MARS Occupation Manager

[Ostrozac]

I cannot speak on recruiting numbers for MARS, as that is beyond my purview, but I can speak on my perspective as someone currently in the MARS training system. There are a lot of people waiting to get on MARS II/III/IV right now and it looks like it's going to be a long wait for most, so I doubt they are taking many in, if any at all.

I can speak on recruiting numbers -- and for this fiscal year's Strat Intake Plan (13/14) MARS is the third biggest officer occupation. And the numbers are rising for future years, with both DEO and ROTP being the main sources. The only officer occupations that we are hiring more of right now are Pilot and Logistics.

 

[Navy_Pete]

Sorry, I wasn't specific enough. I was referring to the second scenario. Backpay if your EPZ date is for Lt(N) is before you're done your two years in the fleet. Your EPZ date for SLt is based on one year after you commission, and your EPZ date for Lt(N) is two years after your EPZ date for SLt. So if your training at Venture takes longer than a year (which it often does, but isn't supposed to), you could EPZ for Lt(N) before you spend two years in the fleet.

So what I'm wondering, if your EPZ date is before you do your NOPQ board, do you get backpay until your EPZ date. We do get backpay for SLt, I did... my EPZ date was almost a year before I graduated MARS IV, so I got the backpay. Just wondering why we don't for NOPQ if we never fail anything.

All other trades get backpay for Lt(N)/Capt, as far as I know anyway. Or get promoted to Lt(N)/Capt based on time in and not qual.

My scenario is going to be that I sit my board a year and two months after my Lt(N) EPZ date passed, which translates into about 10000k (before tax) in salary I won't get if I don't get the backpay.

NTOs are in the same boat; most DEOs have their time in before you complete your BMOQ (basic mil occupation qual) done (ie Phase 6 board for us, NOPQ board for you).  Because your promotion requires you to have your BMOQ and time in rank, you won't get back pay for the Lt(N) promotion.  Other trades get promoted earlier because of where they are considered to have their BMOQ earlier on in their training (ie Log).  Don't hold your breath on that changing; they occasionally look at changing NTO BMOQ to phase 4 + officer of the day, but for a number of reasons (some good ones as well, not just tradition), status quo remains.  But the bottom line is your promotion will be dated on the date of your successful board, so aside from an extra week or two of the delta in pay for the time it takes to get into the system, that should be it.

There is a regulation somewhere why you don't get backpay again if the training was delayed for your NOPQ where you would have for you SLts although for the life of me no longer have idea hat it is.  I think it's something to do with the fact that you got backpay once in your initial dev. period, as well as the fact that most of the training is OJT for BWK/NOPQ (and phase 6).  Looked it up about four years ago out of curiosity but can't remember what it is now.

On the plus side, your seniority date will be backdated to 1 Jan of the year you get your board done, so if you get it done in December, you'll enter the promotion zone for LCdr at the same time as someone that got NOPQ done in January or February.  Not that anyone in our trades gets their next promotion when they hit the EPZ due to the length of subsequent training, but still.

 

[d_edwards]

Is the minimum hearing category  for MARS officer level 2? I was not sure.  I assume that since all the Navy combat operations trades are level 2 that would be the case.

 

[ConnieCanuck]

Good Day MARS OM,

I am a UTPNCM at RMCC and am transferring to an Arts degree from a Science degree.  My current trade is Sigs O but I have to COT-U over by next month.  First, what degree do you accept for MARS trade?  Next, are there many positions available in MARS right now for COT-U?  Finally, how do I go about having my NETP course PLAR'd for NEPO or is this not an option.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers