Military Law - Navy Jag Student Program Forum

[TheSpanishMain]

Finally commissioned today! Signed a bunch of paperwork, swore in, and height and weight was taken again.

Congrats Ensign!

Did you do anything special for the ceremony/celebration?

Thanks! No nothing special, just a copy of everything. Although, I was sworn in at a different recruiting station then I was assigned because I'm out of town. There was some mention of getting a displayable certificate, something nice to hang on the wall that states you are a commissioned officer in the Navy. I was told that the certificate might have been sent to the recruiting station I was assigned to. Not sure.

Well, you should have the actual commission. A commission is a physical (and fancy) piece of paper, and a lot of people frame and hang that.

Also, maybe you didn't get the phone interview because you already had a clearance through the Marines? Just a thought.

[JAG Hopeful]

To join the parade, I was commissioned last Friday =) Some people had questioned whether or not a retired officer could commission you, but my grandfather – a retired Naval Officer and aviator – read me my oath of office. It was a very special ceremony, and I felt so honored by him. Can’t wait to see some of you next year at ODS/NJS!

[ShockTop]

Anyone know how long after the application closes the Board meets?

It's usually a toss-up, but some posters on the main Military Law thread have been pretty good at saying when the board met (I think NavyJag1). I think it's usually a couple months after the application deadline.

[JEB]

Finally commissioned today! Signed a bunch of paperwork, swore in, and height and weight was taken again.

Congratulations, Ensign!

By the way, I talked to the LCDR at JAG Accessions this morning on the phone and she confirmed that we can and should go ahead and get our Reserve IDs.

Thanks! And I tried to get an ID this morning and it was a no go. They told me that Navy headquarters "doesn't have me in the system yet" and until they do I can't be issued an ID and neither can my wife. Anyone have this experience? Or were you successful in getting an ID?

I was unsuccessful this morning, but I called my NRD contact and I'll wait until I hear from them about making sure I'm in DEERS. According to JAG Accessions, I should already be in the system. (Especially since I commissioned 3.5 months ago)

[S. Goodman]

I was unsuccessful this morning, but I called my NRD contact and I'll wait until I hear from them about making sure I'm in DEERS. According to JAG Accessions, I should already be in the system. (Especially since I commissioned 3.5 months ago)

NRD contact? What is NRD and are they the ones who are supposed to be putting people "in the system"? Seems crazy that you've been in for over three months and you still can't get one. At this point I ha e no idea who to contact,

[JEB]

I was unsuccessful this morning, but I called my NRD contact and I'll wait until I hear from them about making sure I'm in DEERS. According to JAG Accessions, I should already be in the system. (Especially since I commissioned 3.5 months ago)

NRD contact? What is NRD and are they the ones who are supposed to be putting people "in the system"? Seems crazy that you've been in for over three months and you still can't get one. At this point I ha e no idea who to contact,

Naval Recruiting District. Really, I called the officer who signed the documents with me on the day of my commissioning, who gave me the name and phone number of the person at the Recruiting District Office who was the one who processed my stuff. I left him a voicemail this morning, but haven't heard back yet.

I also called JAG Accessions back and they said they'd look into it and to call back next week.

[ShockTop]

I was unsuccessful this morning, but I called my NRD contact and I'll wait until I hear from them about making sure I'm in DEERS. According to JAG Accessions, I should already be in the system. (Especially since I commissioned 3.5 months ago)

NRD contact? What is NRD and are they the ones who are supposed to be putting people "in the system"? Seems crazy that you've been in for over three months and you still can't get one. At this point I ha e no idea who to contact,

Naval Recruiting District. Really, I called the officer who signed the documents with me on the day of my commissioning, who gave me the name and phone number of the person at the Recruiting District Office who was the one who processed my stuff. I left him a voicemail this morning, but haven't heard back yet.

I also called JAG Accessions back and they said they'd look into it and to call back next week.

You guys want to go to Rice King that badly? =)

[S. Goodman]

You guys want to go to Rice King that badly? =)

Rice king? lol

[TheSpanishMain]

Gurus, how did you handle the picture requirement? Just upload a JPEG? Or did you actually scan it? (requirements say it should be 4x6 or 5x7, not sure how to do that with a jpg where it's all pixels) Do you think the size thing is actually a stringent requirement?

