Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 3/9/2009

Question
Im wondering if i have to go through navy basic? Im currently enlisted in the Air National Guard and have been in 5 years

Answer
Johnnie,
What's your current rank?  That will determine a lot, because you will probably lose a stripe.  If you hold a skill that is directly convertible to a Navy Rating, you will be enlisted at one paygrade lower than you held in the ANG, but not lower than E-3. If you do not have a skill directly convertible to a Navy rating, you must enlist at the grade of E-3, regardless of previously held rank.   You will maintain your Total Years of Active Federal Service. (ANG time + Navy time.)  Are you willing to take that pay cut?

Do you like your present job?  You will be required to enlist in the same Navy career field as you had in the ANG.  So if you're crossing over because you hate your job, forget it.  If you were a cook in the ANG you'll be a cook in the Navy.  Only if you held a job that doesn't directly cross-relate to a job in the service you are joining, or if the service doesn't have a shortage in that job, will you be allowed to re-train into a different job.

For the Navy, the boot camp decision is made individually on a case-by-case basis, after examining the person's military experience.  Normally they don't send an E-4 or above back to boot camp because prior-service are not in the same enlistment category as brand new recruits.

How old are you? You must be able to complete 20 years of service by age 55.  No waivers are authorized.

Have you applied with a Navy recruiter yet?  It's tough to get in because each of the services limit the number of prior-service enlistments they allow each year (this includes those in the Guard and Reserves who wish to enlist on active duty).  You're considered a " re-enlistment" and not a regular "enlistment", so recruiters are given very few re-enlistment slots.  Given the choice, the military will allow someone currently in the service to re-enlist, before they will allow a you to use up that slot.  You will require more "paperwork" and time & effort by the recruiter that a normal off-the street recruit, so don't be surprised if a recruiter won't spend his valuable time working with you, unless he is short his quota.

If you're sure that's what you want to do, do it quickly, because for a prior-service member to enlist, the Navy must be under their goal for re-enlistments. For the past few years, Navy re-enlistment rates have been right on target.  With the Navy, waiting times of a year or more for prior-service to enlist are not unusual.
Good luck in whatever you choose, and thanks for serving in the military.
Colonel H