Posted on Dec 25, 2015
How do I respectfully run a request up the chain of command?
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I am new to the Navy and to RallyPoint. I have seen a lot of great questions poised and insightful answers/advice given. I thought I would present a situation and see if anyone with experience and knowledge might be able to assist.
I had a chief right out of RTC who on a couple of occasions in chief's calls said something to the effect of not taking no for an answer until you see it in black and white. I've heard similar remarks from Petty Officers as well because often people will just say something but it isn't according to the written regulations. Ironically that chief denied a couple of my requests to see my wife when she was in pregnant and in then in labor with our first child that I later learned he didn't have the authority to deny and should have run a recommendation to deny up the chain of command (he only had the authority to approve but projected what he thought the chain of command might say by not even allowing me to even submit my request).
I currently have a career conundrum. I set an appointment with a recruiter in January of 2015 to discuss the options of joining the Navy as an Information Professional Officer as I have a Masters in Information Systems and that is what Navy.com says at http://www.navy.com/careers/information-and-technology/information-professional.html?#ft-qualifications-&-requirements that the Navy is looking for. My recruiter was an E-5 and the supervisor in the office was an E-6. As I was discussing a career with the recruiter the supervisor came over and made a suggestion that seemed reasonable (and later I vetted with E-7's, O-3's, and an O-4). He said that because the process to become an officer is long (which it is, as it is almost a year and I am still working on it and I have heard of others taking even longer) that it is normal/standard/acceptable (I don't remember how he phrased it exactly) to have the applicant go through the MEPS process as a Reservist. This way I would be screened medically and wouldn't find out way down the road that I am medically disqualified and waste a lot of time. Then he said he would put my ship date out far enough so that I could complete the officer package and cancel the Reserve contract (as I understood at the time it is easy to cancel a Reserve contract when going full-time, particularly if that was your stated plan from the beginning, such as it is for me). After I swore in as an E-3 Navy Reservist I was then told that I couldn't be an officer until my wife became a US citizen (that piece of information was somehow overlooked). At that time we weren't expecting her process to be completed any earlier than October 2015 so I knew at that point I was en route for RTC since I had a ship date in July 2015. While I was in DEP preparing for RTC I was assigned a Chief who worked with officer recruitment. He transferred me to a different regional officer recruitment office (which is at my NOSC) where I worked with a LCDR for a short time until he retired and was replaced by the LT that is working with me now.
My wife's citizenship process went faster than expected and while I was at RTC she swore in as a US citizen. Since then I have completed everything in the packet except two things. I need a signature on a Conditional Release form that allows one to leave whatever service or branch he or she is in to join another. Then I need a Commanding Officer's recommendation letter. These two items I didn't need initially when I came to the recruitment office since I was a civilian but now that I am enlisted I need to have these items. Everyone I have spoken with at my current command has either deferred me to the Career Counselor Office or just laughed at me for thinking I could be an officer and somehow go from a Seaman Nothing to out rank them. I spoke with the Career Counselor's Office and they said in no uncertain terms that there is no way that I am competitive to be an officer and that if they wanted to put in an officer package they would be chosen before me since they have years of Navy experience. I have only been mocked and put down at my current command everytime I try to figure out how I can get the needed signatures. I have been told it is against their policy and to wait until I return back to my NOSC after A school. The reason for this, as I have been told, is that I don't belong to anyone aka I don't technically have a command while I am in student status, which doesn't make sense since I have to have permission from my command to live off base, go on leave, etc. Also, I have not seen this in writing and the next review board meets while I am still in A school. Since I am older and coming against age limitations I really need to get my application in for the next review board. The deadline for my packet submission is 29 January 2016. The board meets in March and I understand that I would probably get an answer in April around the time that I will be completing my A school. The timing for everything would perfectly come together if I can get the last two signatures. If I don't then I will have to go back to the drawing board and figure out what I am going to do when I graduate from A school so I can support my family since working one weekend a month as a reservist obviously isn't going to cut it.
My current recruiter is doing a great job helping me to assemble my package. As an officer he has said that I am very competitive. I have a masters degree, I tested well on the OAR, I have fantastic referrals, etc. He has been working hard from my perspective but seems to be at just as much of a loss as I am on how to proceed. I believe he is a new recruiter (he took this specific command in about April when the LCDR turned over to him) and apparently I have a unique case with no precedent and no one wants to create a new precedent by allowing him to push me through even though no one has any written regulation opposing me from being a Naval Officer.
Thank you in advance for any assistance and/or advice.
I had a chief right out of RTC who on a couple of occasions in chief's calls said something to the effect of not taking no for an answer until you see it in black and white. I've heard similar remarks from Petty Officers as well because often people will just say something but it isn't according to the written regulations. Ironically that chief denied a couple of my requests to see my wife when she was in pregnant and in then in labor with our first child that I later learned he didn't have the authority to deny and should have run a recommendation to deny up the chain of command (he only had the authority to approve but projected what he thought the chain of command might say by not even allowing me to even submit my request).
I currently have a career conundrum. I set an appointment with a recruiter in January of 2015 to discuss the options of joining the Navy as an Information Professional Officer as I have a Masters in Information Systems and that is what Navy.com says at http://www.navy.com/careers/information-and-technology/information-professional.html?#ft-qualifications-&-requirements that the Navy is looking for. My recruiter was an E-5 and the supervisor in the office was an E-6. As I was discussing a career with the recruiter the supervisor came over and made a suggestion that seemed reasonable (and later I vetted with E-7's, O-3's, and an O-4). He said that because the process to become an officer is long (which it is, as it is almost a year and I am still working on it and I have heard of others taking even longer) that it is normal/standard/acceptable (I don't remember how he phrased it exactly) to have the applicant go through the MEPS process as a Reservist. This way I would be screened medically and wouldn't find out way down the road that I am medically disqualified and waste a lot of time. Then he said he would put my ship date out far enough so that I could complete the officer package and cancel the Reserve contract (as I understood at the time it is easy to cancel a Reserve contract when going full-time, particularly if that was your stated plan from the beginning, such as it is for me). After I swore in as an E-3 Navy Reservist I was then told that I couldn't be an officer until my wife became a US citizen (that piece of information was somehow overlooked). At that time we weren't expecting her process to be completed any earlier than October 2015 so I knew at that point I was en route for RTC since I had a ship date in July 2015. While I was in DEP preparing for RTC I was assigned a Chief who worked with officer recruitment. He transferred me to a different regional officer recruitment office (which is at my NOSC) where I worked with a LCDR for a short time until he retired and was replaced by the LT that is working with me now.
My wife's citizenship process went faster than expected and while I was at RTC she swore in as a US citizen. Since then I have completed everything in the packet except two things. I need a signature on a Conditional Release form that allows one to leave whatever service or branch he or she is in to join another. Then I need a Commanding Officer's recommendation letter. These two items I didn't need initially when I came to the recruitment office since I was a civilian but now that I am enlisted I need to have these items. Everyone I have spoken with at my current command has either deferred me to the Career Counselor Office or just laughed at me for thinking I could be an officer and somehow go from a Seaman Nothing to out rank them. I spoke with the Career Counselor's Office and they said in no uncertain terms that there is no way that I am competitive to be an officer and that if they wanted to put in an officer package they would be chosen before me since they have years of Navy experience. I have only been mocked and put down at my current command everytime I try to figure out how I can get the needed signatures. I have been told it is against their policy and to wait until I return back to my NOSC after A school. The reason for this, as I have been told, is that I don't belong to anyone aka I don't technically have a command while I am in student status, which doesn't make sense since I have to have permission from my command to live off base, go on leave, etc. Also, I have not seen this in writing and the next review board meets while I am still in A school. Since I am older and coming against age limitations I really need to get my application in for the next review board. The deadline for my packet submission is 29 January 2016. The board meets in March and I understand that I would probably get an answer in April around the time that I will be completing my A school. The timing for everything would perfectly come together if I can get the last two signatures. If I don't then I will have to go back to the drawing board and figure out what I am going to do when I graduate from A school so I can support my family since working one weekend a month as a reservist obviously isn't going to cut it.
My current recruiter is doing a great job helping me to assemble my package. As an officer he has said that I am very competitive. I have a masters degree, I tested well on the OAR, I have fantastic referrals, etc. He has been working hard from my perspective but seems to be at just as much of a loss as I am on how to proceed. I believe he is a new recruiter (he took this specific command in about April when the LCDR turned over to him) and apparently I have a unique case with no precedent and no one wants to create a new precedent by allowing him to push me through even though no one has any written regulation opposing me from being a Naval Officer.
Thank you in advance for any assistance and/or advice.
Posted in these groups: 
Chain of Command
Chain of Command
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 8
4
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PO2 (Join to see) You can run a request chit. I'd walk it, personally. But first, I'd start by visiting the Command Master Chief, and asking him to help you. If he's a good one, he will.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
As a Commander, I use to get excited at the possibility of helping soldiers. Invariably they would be my best soldiers, so making the decision to help was easy.
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PO3 Maria Flasher
In this particular case it woukd not likely be in his best interested to simply route a request. Additionally it is never in your best interest to jump your COC and straight to your CMC for assistance. If he were already on a ship our at a duty station he would have the benefit of sitting down with his division level leadership first then proceeding above them if they couldn't help him. I couldn't imagine his COC not wanting to help him succeed. His success is success for the Navy itself. What he should do is go to his division leadership first. If they can't help him they can direct him to someone who can. Every division has at minimum a warrant officer at the immediate top. That warrant would be his best bet to get in with any commissioned officer who might be able to best direct him. If that fails then he needs to address his CMC who should further assist him. He should also set realistic time lines. If he asks for assistance from his Chief and hasn't been helped in, say, 48 hrs, I'd go to my WO2. If his WO2 doesn't respond within 72 hrs, go to your OIC. If your OIC doesn't respond within 72 hrs, go to the CMC. Etc.
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You might be stuck in no-mans land right now. Until you finish training and get assigned to a 'real' unit, the NOSC is probably your official chain of command but you need a CO who knows you well enough to sign something saying, "I think he will be a good officer." That isn't just a piece of routine admin. I wouldn't sign it for you until I knew you since it also reflects on me who I am recommending. I hate to say it, but I think the recruiters led you down a bad path. You don't sign an enlisted recruitment to pre-screen medical/admin things for an officer package. They also had no guarantee that you would be picked up for the officer billet once you had signed to commit to the enlisted side.
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LT Michael Cavaggioni
Yes, CDR Getty nailed it. Unfortunately, recruiters do this often enough to were this isn't the first discussion I have seen on it.
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I concur with Capt Forbes. You need to "Request Mast" because there are specific timeframes associated the this act. Also treat every step as part of the Officer interview process, have you paper trail available and your talking points clearly thought out.
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