pwlk blog

So I have decided there needs to be a little mini-series here in this blog regarding my adventure through the BDCP process. First off let me just throw this link out there if you want to read all the fine print details. I would like to make this mini-series more about my process through the BDCP.

Let me begin by saying that I am not completely at the beginning of the process, however, I don’t believe I am all too far along in it either. The first thing that happened was that I met my recruiter at an engineering career fair here on campus. That was over a year ago. Me being a second year in a technical degree (computer science) was not able to apply quite yet. A little over a month ago I went back to the career fair and met with my recruiter, Lieutenant Commander Paul Mountel, again. We didn’t talk to much about the program, as the previous year we talked about it in depth and I already knew I wanted to apply. So I got his business card and went on my way.

The first official step was to fill out a Blueprint. My recruiter sent me this Word document not long after we spoke. This short document contains questions to confirm that you meet at least the bare minimum requirements to apply. I completed the document and replied with it attached the following day.

I was then sent a much longer application when everything checked out fine. I believe this application is the main application for your acceptance. It involves questions regarding your past schooling, relations, work, record and all the sorts. Even more important is the fact that this application has the space for your three top choices of designation. I struggled a lot with this area. Three areas I had interest were Information Warfare, Intelligence, and Naval Flight Officer. I weighed all the pros and cons while also doing research online and decided to only put one, Information Warfare. I decided this because it really truly is my number one choice, and I had read in multiple places that some people looking at your application don’t want to see that you have them as second choice, and the folks looking at your application from your first choice want to see that you are committed to being with them. Of course, I have no way of proving any of that really happens.

This application also contains a place for you to write your motivational statement. The motivational statement is a short 400 word essay that tells why you want to be a Naval Officer. What can you bring to the Navy and what can the Navy bring to you? For any of you reading this as reference to your own BDCP process, I found it very helpful to have as many people read my motivational statement as possible. I got lots of positive and constructive negative feedback. My end result was a very well written essay I believe.

During this time with the application and motivational statement, I was going through a difficult time deciding if I wanted to continue. If you want to read more about that, check out this post. After a good long time of thinking, praying, talking to family/friends, and talking to my recruiter, I decided this is really what I want to do. There is really no doubt in my mind that I would love to be an Information Warfare Naval Officer.

So I emailed my completed application back to my recruiter. The next step is one that I actually really enjoyed. I was sent a link to another application on the Navy Accession Security Information System (NASIS). I am pretty sure this application is for security clearance. I, personally, was put in for an SSBI Information Warfare clearance. Depending on your designation of choice, this application/step might be a little different.

The SSBI application is basically the same as the previous application with an added quantity of contacts. This is the reason I had a good time filling out this application. I sent emails out to quite a number of people that I had lost a little bit of touch with, whether old supervisors, old college-buddies, or others, just to get their most up-to-date information. You have to select an elite three people though to be your references. I went with one of my old high school band directors, one of my flight instructors, and one of my best friends that I go to school with. I figured these three people would cover a very good and wide range of views from the past 7-years of my life.

**One note worth mentioning regarding this SSBI application, at first I tried to fill out this application in Mozilla Firefox. Things were not working well. Text fields were missing and I wasn’t able to save correctly. I emailed my recruiter with these issues. I then though about trying the application with Microsoft Internet Explorer. Miracle of Miracles, it worked! I emailed back my recruiter telling him I figured out the problem. He replied with thanks saying that others had had this issue and they had not been able to pinpoint the cause. So go with IE, I know, it is painful…

After this application is done you…. well…. I honestly don’t know, that’s where I am now. I sent an email back to my recruiter earlier today letting him know that everything was completed on the application and asking for direction on the next step.

So far so good people, I get more and more excited about the possible future employment every day! If anyone has questions regarding anything I’ve done so far, just leave a comment or shoot me an email, its always good to have someone help you through a process.