MARS Officer

[Leo791989]

"it would also depend on how you did on the air crew selection".

I don't get it. What do you mean my interview will depend on how I did on my ACS. I thought even if you fail your Air Crew Selection, your future applications would not be affected by it............confused.....

 

[kincanucks]

"it would also depend on how you did on the air crew selection".

I don't get it. What do you mean my interview will depend on how I did on my ACS. I thought even if you fail your Air Crew Selection, your future applications would not be affected by it............confused.....

The first thing you start doing is stop listening to andpro.  Your interview for MARS will have absolutely nothing to do with how you did on the CFASC.  Not everyone makes it through CFASC and the recruiting certainly does not hold that against you.  Know the occupations that you want and give the best possible answers to the questions posed and good luck.

 

[Leo791989]

Kincanucks
thanks a lot and thanks to everybody else that contributed to this topic.
Will keep you guys posted once I submit my application.

 

[andpro]

The first thing you start doing is stop listening to andpro.  Your interview for MARS will have absolutely nothing to do with how you did on the CFASC.  Not everyone makes it through CFASC and the recruiting certainly does not hold that against you.  Know the occupations that you want and give the best possible answers to the questions posed and good luck.

"it would also depend on how you did on the air crew selection".

I don't get it. What do you mean my interview will depend on how I did on my ACS. I thought even if you fail your Air Crew Selection, your future applications would not be affected by it............confused.....

I did not mean that your air crew selection would affect your MARS interview, I said that your ACS would obviously affect what MOC you were given because if you faild (hopefully not) you obviously would not get offered pilot. Sorry that my previous post was confusing.
good luck

 

[Leo791989]

Folks,
Thanks again for all the valuable info on MARS trade.
Quick question for those who know this.
Lets say you get accepted as ROTP MARS officer and you clear your Basic and SLT. But you don't make it past MARS I or II. Then what happens. Do they just let you go even though they're paying or paid for your remaining years at Civie University or they put you in a different trade. And if they do what trade would they put you in?
Thanks

 

[Torlyn]

Lets say you get accepted as ROTP MARS officer and you clear your Basic and SLT. But you don't make it past MARS I or II. Then what happens. Do they just let you go even though they're paying or paid for your remaining years at Civie University or they put you in a different trade. And if they do what trade would they put you in?
Thanks

Stop second-guessing yourself.  If you have that attitude going in, you're not going to make it.  MARS I is basic training.  MARS II is NETP-O, which is not difficult.  MARS III and IV are where it get tough, fyi.  You need to have the confidence in yourself, before anyone else will.  As for failing, depending on how badly you fail, and what your CTO thinks of your performance, you can either be recoursed, recommended for release, or offered a new trade.  As for which new trade, it depends why you failed.  I think I know where you're going with this, and the likelihood of getting something like ANAV after failing MARS is fairly slim, but it's not something you'll know until you're in the process.  Again, good luck.

T

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

Kincanucks
thanks a lot and thanks to everybody else that contributed to this topic.
Will keep you guys posted once I submit my application.

I dont know how helpful this will be as it's rather dated. I was selected in 1977 for MARS training at the board. Basic and MARS 2 were pretty easy. Some guys dropped out due to seasickness or claustrophobia MARS 3 was tough we were working everyday night on our passages till after midnight and then executing them the next day...the day started at 0700. MARS 4 Common was hard...astro navigation. and MARS 4 on the ships was pretty tough too...4 months of working on passges and getting our Bridge Watch Keeping ticket.
We had rules of the road exams every week and had to get over 80% on all exams. LIke the other guy said it was a lot of hard work and study.
I know a lot of it is done on simulators now but the work load remains as far as I know.
Good luck and God bless

 

[Phrontis]

I've had a fair bit of experience with MARS training, and as Torlyn says above, attitude is so very important.  Your level of self confidence will be readily apparent to the people assessing you, and in many cases a positive "can do" approach can overcome many obstacles, and make the difference between passing and failing any given run in the simulator.  Yes, the system of marking strives to remove any subjectivity, but you're already half beaten if you go into it with a negative attitude.

And honestly, if push comes to shove and someone fails and finds themselves in front of a Training Review Board (TRB), a positive attitude and professional demeanour can go a long way toward tipping the final decision of the Board in favour of a full or partial recourse.

Is this fair?  Darn tootin'.  A MARS officer is first and foremost a leader.  If you can't muster up a positive attitude in yourself towards your own training, how are you ever going to enthuse your future subordinates towards their training/jobs?

 

[Sheerin]

Out of curiosity, do reserve MARS candidates have to sit before the NOAB?

 

[Leo791989]

Awright guys. Application is in now. I have applied for ROTP MARS Officer. And amazingly the recruiter didn't know anything about ROTP doing NOAB.
Thanks for all the help.

 

[Missile Man]

Just to further the process of soiling yourself, the advice on how "tough" Venture is is only the start my young chickadee.  The real work begins when you join the fleet.  Sadly, yes, you have endured MARS 3 and 4 and "made it through" to "being a MARS Officer", but you are inherently useless once you join your first Ship.  Until, of course you get OOD qual (3 months max) and get your BWK (should be 1 year AT SEA, though, more like a month or two on the West Coast...).  Then 12 month consolidation on your ticket, followed by your NOPQ (Lt(N) board) where we really separate the wheat from the chaff (IR or seduction, I can't remember).  The you are "qualified", however until you get a profile (d-level) you are not yet useful to the Navy.  Go for 6 month d-level, followed by 18month-24 month tour.  Now you are actually a MARS Officer.  Now if you want to get promoted and hang with the grown-ups, do a seconf sea tour (DeckO is a good one, though I am biased) get a good PER and get selected for your ORO course (1 year) followed by another 2 years at sea as WpnsO/CbtO.  As long as you don't run over the Admiral's dog, then back over his family, you should get made 2.5 out of your ORO tour.  Then the long wait for selection to staff college followed by XO/Command (line starts here (as I point behind my back)).

