not worth your time. If you want to learn the material, go for it, but if it were me I would recommend studying for the CCNA over any of the CompTIA certs.

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Old 12-13-2015, 09:31 PM   #232
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Foreign Contacts are a BIG deal. It's not an outright disqualifier though, unless you try to hide it and it gets discovered (they will find it eventually, trust me). If you're planning on going into the Intel/Crypto world, continuing contact with someone in China is going to be an issue. Get everything well documented and let DONCAF make the call.

As far as CTN school, don't bother going to get those certs yourself. All those CompTIA certs are incredibly low level and not worth your time. If you want to learn the material, go for it, but if it were me I would recommend studying for the CCNA over any of the CompTIA certs.

/r
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Thank you very much for the information. I haven't heard anything in regards to my clearance situation, my recruiters said no news is good news and that I would most likely be alright.

Another question, what are the possibilities for travel as a CTN? I'm aware that most CTNs work at shoreside station, so I presume the travel isn't great. I've read about DIRSUP, how difficult would it be to get as a CTN and what would it entail?

EDIT: Another question. For foreign contacts, does it matter by country or should it be avoided entirely? Prior to enlisting I had a lot of penpals. Would a friend from Taiwan be acceptable as opposed to a friend from China?

Last edited by Saturnal; 12-13-2015 at 09:44 PM. Reason: Added another question.
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Old 12-13-2015, 10:31 PM   #233
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You haven't heard anything because they haven't even started your ts, and they won't until after you ship out.

Travel opportunities for Ns are very limited. They don't do DIRSUP.

China is a bigger deal than Taiwan, but any foreign contacts you maintain will at the very least delay your clearance because they have to be investigated, if not outright disqualify you. Everyone I knew who had foreign contacts spent months, sometimes years waiting on their clearances while the rest of us were working.
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Old 12-13-2015, 11:01 PM   #234
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You haven't heard anything because they haven't even started your ts, and they won't until after you ship out.

Travel opportunities for Ns are very limited. They don't do DIRSUP.

China is a bigger deal than Taiwan, but any foreign contacts you maintain will at the very least delay your clearance because they have to be investigated, if not outright disqualify you. Everyone I knew who had foreign contacts spent months, sometimes years waiting on their clearances while the rest of us were working.
Thank you very much for the information!
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Old 12-14-2015, 08:05 PM   #235
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Thank you very much for the information. I haven't heard anything in regards to my clearance situation, my recruiters said no news is good news and that I would most likely be alright.

Another question, what are the possibilities for travel as a CTN? I'm aware that most CTNs work at shoreside station, so I presume the travel isn't great. I've read about DIRSUP, how difficult would it be to get as a CTN and what would it entail?

EDIT: Another question. For foreign contacts, does it matter by country or should it be avoided entirely? Prior to enlisting I had a lot of penpals. Would a friend from Taiwan be acceptable as opposed to a friend from China?
Really anyone that isn't from a Five Eyes country (US, UK, AUS, CAN, NZ) is going to be heavily scrutinized. Be upfront with all of your contacts and don't hide anything; failure to report something like that is grounds to lose your clearance for good.

CTNs don't travel really. DIRSUP is not something an N-brancher would be eligible for. In rare cases, there are a few N's that go aboard ships while they're in port to help do some network stuff, but they won't be getting underway with them. The overwhelming majority of N's are at shore sites.

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Old 12-21-2015, 09:58 PM   #236
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Hey, thanks for posting all the great info. . My son is CTR in boot camp as I type this he is more than half done. We are trying to get an idea of when and how visit(s) to see him in A school work as far as liberty, goes etc.

Anything you can think of that would be helpful and or meaningful for a graduation/Christmas present for a new CTR . We are thinking he probably needs a g-shock watch or something similar and possible a laptop or tablet. . Something that will help him ?

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Old 12-21-2015, 10:06 PM   #237
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Hey, thanks for posting all the great info. . My son is CTR in boot camp as I type this he is more than half done. We are trying to get an idea of when and how visit(s) to see him in A school work as far as liberty, goes etc.

Anything you can think of that would be helpful and or meaningful for a graduation/Christmas present for a new CTR . We are thinking he probably needs a g-shock watch or something similar and possible a laptop or tablet. . Something that will help him ?

Hey there and welcome to the site!

