Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.

Once again, I’ve been getting a lot of hits from people searching about the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program with the Navy, known as the BDCP. Very briefly, it is an Officer Candidate School (OCS) program that enlists you into the Navy as an Active Duty sailor while in college, and then you have a slot at OCS after graduating in whatever community you choose and are accepted in.

As someone who is currently in the BDCP, and went through the entire application process, I would be happy to answer any questions that potential applicants might have.

Leave a comment on this post, and I will email you.

While I cannot speak to the experiences in the fleet, I can tell you that the US Navy’s BDCP is like no other commissioning program that I have seen in any of the services, and it is a great alternative to NROTC.

The question for me still remains: Supply or Intel?

My recruiter wants me to stay Supply, I want to get changed to Intel, but it’s hard to know which to choose because I don’t know anything about either.

Everyone I’ve asked other than Supply guys have told me Intel…but it’s all been on online forums.

Gut tells me go Intel if I can, but that’s based on the name alone.

Now that I’ve started getting paid by the Navy, my mind has gone crazy. Every little thing that I wanted before, I’m much closer to buying. Just a few hours ago, I spent 70 dollars on shoes that I DON’T NEED. The ease of online shopping isn’t helping, either. Just now, I had to stop myself from buying another hard drive and extra memory for my computer. If I keep this up, my goal of getting a DSLR camera is NEVER going to be reached.

The interesting thing is the change in my thought process. It’s no longer planning out my expenses and wondering if I have the money to buy something…it’s become a holistic assessment of my resources, thinking, “Oh, I have enough to buy that” without even realizing that costs add up FAST. Not to mention the fact that my normal good spending/saving habits have gone out the window…

I have been getting quite a few hits and my first direct question today about the BDCP in the United States Navy. I suppose I have made a semi-decent documentation of my progress through the program…but if I had known people would actually be looking at it for guidance, I would have done it in far more detail.

Regardless, if you reach this blog with any questions about the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program in the United States Navy (It’s an OCS - Officer Candidate School) program, feel free to comment here with contact information, and I will be happy to answer any questions I can.

As most people have seen, I sworn in and enlisted into the United States Navy on Thursday. It was a touching moment, if not a bit unceremonious. The fact that my parents came meant so much to me. That they were with me at the beginning of a new phase of my life.

So I’m actually in now. It took 4 hours of driving, 2 hours of paperwork, and 2 minutes of swearing in. And I have 4 years of my life signed away to the United States Navy after college, now. But I’m glad I did it. If you’ve read my blog consistently, you will notice that I attribute a lot of my growth to the military training I’ve had.

Although I’m officially enlisted in the active duty Navy, my only job for the next two years is to keep my grades up, stay in school, and finish my degree. No uniforms, no training requirements. All I have to do is do a PT test twice a year. People have trouble understanding the BDCP process, so I just tell them I’m going off after college, but I’m already signed in. What’s great is I’ll be getting paid, enjoy full active duty benefits, and adding the years that I’m ‘in’ while I’m just going to school.

My next big obstacles are trying to re-designate into Intelligence, and then completing Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island come 2009.

“I, Sean Jin, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

By the time I get back this afternoon from Portland, provided all goes well, I will have joined the United States Navy as a Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program candidate.

Joining the military is something I have wanted to do for the last year and a half, but it has not been, by any means, a single-minded journey. I have changed my mind multiple times, been unsure of what I was doing, wavered back and forth between the Army or the Navy and joining or not joining. Sometimes I’m still unsure. My family has had a difficult time dealing with my decision, but ultimately, they’ve been supportive of me.  My mom, who has been against me joining since day 1, has spent the last year and a half trying to understand why. When I told her I got my Final Select, she was the first one who told me she wanted to be at my Swearing In ceremony.

I have learned that through understanding our differences, we have gotten to know each other better. I hope to do the same with those friends that I consider close.

My parents have come to pick me up.

I got my Final Select into the United States Navy BDCP today. I will be going up to Portland one of these days, and swearing in.

In the past week or so, I have had three dreams related to the military. One was the operation where my vehicles got eaten by Hydras, then the other day, I dreamed about getting my Final Select into the BDCP. Two nights ago, I dreamed I was back at LTC. In my mind, I knew what was going on since I had been there before, but inexplicably, I made the same mistakes that I made before the first time around.

Last night, I had a dream about Sherri. I don’t really remember what it was about anymore…but I know that since she’s been gone, I’ve thought a lot more about her. Hanging out with our friends doesn’t feel the same. I guess I didn’t realize how important she was until she left…

I had a dream last night. I received a letter from NRD Portland stating I had gotten Final Select into the BDCP.

There are only a few things I can think of at the moment that I want more than that.

My 20th birthday is on Monday, Labor Day. See, Katie, and David took me out to dinner at Olive Garden last night for it, which was amazing. Interesting coincidence, a middle school crush of mine sat in the table next, but I didn’t talk to her. The waitress hit on me the whole night, and gave me free dessert.

I’m squaring away some of the conflicts that started up this summer. It’s fun, and a good exercise of aggression masked with tact and discretion.

Mr. Smith called me yesterday, and hopefully the Final Select will be coming soon for me.

I am officially a Senior in college by credits, now.

I finally finished and turned in my paper yesterday. I thought I would be hit with a wave of relief…not quite. No matter how much I do, there is always something more to do.

My medical is in the process of being cleared. Hopefully they’ll OK it soon, and then I can finally swear in and be accepted into the BDCP.

VFSA is still chugging along, but I haven’t heard much from their side. I’m not going to be as pro-active in that area for now. The leadership hasn’t given much direction, so I’m just going to do what I need to do, and let them call me when needed.

I can’t wait to move into my new apartment, do ISO, and then start up the school year.

Here’s a bit.

I think I’m going to accept my Pro Rec as Supply.

But I’m going to try to re-apply into Intel.

I finally got my folder back, which has my ultimate list of things to do.

I am finally going to cut my hair. I can’t stand hair that’s long enough to touch my ears anymore. The military’s changed me in more ways than I thought.

My recruiter just emailed me.

I was Pro-Rec’d for Supply, but not Intel. And my application accidentally got sent out for AMDO (Aviation Maintenance) instead of Information Warfare, and AMDO generally pulls from Prior-enlisted.

I really wanted Intel or IW…but now I have a chance to get in as a Supply officer. I really don’t know what to do.

Called my recruiter. My application is already submitted, and the selection boards meet near the middle of next month. My MEPS physical is done, and my physical fitness test out of the way. My dermatologist report will be on the way by the end of this week. These are all things that we normally do after the Pro-rec phase, and I find out about which communities I am Pro-rec’d for after the boards meet.

So once I find out, I’m pretty much in. The stoppers are completely out, and the path towards the goal I’ve been working at finally straight and clear, so I hope. Unless there is some hiccup along the way, I don’t think I’ll be posting anymore about the BDCP until after I hear from the boards.

Oh god, I’m nervous.