New to Navy, ODS, Portsmouth-need any help?

[Sw88tpea]

Hi there,

I've been a nurse since 2010 and graduated from University of Portland, Oregon. I worked in mental health and with the red cross for a year before applying for the Navy. 13 mos later I found myself at Officer Development School and graduated this February. I'm stationed at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth now and living in Norfolk. I wanted to offer myself as a resource to any of these topics since I felt like I was at a loss for information prior to coming in. Feel free to ask anything about the nursing, the Navy, the application process, duty stations, ODS, Norfolk, etc. Good luck to you and thank you for considering service in the US military.

[navyRN1790]

that's awesome carolinakate88!!

robsrn888: I am hoping to find someone at ODS to live with as well in the Virginia area.

[Sw88tpea]

Wow! Good work! Sorry for my absence. Could you three headed to Portsmouth email me and ill send you info on apartments and sponsor info if I can. [email protected].

[robsrn888]

yes setting up HHG was very confusing, i had to call and have them help me, and make sure you're using a PC not a mac, that was my problem. somehow the HHG system and macs just dont work, ended up having to use my parents PC.

navyRN1790 & carolinakate88 -

i went to nursing school at duquesne (though since most will not know where that is), its in pittsburgh, and i am originally from a suburb 30 minutes outside the city. looking forward to meeting both of you in newport.

[carolinakate88]

I know where that is! And I know how to pronounce it! My high school physics teacher went there! (I LOVE that I can remember that, but have the hardest time remembering the things that matter! Womp womp!) Will you both be driving to Newport?

[robsrn888]

navyRN1790 - you went down to portsmouth already? i have a few questions could you email me at [email protected] by chance?. and carolinakate88 - thats very surprising you know where duquesne is and how to say it most do not. good luck at looking at places. See you guys in newport.

[dcassidy12]

Hey guys! September is coming way faster than I could have imagined EEK! Getting excited/ anxious and nervous at the same time. I am worried I'm not doing everything I should before reporting to Newport, I feel like the Navy is so vague about what we need to get done or have before we go! Ive been workin out and going over ranks and hymms and whatnot, but Im a little in the dark about other paperwork or things we might need to complete before we go! Does anyone else feel the same way??

[Sw88tpea]

I'm sure people do. Some things I'm glad I did before I left: 1) Leave copies of credit cards, bank accounts, passwords, vehicle titles etc with a family member just in case 2) Changed my mailing address to a family member temporarily so they could look out for important things 3) Called my apartment right before I headed into ODS to make sure the loose ends are tied up after the move out 4) Pack all my nurses stuff for work right after ODS-stethoscope etc.

Somethings I wish I did:

1) Pack a bag with civilian clothes for after ODS until I get my HHG (took two weeks)-I could have left it in my car or with my family to bring at graduation

Feel free to ask more questions!

[Navysurf]

Hey yall,

A month ago, LCDR G. told me I would be going to ODS in Sept and reporting to NAS Pensacola (grew up an hour west Pcola, join the Navy to see the world and go to my backyard LOL). However, I am truly learning the government term of "hurry up and wait." My local NRD is taking their time getting me on deck. I have not even been commissioned yet (hopefully by the end of this week or next). Also, I have not been given any contact info to get a hold of Pensacola. I keep hounding my recruiter for what it says on my order because I have just some notes written from a phone conversation with LCDR G., but he says he cannot pull them up. I am getting a little stressed since 8SEP is coming up FAST!

Regarding housing: If we live on base in BOQ or some other housing, do we still get BAH to pocket? I feel like I should wait to contact the moving personal for my HHG until I have orders in-hand in case something changes.

[Sw88tpea]

Yes it can be a frustrating process. Don't do anything until you have orders in hand! But be ready to depart asap-you can always go in the next ODS class. Since you're under 14days it would take a lot to get you there. If you want to go in September, I would be in that recruiter's office at 9AM everyday this week-holiday is coming up so you can plan on nothing getting done Friday-Tuesday morning.

What do you need to talk to Pensacola about? It's rare to have contact with your duty station before you arrive. They don't know you're coming if your orders aren't cut yet. No BAH if you are on base-Portsmouth paid for 10 hotel nights upon PCS.

There's a lot going on here but nothing can go forward without orders. I have a friend in Pensacola if you have more specific questions.

[PineappleCrush]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone on this forum!! My boyfriend and I have both hit our 1 year nursing experience post-school and are applying for Direct Accession, him for ICU/Critical Care (that's what he's in now) and me for Med/Surg. We both have our PPIS and NASIS forms in and are waiting for medical clearance to do MEPS (oh the drama of medical histories). Our recruiter just happened to go on her honeymoon last week so we've been kind of in the dark. It seems like we're playing the "hurry-up-and-wait" game at the moment for MEPS and then hopefully onward!

All of the questions and everything have been so helpful, thank you! And thank you to everyone who is responding!!!

This might seem a silly question, but ODS is the five week training, correct? Not the twelve week one?

[Sw88tpea]

Congrats to you both!

ODS is 5 weeks for staff officers (medical, nurse, dental, lawyer, chaplain, nuke) and OCS is 12 weeks for line officers (everyone else).

You have your letters of recommendation and interviews? When I came in last year they were only reviewing applications once a year-in September. I had decided I wanted to come in, in September so I have to wait a year to even turn in my packet. Hope this helps.

[PineappleCrush]

Thanks for the ODS clarification--I just wanted to make sure haha :)

And yes, I have all of my letters, all my interviews and all of the background clearance and other paperwork done. Unfortunately with the holiday next week, I had to schedule my MEPS for Wednesday at the earliest, but at least now it's scheduled!! I can only hope that I make it in on time. I think my recruiter is kind of trying to lull me into reality, saying that *if* I get wait-listed (which I'm trying to prepare myself for...:uhoh21:), I guess they added 17 spots last year after they closed the billets? So she's hoping that will happen again, as am I!!!