As far as liberty goes once he get's down to Corry Station:
When he arrives he'll get placed on Phase 1 liberty. He most likely won't be authorized to go off base, he'll have several musters throughout the day, and won't be authorized to wear civilian clothes.

After a few weeks he'll be granted Phase 2 in which he can have some off base time and can wear civis again. Phase 3 will be at the discretion of his leadership but shouldn't be more than a few weeks after that.

If you're planning a visit, wait until he get's to Phase 3 since he'll have the most freedom then. He'll be at Corry for several months either waiting for class or being in class, so you guys will have plenty of time.

**OPSEC NOTE** Remember that he'll be doing classified work, so please don't dig into what he's doing in class. Also, don't take photos of any of the school buildings while on base at Corry Station (that's a quick way to lose your camera in some cases.)


For a gift, personally I would probably say laptop or tablet since that's something he can take around and use. Although a watch is always great since I'm constantly harping on junior sailors to be on time haha I'm sure he'll appreciate anything.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

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Old 12-22-2015, 07:48 AM   #238
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Thanks for the valuable advice! I assume by dig into what school is about you mean asking him questions. I get that after basic, we are not going to hear more than how food is, that class is going well etc. I have been trying to read up a bit so I understand what he is doing but I get and fully support that his rate and what he does must be protected and classified. Thanks again for the great info, I am certain more questions will come up. Oh as far as PIR, think the Navy Lodge is best or is he going to want to get off base?
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Old 12-22-2015, 07:52 AM   #239
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Thanks for the valuable advice! I assume by dig into what school is about you mean asking him questions. I get that after basic, we are not going to hear more than how food is, that class is going well etc. I have been trying to read up a bit so I understand what he is doing but I get and fully support that his rate and what he does must be protected and classified. Thanks again for the great info, I am certain more questions will come up. Oh as far as PIR, think the Navy Lodge is best or is he going to want to get off base?
I'm sure you guys will be fine haha

And on base lodging is usually pretty decent but obviously it can fill up quickly. There are plenty of options as well all within 30m of the base.

Looking forward to welcoming you all into the Navy family!

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Old 12-25-2015, 09:37 PM   #240
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IS CT(R) a desk rider/desk jockey rate? Do you get to go to sea?
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Old 12-25-2015, 09:40 PM   #241
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IS CT(R) a desk rider/desk jockey rate? Do you get to go to sea?
Not by any means. They absolutely get out to sea on ships and can also take special duty doing submarines or aircrew. CTR and CTT are the two most versatile of the CT rates.

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Old 12-25-2015, 09:49 PM   #242
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Not by any means. They absolutely get out to sea on ships and can also take special duty doing submarines or aircrew. CTR and CTT are the two most versatile of the CT rates.

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Thank you.
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Old 02-28-2016, 02:53 PM   #243
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Long ass post, I apologize, but I figure it'd best to get all questions in one post than twenty.

Howdy, I'm 22 years old, been to college and back, and have decided to join the Navy after having a horrible time trying to find a job in my chosen field (film). I went through MEPS a few weeks ago, came out with a Seaman Pact (long, frustrating story), wherein my former Navy brother told me to get back in there and get a real rate.
A day later, I took my brother and my parents in to my recruiter, ready to fight for the right to get an actual rate on my contract, with a list of rates I qualified for and that I wanted. Things in CT were at the top because I figured I wouldn't get them since they weren't open at MEPS the day previous and they were 'dream jobs'.
Before I could even get a word in, the recruiter says, "I know you want to say some things, but first let me tell you what I found that I think will be the perfect fit for you, it's in CT...." And I was dumbfounded. There was an opening for the CTR path, my #1 choice! He made a bunch of phone calls around the States and found someone who was falling out of the field while in DEPS. It's not all done and signed just yet, but the rate is basically mine. Needless to say, I'm metaphorically in love with my recruiter.

Now, because I wasn't anticipating this, at all, I neglected to put my first two jobs (working at two different McDonald's) on the NASIS, since both recruiters told me they weren't important (one was from almost eight years ago, the other didn't last a year; wasn't fired from either). I read a thread on the CTR subboard about a kid having to repeatedly call home from RTC getting all the info from his jobs and everyday life that he didn't know off hand for the SSBI.

