zander1991

For those who personally messaged me with questions, please send me your email address and I can email a response. Hang in there! The transition is stressful, but I assure you that learning comes quickly and you will adapt.

Reporting to Fort Sam/In-processing: -Finding a hotel on base may be difficult-especially if you receive your orders last minute like I did. The various training courses that occur at Fort Sam perpetually fill the hotels on base. If you have pets, I recommend the following hotel: La Quinta Inn & Suites San Antonio Downtown (100 W César E Chávez Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78204). There is no additional fee for pets. There is free breakfast every morning too! -Ask for the Texas military hotel tax exempt form. This will save you some serious change. The Army will only reimburse you a set amount of money (lodging + food) for each day-so saving some money now will mean more money in your pocket down the road. -One of my classmates chose to stay at an Airbnb. This may be a good option for you if you need an extended amount of time to look for housing. A situation in which this may occur is if you want to live on base. The waiting list for housing can be months to a yearlong. However, this is RARELY the case. From my understanding, on-base housing becomes available much sooner than the estimated waitlist time. One of my classmates only waited a week. However, you have no say in what housing becomes available. By no means will you be living in a slum; however, some on bases houses/neighborhoods are nicer than others. -Another con of choosing to live on base is the loss of your basic allowance for housing (BAH). In exchange for your BAH, you will pay zero rent or utilities when living on base. However, BAH is a serious chunk of change. If you are good at managing money, some of your BAH can end up in your piggy bank. This all depends on where you choose to live and what your standard of living entails. -Your commanding unit at Fort Sam is Bravo Company, 187th Medical Battalion. However, you may or may not have the opportunity to take permissive temporary duty (TDY). Permissive TDY allows you up to 10 days to search for housing. For your future reference, if you are gifted with enough time to take permissive TDY, you must report to the housing office with your DA Form 31 (leave form). However, this will not really apply to you. You will need to report to Bravo Co ASAP once you arrive to San Antonio. There is a lot of paperwork involved with in-processing. Especially since you are new to the Army. Regardless, you are entitled to be reimbursed for a maximum of 10 days of temporary lodging allowance/expense (TLA/TLE). It is essential that you keep your hotel receipts! You have to prove that you actually stayed at a hotel in order to receive TLA. The Uniforms -If you live near a base, buy your uniforms now. Again, if your recruiter is worth a damn, he or she should be willing to help you! I suggest buying three sets of operational camouflage pattern (OCP) Army combat uniforms (ACUs). Commonly, people will just call this uniform OCPs. You will want two sets for garrison and one set for the field. I liked pairing my pants and tops together and labeling them as one set. I did this using a permanent marker on the tags. I did this because every uniform piece is slightly unique. The camouflage pattern, the overall darkness, and even the fabric may slightly differ from piece to piece. The Army is all about uniformity. Having a top that doesn't perfectly match your pants in the real world may not be noticeable. In the Army, even subtle discrepancies in your uniform will cause people to develop a slight eye twitch at the sight of you. For example, walking around with worn-in, faded pants and a brand-new top is a big no-no. -Look up AR 670-1. This will provide you with guidance on what you need for you uniform. Each OCP will require: a name tape (last name) placed over you right chest, U.S. Army tape over your left chest, and an American flag on your right arm. An easy way to remember the placement of the tapes is as follows: you hold the Army dear to your heart and you raised your right arm to the flag when you swore in. You will need the U.S. Army Medical Training patch as well. This is placed on your left arm. Your rank will be in the middle of your chest. I strongly suggest getting your tapes and rank sewn on to your uniform. I found the wear of the uniform much more comfortable after doing so. This was especially true for the patrol cap (PC). Pin-on rank doesn't feel great on your forehead. If you decide to sew these items on to your uniform, remember that everything needs to be sewn on. For example, you can't have sewn on name tapes and Velcro rank. The rule of uniformity applies to everything. Embrace this fact. -The Army Service Uniform (ASU) is another uniform you will need to purchase. I strongly suggest using the website Marlow White. They have awesome packages that really simplify your purchasing quest (there are a lot of pieces that go into the ASU). DO NOT have them tailor your uniform. Go to a reputable tailor to obtain your measurements. While at Fort Sam, I suggest going Kim's. They will measure you for free. They will also ensure your uniform is tailored to regulation and fits you well. You want to look lean and mean in your uniform. -Another important point to consider is the cost of all these uniforms. You will receive a one-time reimbursement of 600 dollars for your uniforms. I easily spent $1,500 dollars on my uniforms and tailoring. Set the money aside now!

