Anticipation!!!

Aloha everyone, this is a very crazy week for me. It is the last week that I have to anticipate the results for the Navy Chief Petty Officer selections. I am eligible this year for the 2nd time and I am eagerly awaiting the results.

I have been in the Navy for a total of 11 years and 7 months. I went to boot camp in December of 1997 as an E-1 (the lowest possible rank). I am currently an E-6 (First Class Petty Officer) and making Chief (E-7) will be one of the biggest milestones of my career.

To give you a little info on what is looked at for this type of promotion, I will start by explaining the previous promotion ladder.

From E-1 to E-3 all you have to do is be in for a certain amount of time, not get in any trouble and request to get advanced and that happens automatically. To make E-4 through E-6 you have to take a Navy Advancement Exam that test you on your job specific knowledge and also on Navy Wide knowledge from Uniform Regulations to Navy History to First Aid/CPR and Damage Control or Firefighting...... lots of info!!

Now, you do not get advanced just because you do good on your test. There has to be room in the Navy and your specific job for advancement. Sometimes that doesn't pan out as it should because at times, there are more people in higher ranks than the Navy's budget is set. This makes it hard for junior sailors to advance and they have to set a certain "multiple or score"

This is all so confusing, I know :-)

To get selected as a Chief you have to first take a Navy test and then if you do well enough you are what they call "BOARD ELIGIBLE". I you get this far then you have to submit a package. What the Board reviews is your last 5 years of service. Your performance evaluations are reviewed and anything in the past 5 years that you have done or failed to do can help you or hurt you.

I have had 8 years of duty on ships so that is good, I am missing a very important role of Leading Petty Officer at Sea so I am thinking this might hurt me a little bit. I have continuously been involved in the commands that I am at and involved in the community which is important. I do not have tons of college complete and this could hurt me, and I haven't been ranked against peers in the past 2 years so we will see the outcome.

If I do not get selected for promotion I have plenty of things that will keep me busy so I will not have time to be bummed for to long.

I need to take my English 1302 :-) and complete alot of training for Air Intercept Control Catch-up qualifications (which I am currently working on) I also want to do a little island hopping.

The DICK EVANS MEMORIAL ROAD RACE (112 miles) is on SEPT 6th and I will be training for that race. The following day Sept 7th is the WAIKIKI ROUGHWATER SWIM (2.4 miles) and I want to train more for that.

Also, There is another LAVAMAN Triathlon on the Big Island the following weekend Sept 13th and I would love to go and participate in that with my friends. These events are things that I don't know if I will be able to particpate in if I am busy with Chief "Induction" which is totally fine. I will be happy either way, it is just the anticipation that is killing me.