- Am I going to need to know the info (specific start and end dates) of these two jobs for the SSBI? And does the SSBI do a medical history background check, or is it the same 'medical history' as MEPS (were you ever depressed/suicidal/in the ER, etc- no? Good, anyways....)? I'm getting slightly nervous that I might have forgotten something, or skipped over something I didn't think was near important. Speaking of...

- My grandmother is German (married a Marine), am I going to have to know her history (as far as becoming a US citizen), or is it irrelevant since she's not immediate family?

- Also, I'm unmarried, completely single, and not planning on getting in any sort of relationship anytime soon. Would I be able to have my first station somewhere outside the US? My recruiter told me that top of the class gets first pick on where they want to be stationed (as was the genuine case with him 17 years ago), but I've since read that this is kinda sorta bullshit, and much like my former Marine bother (I have two older brothers), they'll put you where they need you (he did end up in Hawaii, but I'm not nearly as interested in a tropical 'paradise', but somewhere by an actual ocean would be nice considering this is the Navy). But if the latter statement is true, are my chances of being stationed abroad still relatively high?

- As for A-School liberty, my sister is getting married in October (2016), and I'd have been out of RTC for three months by then. I'm her Maid of Honor, and was wondering if I'd be able to make the wedding, if only for two days. It's on a weekend. I know you get 2.5 days/m of PTO, but does that start while in A-School, or only when you're out and with the fleet? My backup plan, should I not be able to make it, is record a video of my speech and send it to them, but I'd much rather be there in person.

- One last question, my student debt is currently on forbearance. Not for any legal reasons, but because I don't make enough money/m to pay it. I attempted to pay it for the first few months, but didn't have enough left over to be able to live. I plan on making a one month payment before I go to RTC and then place it on forbearance again. Once I get out of RTC, I plan on taking an allotment of my pay each month and placing into my student debt payments, and hopefully won't even have to do forbearance again. But will that be an issue up front?

I've always had an interest in intelligence, and CTR seems my best fit, especially considering that it's a 'floater' path, as in you're proficient in a number of things and go where you're needed and don't hang around after the job's done, which is me to a T. So I'm very excited about this rate and want everything to go as smoothly as possible. (As a side note, I'm a fan of The Blacklist and am fairly certain Red was a CTR after all the shit I've read on it :P)

Thanks for making this thread, too. I'm having a hard time finding info on the CTR path. There's loads of info on CTTs, CTIs, even CTMs, but it's hard to find much on CTR that isn't the same info over and over again.
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Old 02-28-2016, 04:32 PM   #244
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So I will keep this short and sweet! I am in an intel rate myself. Congrats on getting into the field, I think you may be over thinking it just a little bit lol. But I will only address the duty station and myths that go along with it. There is nothing set in stone about duty stations and being number one in the class. Though, it is very dependent on who is running the school house at the moment. Essentially what chief is in charge and what they want to go by. In IS "A" school I was number #1 in my class and yes... I got to pick between 20 available orders. Did people hate me for a week for picking orders they wanted or were close to home... YES. School gets competitive when it comes to active duty, so to keep it short. Work hard the whole time you are in school and stay out of trouble, even when those in charge are not looking. I finished top of the class and was able to get an overseas billet for my first command. So anything is possible if you work for it. Best of luck, let me know if you have any other questions!
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Old 02-28-2016, 06:01 PM   #245
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Not sure where you're finding loads of info on CTMs, 'cus it's been a pain to find any! As for the leave, you should start accumulating whenever you start getting paid ( ie: bootcamp ). Taking leave on a weekend shouldn't be a big deal, talk to your chain of command when you get down to Pensacola and let them know up front.

As for forgetting stuff, I'm fairly certain the only time it becomes a problem is when you start "forgetting" things like major tickets, surgeries, incidents, etc.
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Old 02-28-2016, 06:13 PM   #246
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Long ass post, I apologize, but I figure it'd best to get all questions in one post than twenty.

Howdy, I'm 22 years old, been to college and back, and have decided to join the Navy after having a horrible time trying to find a job in my chosen field (film). I went through MEPS a few weeks ago, came out with a Seaman Pact (long, frustrating story), wherein my former Navy brother told me to get back in there and get a real rate.
A day later, I took my brother and my parents in to my recruiter, ready to fight for the right to get an actual rate on my contract, with a list of rates I qualified for and that I wanted. Things in CT were at the top because I figured I wouldn't get them since they weren't open at MEPS the day previous and they were 'dream jobs'.
Before I could even get a word in, the recruiter says, "I know you want to say some things, but first let me tell you what I found that I think will be the perfect fit for you, it's in CT...." And I was dumbfounded. There was an opening for the CTR path, my #1 choice! He made a bunch of phone calls around the States and found someone who was falling out of the field while in DEPS. It's not all done and signed just yet, but the rate is basically mine. Needless to say, I'm metaphorically in love with my recruiter.

Now, because I wasn't anticipating this, at all, I neglected to put my first two jobs (working at two different McDonald's) on the NASIS, since both recruiters told me they weren't important (one was from almost eight years ago, the other didn't last a year; wasn't fired from either). I read a thread on the CTR subboard about a kid having to repeatedly call home from RTC getting all the info from his jobs and everyday life that he didn't know off hand for the SSBI.

- Am I going to need to know the info (specific start and end dates) of these two jobs for the SSBI? And does the SSBI do a medical history background check, or is it the same 'medical history' as MEPS (were you ever depressed/suicidal/in the ER, etc- no? Good, anyways....)? I'm getting slightly nervous that I might have forgotten something, or skipped over something I didn't think was near important. Speaking of...

- My grandmother is German (married a Marine), am I going to have to know her history (as far as becoming a US citizen), or is it irrelevant since she's not immediate family?

- Also, I'm unmarried, completely single, and not planning on getting in any sort of relationship anytime soon. Would I be able to have my first station somewhere outside the US? My recruiter told me that top of the class gets first pick on where they want to be stationed (as was the genuine case with him 17 years ago), but I've since read that this is kinda sorta bullshit, and much like my former Marine bother (I have two older brothers), they'll put you where they need you (he did end up in Hawaii, but I'm not nearly as interested in a tropical 'paradise', but somewhere by an actual ocean would be nice considering this is the Navy). But if the latter statement is true, are my chances of being stationed abroad still relatively high?

- As for A-School liberty, my sister is getting married in October (2016), and I'd have been out of RTC for three months by then. I'm her Maid of Honor, and was wondering if I'd be able to make the wedding, if only for two days. It's on a weekend. I know you get 2.5 days/m of PTO, but does that start while in A-School, or only when you're out and with the fleet? My backup plan, should I not be able to make it, is record a video of my speech and send it to them, but I'd much rather be there in person.

- One last question, my student debt is currently on forbearance. Not for any legal reasons, but because I don't make enough money/m to pay it. I attempted to pay it for the first few months, but didn't have enough left over to be able to live. I plan on making a one month payment before I go to RTC and then place it on forbearance again. Once I get out of RTC, I plan on taking an allotment of my pay each month and placing into my student debt payments, and hopefully won't even have to do forbearance again. But will that be an issue up front?

I've always had an interest in intelligence, and CTR seems my best fit, especially considering that it's a 'floater' path, as in you're proficient in a number of things and go where you're needed and don't hang around after the job's done, which is me to a T. So I'm very excited about this rate and want everything to go as smoothly as possible. (As a side note, I'm a fan of The Blacklist and am fairly certain Red was a CTR after all the shit I've read on it :P)

Thanks for making this thread, too. I'm having a hard time finding info on the CTR path. There's loads of info on CTTs, CTIs, even CTMs, but it's hard to find much on CTR that isn't the same info over and over again.
Investigations: Yes, get that information if at all possible. An SSBI goes back 10 years, so if it falls in that scope, just go ahead and get it. If they end up not wanting it, then whatever, but it's waaay harder to get it after the fact. So just make it easier on yourself now and get it. As for medical history, no; the SSBI isn't concerned with your medical history outside of things like mental issues that might cause a security concern. IE if you had high blood pressure or something, nobody cares. Things we would care about would be histories of drug abuse, mental issues, suicidal tenancies, that kind of stuff that would make being in this job a no-go. Also of note is that they don't go digging up medical records or anything; this would come into play if someone they were interviewing about you brought it up. Then obviously they would need to follow up. But as a whole they don't go digging for your old doctors visits.

Wedding: During your training at A-school you won't be allowed to miss any training days. If this event falls on a weekend and you can prove that you'll be back on time then they might consider it, but being gone during a work day is going to be a hard no. As it comes up, speak with your chain of command and if there's some wiggle room they might be able to work with you. Staying on the side of caution though, if you're at a training command then just expect to be unavailable for things that don't involve training. It sucks but it's just part of life. If they let you go it'll be an exception and not the norm.

Loans: Debt is the single biggest issue in obtaining a clearance. The vast majority of espionage cases involved debt in money-for-secrets kind of deals. HOWEVER, things like student loans, car loans, etc, are considered normal things and don't raise big red flags if you're staying on top of them. If you've got records for your payments and have a solid payment plan in place then I wouldn't expect any issues from that. Just be mature and responsible with paying them and you'll be just fine. The debt that gets people in trouble is like gambling debt or just a craaaap ton of debt that you reasonably shouldn't have gotten into in the first place. Ya dig?


On mb11g's comment: Being top of your class at Corry Station won't have much if any bearing on your selection of orders. First tour Sailors are typically what we call "needs of the Navy" and are assigned where they are needed. CT's especially because there are so few of us and so many places we're needed, we just don't have the luxury to let the new guys cherry pick what they want. So expect your orders to be assigned to you versus being able to pick. Don't listen to what people in other rates have to say on the subject, as they have nothing to do with what happens in the CT community. (Not knocking you mb11, just speaking in general terms)

/r
CTT1
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Old 02-29-2016, 12:30 AM   #247
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Alright, awesome, thanks for the replies. Puts me a bit more at ease now.
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Old 03-01-2016, 09:05 PM   #248
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Thanks for the great thread! It's been a good read. I'm a depper (reserves) that ships out in May as a CTN. You've answered a ton of my questions. However, I have a couple more. I have a friend (that I met at church) that is from Kenya. She was here for college, but ended up moving to Scotland for medical school. I disclosed the relationship on my clearance forms, and gave an explanation of how we met and the nature of our relationship. Will this be an issue? Will it delay my clearance? Also, if I happened to not get the clearance what happens next? Will I be re-rated or what? Thanks.
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Old 03-02-2016, 07:54 AM   #249
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CTT1(SW)Griffin View Post
Investigations: Yes, get that information if at all possible. An SSBI goes back 10 years, so if it falls in that scope, just go ahead and get it. If they end up not wanting it, then whatever, but it's waaay harder to get it after the fact. So just make it easier on yourself now and get it. As for medical history, no; the SSBI isn't concerned with your medical history outside of things like mental issues that might cause a security concern. IE if you had high blood pressure or something, nobody cares. Things we would care about would be histories of drug abuse, mental issues, suicidal tenancies, that kind of stuff that would make being in this job a no-go. Also of note is that they don't go digging up medical records or anything; this would come into play if someone they were interviewing about you brought it up. Then obviously they would need to follow up. But as a whole they don't go digging for your old doctors visits.

Wedding: During your training at A-school you won't be allowed to miss any training days. If this event falls on a weekend and you can prove that you'll be back on time then they might consider it, but being gone during a work day is going to be a hard no. As it comes up, speak with your chain of command and if there's some wiggle room they might be able to work with you. Staying on the side of caution though, if you're at a training command then just expect to be unavailable for things that don't involve training. It sucks but it's just part of life. If they let you go it'll be an exception and not the norm.

Loans: Debt is the single biggest issue in obtaining a clearance. The vast majority of espionage cases involved debt in money-for-secrets kind of deals. HOWEVER, things like student loans, car loans, etc, are considered normal things and don't raise big red flags if you're staying on top of them. If you've got records for your payments and have a solid payment plan in place then I wouldn't expect any issues from that. Just be mature and responsible with paying them and you'll be just fine. The debt that gets people in trouble is like gambling debt or just a craaaap ton of debt that you reasonably shouldn't have gotten into in the first place. Ya dig?


On mb11g's comment: Being top of your class at Corry Station won't have much if any bearing on your selection of orders. First tour Sailors are typically what we call "needs of the Navy" and are assigned where they are needed. CT's especially because there are so few of us and so many places we're needed, we just don't have the luxury to let the new guys cherry pick what they want. So expect your orders to be assigned to you versus being able to pick. Don't listen to what people in other rates have to say on the subject, as they have nothing to do with what happens in the CT community. (Not knocking you mb11, just speaking in general terms)

/r
CTT1

No worries! It was different for us!
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Old 03-02-2016, 10:22 PM   #250
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mb11g View Post
No worries! It was different for us!
Sorry if that came off blunt lol Wasn't intended. I got nothing but love for my IS brothers and sisters ;)

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