Hey all, I am sorry for the delayed response. I received some of you direct messages, but unfortunately I cant message back due to allnurses' new rules... Here is a short list of advice I have created over the summer. You can take it or leave it. Just some things I learned as a direct commission. Orders: -Your orders will seem very confusing. Verification of your name, SSN, rank, AOC and constructive credit is a good place to start. Your initial rank will determine how much you get paid now. Your constructive credit is also important because it determines how soon you will be able to promote. Your recruiter, if he or she is worth a damn, will help walk you through your orders. Do not be surprised if corrections will be needed down the line. Moving: -When you receive your orders, your recruiter should assist you with calling the closest housing office in your region. An individual at this housing office should provide you with guidance on setting up an account on Home Page | Move.mil and walk you through the online application. -When setting up your online account, write everything down! Your username and password will be super long and impossible to remember. You will also have over half a dozen security questions to remember as well. -When setting up your move, elect for the partial do it yourself (DITY) move. You'll likely cram a lot of stuff in your car(s) regardless of the Army shipping most of your goods. Your reimbursement is based off the weight inside your vehicle. Weigh your vehicle before and after loading it up with your stuff. A certified weigh scale (e.g. CAT scale) at a gas station will do the trick. -Do not be surprised if you experience a serious time crunch with setting up your move. Your orders may come at the last minute and you may only have a week or less to report to your first active duty assignment. Unfortunately, the packing/shipping appointments are booked out three weeks or more. So you may need to set up a releasing agent. He or she will be at the house when the movers package your household goods. This will take some planning on your part. Your agent must be present at all times during the packaging of your goods. This will take a MINIMUM of two days. The packing timeframe all depends on the amount of stuff you are shipping. Your releasing agent will also be responsible for giving the movers written permission to ship your goods. For example, I designated my mother-in-law as my releasing agent. -Your goods may take 1-3 weeks to reach San Antonio. This all depends on your current location and the busyness of the moving season. -You will be notified when your goods reach a storing warehouse in San Antonio. Initially, you may not be able to be present for the shipment of your goods to your new home. In this case, you may opt to assign a receiving agent or continue to store your goods until you are ready to receive them at your new place (you are authorized a certain amount of days for you goods to be stored). -If you are married, and you TRUST your spouse, set up a financial power of attorney ASAP. You will be gone a lot during your initial military training and your spouse may have to make a lot of decisions on your behalf while you are away. Having a financial POA will prevent a lot of barriers and will empower your spouse. -Save ALL your receipts. You will be reimbursed a set amount based upon the Army's mileage calculator. Regardless, keep all your gas and lodging receipts. When you get to Fort Sam, finance should help you fill out a DD Form 1351-2 (travel voucher). They should help walk you through the form. REMEMBER, be nice and they will be nice to you! -A quick note on dislocation assistance (DLA). When filling out your DD Form 1351-2, the finance person may or may not tell you to check the box that says DLA. If you are single with no other dependents, you are not entitled to DLA with your first PCS move. However, you are entitled for DLA if you are married and/or have kids and you uproot them. CHECK THE BOX REGARDLESS. PCS'ing is very expensive and DLA amounts to be a couple thousand dollars. Check the box and let finance determine your eligibility.

Your rank depends on how long you have been a nurse. Basically, your nursing experience is calculated into a certain amount of constructive credit. This will be done during your accession process. Having your CCRN will provide you with an additional 6 months of constructive credit. I came in as a 1LT.

Hello everyone! I am currently a phase I student. I was a direct accession and understand the rollercoaster ride you all are on. Feel free to message me any of your questions about the program, DCC, BOLC, etc. etc.

Thank you! And keep us posted!

Hey there, all. It's been awhile. However, I am excited to share that I received my acceptance into the USAGPAN class of 2018! It's been a week or so since I found out, but I wanted to let it sink in. Now I must wait for the board... I better start working on my pushups, people. haha

Strong work! Sounds like your experience at WAMC was pretty much identical to mine. Waiting game for me too. Hoping the best for you, sir.

Thank you!

Quick question for you, did the phase II director email your LOR to NEU directly or did you send the phase II director the automated link from the NEU online application? Thanks!

I wish I would have thought of that! haha

Thank you, sir! Great experience. The students and staff were great.The interview went well. The program director definitely wanted to make sure I was fully aware and willing to accept the military obligation associated with the USAGPAN. I certainly have given this a lot of thought already, over a year in fact, but they really pounded this one home. Certainly, such a strong call for contemplation does cause one to question their decision! Nonetheless, they did say they would love to have me on. So that was great to hear. Anyway, business casual is what I wore. However, you will be wearing scrubs 95% of the time. In fact, I walked in the facility and immediately changed into scrubs.

Awesome! I am at WAMC right now! It's been a fantastic experience so far. Everything you outlined is pretty congruent with what you should expect. However, tomorrow is my big interview day. I'll let you know more later.

Whew! It's been a busy week! I just finished my MEPS appointment. Not terrible at all. Unfortunately my astigmatism may be a problem. I will be going to an eye doctor in a few weeks. Hopefully, its just another hoop to jump through and I'll have no issues. Also, finally conquered the GRE! What a relief! Now for those who have not taken the GRE, I strongly suggest Magoosh.com. Seriously. I was very satisfied with my score (Math 157, Verbal 160). My performance may or may not be impressive to you. Regardless, I am certain you will be happy with your test results if you try Magoosh. Magoosh was the least painful option I found to study for the GRE. Cannot say enough good things about it. Also, take your practice tests! ETS offers two free TIMED exams via their software called PowerPrep II. Manhattan also provides one free timed exam. Side note, Magoosh has not paid me to endorse them. haha I just want to spread any tips I can provide! Phase II will be in the works as soon as I get my GRE essay scores back and I am in the clear with my eye situation. Take care everyone.

How cool! Great video.