Expert: Howard Lorenz - 3/29/2008

Question
QUESTION: I have a friend whose 21 yr old son wants to go to an expensive culinary school which they can ill afford. I suggested the Navy's excellent program but she is worried that they would bait and switch him, as she has heard of cases where an enlisted recruit's MOS has been changed involuntarily.  Can this happen after a contract has been signed? What are the chances of this in the Navy?
Also she really doesn't want him in Iraq or Afghanistan. Can a Navy recruit specify "NO IRAQ DUTY?"

ANSWER: the one thing that you can bet on is that if anybody joins the military, they will see those places at one time in their career. There is not a NO IRAQ DUTY clause anywhere...

As for the Bait & Switch. Once the contract is signed, then that is that. Now the military is not oblicaged to keep it untill that person goes on active duty. Where you will hear alot of folks complaining about the Navy is that they will book a job and then later in the process the job is not fillable and then they have to be offered comething else. I believe that they dont give the applicant ample time to make a good decision, the recruiters will pressure the applicant to keep from loosing the body.

This was a rare occation in the Air Force, the system is not perfect by anymeans and everyone thingks that the military is out to screw them,such is not the case. The biggest factors involved in the process is the applicants qualifications... The less qualified the less jobs will be offered. Same goes for any job anywhere.

All in all, if this person in reference is qualified, both ASVAB  and morally, as well as physically, then he should be good to go. The option is his not his parents. I would always get under the parents skin, dont get me wrong, but I NEVER took into concideration what the parents wanted, not to be mean or undermine the parents, but the person enlisting is the one that has to do the job and serve the time...not the parents, so I wouls always ask the applicant...Is This What You Want .... Make sure that this is something that the person in reference is wanting or willing to do... I agree with you...but just to be sure

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your reply, I need something clarified what do you mean by "Losing the body" as below?

"Where you will hear alot of folks complaining about the Navy is that they will book a job and then later in the process the job is not fillable and then they have to be offered comething else. I believe that they dont give the applicant ample time to make a good decision, the recruiters will pressure the applicant to keep from loosing the body."

Does this mean that if the applicants job is switched, they have the right to back out of their contract and their Navy service altogether? Or do you mean the Navy presuures them so they don't lose them from a particular job they need them to do?


ANSWER: Eventhough a person has enlisted into the military, its not truly binding untill the day they ship th Basic Training...so  essentially they can walk if they dont get what they want...

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the reply. Just one more question for clarification- after they have completed Basic Training, can their job be changed involuntarily at any time after that? if so, what are the person's options then?

Answer
To the best of my knowledge....they can only change the contract if the job stops. The contract is just what...the Navy is just as bound to it as we are. If he is going to be switched, they have to ford him the opprotunity to leave, problem is most do not and then they blame the service for their troubles....when they were told they could leave.