I have enlisted for active duty and am set to go to Boot Camp in October but have been trying to get that moved up. I am currently going in as an HM but have taken the DLAB and scored a 125. Before I took the test, I was told that CTI's were needed and that if I passed, I would almost certainly be able to make that change and be able to leave by mid to late May. It is now mid-June and my recruiter is saying that my paperwork is in the right place but no one is working on it. I know that in the military, sometimes you have to "hurry up and wait" but I am wondering if this is not a concern to them since I have already enlisted.
Also, I am wanting to find out more about what to expect at my first station. I am hoping to learn Russian because I have been to Moscow twice and loved it but I am open to any language. Where should I expect to be on completion of DLI?
Thanks in advance for any insight that you can provide.

I'm sure someone else can answer your other concerns, but your location will depend heavily upon the language you get in DLI.

You are not active duty yet....change your profile. Assuming you are picked up for CTI, your chances of getting Russian are very, very slim. Expect to be stationed in either Baltimore, Hawaii (Oahu), or Augusta GA, depending on your language...unless you go play in the sandbox.

Sorry about the profile. I'm new to this. I tried changing my profile but it still shows as Basic Training. What am I missing?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jeepsdad,

You fixed it...your profile now reads "considering joining"

I would plan on getting either Chinese or Arabic if I were you and you are approved for CTI....you MIGHT be able to get Farsi, but I don't know how often Farsi classes up.

HM and CTI are just about as different a pair of rates as I can think of. If you want a career in the medical field, then HM is for you. If you want to go into intelligence, then CTI is a good option. Just be aware that the life of an HM is radically different than CTI.

I want a career in the intelligence field but was initially told I was ineligible b/c I'm color blind. My recruiter looked into it and found out that I can be a CTI. I have great test scores and a clean background. I'm ready to go and a bit anxious since I have been repeatedly told that an answer should come any day for the last month.

Being color blind won't disqualify you....it will tie you to shore duty though. But that's ok.

I definitely empathize with the waiting and the waiting and the waiting....went through something similar and was ultimately in DEP for over a year.
In fact, I am going through something similar right now...you need the patience of a saint, and then some, when dealing with military HR.

Hi guys thanks for all the great info. I recently took the DLAB, made a 141, and am a CTI leaving for basic in October. I am currently engaged, but due to certain financial constraints we have decided that we cannot get married until after basic training. My basic question (or questions) is, when could I get married while at DLI? what would I need to do to get her added to my orders? how long would the process of marraige proof take? and what would our housing situation, or our housing possibilities look like? So, in essence, how could all this work out? Thanks a ton.

I would PM Mrsjvb, she's one of the moderators on the site and is a command ombudsman...she would be a good source of info. I have seen people get married (to civilians) while at DLI and get into the housing at Fort Ord. Your command cannot tell you that you cannot get married...they can deny your command sponsorship, however. That should not be a problem so long as you inform your chain of command well ahead of time that you intend to get married...getting married while at DLI is very, very common.

Just got word from my recruiter that I have been approved for CTI. Still don't know when I will be heading to boot camp but supposedly will have some options within the next few days.

Congrats....I think you will really enjoy being a CTI. Right now, all you need to be focusing on is getting through boot camp, so MAKE SURE you are working on push-ups, sit-ups, etc before you join. Make sure you watch your weight...my ship date got postponed because I showed up at MEPS 4 lbs overweight...no kidding. Know your general orders, etc....above all, strive to be "invisible" while at boot camp. You're time there will be much easier if you are not a "problem child", like I was.

(To their credit, my RDCs made DARNED sure I got to do lots of extra push-ups so I could pass the PRT )

Once you get to DLI, I would expect to go through a "adjustment phase", where you are closely supervised, cannot go off-base, etc....but that won't be very long. You will then probably get assigned to basically a work detail for a while doing odd jobs, and meet with the quota manager who will assign you a class slot during this time. Your two choices are most likely going to be Arabic or Chinese, and they are very different choices. I don't advocate one over the other...Chinese means living in Hawaii, and being exposed to PACFLEET navy and all things asian. Arabic probably means living state-side in Georgia, with opportunities to go play in the "sandbox".

You MIGHT get offered Korean, but I highly recommend against taking it. In my oppinion, the Navy does NOT need Korean linguists....the other services do. If it was a choice of Arabic or Korean, I would pick Arabic any day. Being a Korean linguist will relegate you to being a red-headed step-child, and put you under supervisors (and management) struggling to find something usefull (or at least Korean-related) for you to do.

Best of luck

Hi I have been looking into the CTI hopefully in chinese and it sounded like a great experience that would help me with a career. One thing is that my wife is a japanese citizen and I dont think I would make it past the security clearance. Should I even consider joining?

Thanks. I've been working on PT for a while now. Seems to take a bit more when you're getting up in years, not that 31 is that old.

What should I expect in transitioning to DLI from Boot Camp or hopefully OCS in regards to my family? My wife and 4 year old son will be staying with family while I am at RTC. I am wondering about helping them get to CA. Any thoughts would be great.

gfesh3000....until your wife becomes a citizen, you're probably outa luck as far as CTI goes. How far along is she in the process?

Jeepsdad....as long as your wife and son show up as dependents with the military, you'll be able to take them to DLI with you. Again, I recommend talking to MrsJVB, one of the forum administrators, for specifics about DLI. You might also try to contact CS2CTI or one of the others currently at DLI...click on their profiles and PM (private message). Its been over a decade since I was at DLI, and I was single when I was there.

You'll find being older than the average DLI student frustrating and rewarding at the same time; you're still going to be a seaman (E-3) for probably almost 2 years, but you'll probably be treated with more respect due to your age. Don't know if your wife is planning on working while in Monterey, but jobs other than service positions are pretty rare.

Just to give you some expectation management....obtaining a slot in OCS is going to be a major challenge. Depending on what your grades were, what your degree was in, and what your past work history is like, you may not even be competitive. If you are OK doing surface warfare, supply, or similar, you'll have a better shot. I'm afraid you're DQ'd from anything involving aviation, and commissioned positions in Navy Intel are very, VERY competitive. I would take a "wait and see" attitude towards OCS at this point....focus on boot camp and succeeding at DLI. Considering that DLI has probably maintained at least a 25% failure rate on average (and some languages are much, much higher), just getting through is a major feat.

Given your age, doors are going to start shutting on you soon as far as OCS is concerned....I know, I've been there....so if you are serious about OCS, you should apply once you are settled at DLI. Honestly though, you might be better off serving your six years, and then looking for a civilian job with one of the three-letter-agencies. You'll be able to count your active duty time towards federal retirement, and you'll probably see more of your family. Hope this helps.....

quote:

Originally posted by XSquidling:
Again, I recommend talking to MrsJVB, one of the forum administrators, for specifics about DLI. You might also try to contact CS2CTI or one of the others currently at DLI...click on their profiles and PM (private message).

PMs are turned off. you can click on 'email this member' however, and I will get it. even though DH is an IWO, my experiences at Monterey are limited to NPS. DLI runs things a smidgen differently than DLI, but I can certainly help with basics as far as housing and what not.

Thanks...I meant to say "specifics about Monterey", but in my CENTCOM addled brain "DLI" and "Monterey" equate to the same thing.

quote:

with one of the three-letter-agencies. You'll be able to count your active duty time towards federal retirement

That's really good to know. I guess I should have known that though since my dad works at the VA and his time in the military counts toward his retirement.

By the way, I'm at DLI for about another month or 2 and Arabic is by far the largest language right now. There are 3 Arabic divisions. If you want Arabic it is likely that you can get it. Like Squid said, Chinese is a big one too. And if you start doing badly in your language class its pretty common to get put into Spanish. I would advise against going Korean too. It's the hardest language here and the reenlistment bonuses for Arabic and Chinese are higher. I'm not saying that that won't change in 6 years when it will matter to you, but it's something to think about.

Thanks for the info. Little disappointing to hear that it is unlikely to get into OCS but it is good to hear the truth from those who are in. I scored as high as possible on the ASVAB as the office at MEPS wanted to know why I wasn't going in as an officer. I was told that it was extremely likely that I would be picked up for OCS within a year. My degree is in religion so it's not exactly competive and I'm not interested in being a chaplain. I am interested in getting on with one of the agencies if I don't make this a 20 year deal. Again, thanks for the info/encouragement.

quote:

I am interested in getting on with one of the agencies if I don't make this a 20 year deal.

ROFL...I wish I could tell you that your "hurry-up and wait" experience with MEPs wasn't the way federal hiring works writ large, but alas I cannot.

I've been waiting for my 3-letter agency to finalize the (expletive deleted) hiring process and give me a start date. Its going on 6-months here folks. I guess I can't complain..I had a friend for whom it took over a year to get the process completed. The moral of the story is that even as a civilian with one of these agencies, or in my case as a DoD civilian, the process isn't any better at all.

SAXQUIZ...are they still torturing students at DLI with FLOs? I think that my language skills were actually lower at the end of semester III than at the beginning due to all the time we spent on them. You have to buy back your military time by making payments over the first couple years you work for the government as a civilian. You can do it later, but the cost goes up as you procrastinate.

I swear, becoming a DoD civilian is almost just like joining the military all over again...I even had to get a physical. And would you believe that they have to cut me a set of orders???? Only difference is that now I have to wear a real suit and not a poopy suit to work

Couple of questions. What is life like in the "sandbox"? Also, which language do you think would make me most marketable to one of the agencies? I like to plan long term and not just "see what happens".