Good luck.

 

[FredDaHead]

Missile Man, you said they "separate the wheat from the chaff" at the NOPQ, but does anyone get released at that point? I'd assume after paying for all that training, the Navy wouldn't just say "well, you went through all that training and all, but we'll have to let you go, now."

 

[MissHardie]

Sheerin,

As far as I know Reserve MARS don't do the NOAB thing - but we do sit 'boards' at our particular units as part of the recruiting process, or so was my experience. In my BOTC (2004) most did, and some didn't even do that much.

 

[Sheerin]

Thanks MissHardie, always meant to ask you that...

 

[SeaDog]

Frederik G,
Most guys who make it as far as the NOPQ board (ie ticket, consolidation time) will eventually pass.  Eventually being the key word.  When I did mine only 50% of the guys challenging the board passed.  I can distinctly remember at least one guy failing the board who had already dipped it a least once, possibly twice before.  He's no longer in (not sure if it was voluntary or not).  I know a few more guys who, after a few attempts remustered.  So I guess the answer is yes - the navy is willing to cull the herd despite financial commitment to previous training.  That being said, it is rather rare.  In my personal experience, most of the guys that pull the pin do so prior to the CofCII (NOPQ) stage.

 

[Missile Man]

SeaDog spins some truth, some fiction in his post cats.  One thing you youngsters need to reel in nice and early is that there is no common sense in the MARS profession.  No, they will not look at how much they have dumped into you for trg and say "hey, we should keep this cat around, he cost us tons!".  One of my buds out here just pulled himself off of the ORO Course, so ostensibly the Navy has dumped just over 1.5 million to get him there, then another 1.2 million for the ORO Course.  Guess what?  They almost punted him, but he barterred for a recruiting job inland.  *If nothing else, this job is never a sure bet, even after you are post d-level.  However, as we are currently over 175 MARS Officers (post d-level) short in the fleet today, chances are they will keep you around.  However, at the NOPQ stage, and up until you pass your d-level, you are expendable.  Remember, you are not useable to the career mangler in Ottawa until you are done your d-level tour, then you are eligible for purple jobs (recruiting, basic trg, JHQ etc).
So Fred, don't buy a house until you are done your d-level course.  Until then you are the peanut shells beneath the boots of Ottawa.
SeaDog, yes, most cats get several cracks at their NOPQ (C of C II for us oldies) board.  However, if you can't pass that board after 2 or three cracks, they need to seriously consider another career path, I just sat a TRB for an unsuccessful NOPQ candidate and we booted him into TDO.  We usually send the dead weight to either Int or TDO, somewhere far from the coast, Ships, and the ability to put people in body bags.

 

[SeaDog]

Missile Man,
Not my intention to lead astray - I was speaking purely anecdotally based on my personal experience of what occurred to the guys that dipped the C of C II board when I did mine.  Not trying to say that this is the law of the land - just that a lot of guys take a few cracks at it and get through.  And some take a few cracks and don't.  As you said, those who can't make it through after a few attempts need to explore new career options (like I outlined in my post around three released and/or remustered after dipping the board I challenged).  Didn't mean to make it sound like if you keep smashing through you'll eventually make it - just wanted to assure those prospectives that failing the C of C II once doesn't mean the end of the world..yet.  As for the lack of common sense in the MARS world - you made me smile, Missile Man.  Genuinely smile.
Cheers.

 

[Leo791989]

Thanks again fellows for all the input.
Quick question to the recruiters and those that have just gone through the process of MARS acceptance. I have submitted all the forms etc. Now apart from physical,medical and an interview..is there anything else remaining before an offer is made?
Not sure if I have to do an aptitude test..i did one in february 06.
Thanks

 

[Catburglar]

Physical, medical, interview....all done at you're recruiting center....Now what's left is to be pick by a selection board who scan files submitted by recruiting centers, i don't know if they sort out candidate there. Those who are selected at the first board got an invite (invite or obligation ?) to go to the next NOAB (Naval Officer Assesement Board). For exemple, i was being selected from a board in Febuary, been called the 27 that i was taking plane the 3rd March for the NOAB in Victoria.

Now at the NOAB, you'll be on evalution mode for the week, part from the Officer and the P.O. who's with your group, part from the assement test and interview.  For the statistics, we was 21 persons at the NOAB, 15 MARS officers and 6 G-MARS.  From that, 3 persons have been "slacked" from the bunch, all of them was there for MARS officer.

Catburglar

Edit: being "slacked" mean that the navy will not cut you an offer as MARS officer for these persons, but these persons can be offered their second or third choice from their application, being denied at the NOAB board doesn't mean you're not good enough for the army. That's just mean that the navy think that you're not maybe "made" to be a MARS officer (life on board, interrest ont he navy,...,...)

PS : Sorry for my poor english grammar. I guess that's why they send us to SLT

 

[Leo791989]

Thank You.
So, basically what you're saying is that there is a good chance of getting an invite to goto NOAB. And since Iam starting my university this fall. I am not sure if they'd want you to take a week off for NOAB's. Those who have gone to universities can concurr with me on this...especially late feb..early march(mid terms etc).
So in regards to NOAB. Any advice on it?
Thanks