[JEB]

You guys want to go to Rice King that badly? =)

My big thing was that where I am currently the local ID Card Office is about 15 minutes away and no hassle at all to get to. Once I'm back at school, the nearest office is at least half an hour away without traffic. Also, I'm not positive yet what my schedule will be pre- and post-bar exam next summer as far as ability to get to an ID Card Office, so I figured getting it now would mean not having to do it then to have it before ODS.

[ShockTop]

Gurus, how did you handle the picture requirement? Just upload a JPEG? Or did you actually scan it? (requirements say it should be 4x6 or 5x7, not sure how to do that with a jpg where it's all pixels) Do you think the size thing is actually a stringent requirement?

I have a Mac and the picture program I used had the ability to resize in inches, and then I PDF'ed the picture. I know of others who just did an inches-to-pixels conversion online to figure out the correct size. I think it's 480x672.

[Fed_Atty]

Don't worry too much about the pic size. Obviously don't submit a thumbnail, but even if it is slightly off it will be resized ahead of presenting to the board.

[S. Goodman]

Gurus, how did you handle the picture requirement? Just upload a JPEG? Or did you actually scan it? (requirements say it should be 4x6 or 5x7, not sure how to do that with a jpg where it's all pixels) Do you think the size thing is actually a stringent requirement?

I went to the photographer and ordered the size that they wanted, then I scanned it. Seemed to work out I guess.

[seanmalexander]

Signed my DA commission as a LTJG today. I do not have orders in hand, but believe that I'll be going to the ODS in just over 2 weeks based on conversations with the detailer.

[los blancos]

Does anyone have any insight into where the more military justice-heavy duty stations are or will RLSOs generally give you a lot of exposure to that?

[los blancos]

Signed my DA commission as a LTJG today. I do not have orders in hand, but believe that I'll be going to the ODS in just over 2 weeks based on conversations with the detailer.

Congrats! Do you know your duty station yet?

[Fed_Atty]

Does anyone have any insight into where the more military justice-heavy duty stations are or will RLSOs generally give you a lot of exposure to that?

You will be going to a RLSO for your first duty station. At your first duty station you will rotate through our 4 main practice areas - Legal Assistance, Command Advice, Prosecution and Defense. You will spend 6 months in each. With very limited exceptions, you will not appear in court for trial. You may get a chance to participate in an Article 32 or perhaps 2nd chair a guilty plea as a prosecutor. Your best bet for more experience is to go to one of the bigger RLSOs, Midlant, Jacksonville or San Diego.

[seanmalexander]

Signed my DA commission as a LTJG today. I do not have orders in hand, but believe that I'll be going to the ODS in just over 2 weeks based on conversations with the detailer.

Congrats! Do you know your duty station yet?

Bremerton, WA. It was 3rd on my list.

[S. Goodman]

Signed my DA commission as a LTJG today. I do not have orders in hand, but believe that I'll be going to the ODS in just over 2 weeks based on conversations with the detailer.

Congrats! Do you know your duty station yet?

Bremerton, WA. It was 3rd on my list.

What were the other two on your list?

[seanmalexander]

Signed my DA commission as a LTJG today. I do not have orders in hand, but believe that I'll be going to the ODS in just over 2 weeks based on conversations with the detailer.

Congrats! Do you know your duty station yet?

Bremerton, WA. It was 3rd on my list.

What were the other two on your list?

Pearl Harbor and Naples...because why not, right? For those of us graduating NJS in December, I was told that those had filled up long ago.

[Navy2015]

I've gotten mixed answers about this, maybe because there's a difference in this case between SP and DA.

I'm DA, commissioned on August 10. I think being DA means I was commissioned into AD with no vague IRR/inactive status questions. Will my first check date back to August 10?

The only other date on my commdocs is the date it says I entered my permanent grade of O-2 (a year before my ODS start date, presumably because I become O-3 after a year so they have to backdate it a year for the 2 year promotion to be properly timed).

[S. Goodman]

Anyone have any luck getting an ID yet?

[seanmalexander]

I've gotten mixed answers about this, maybe because there's a difference in this case between SP and DA.

I'm DA, commissioned on August 10. I think being DA means I was commissioned into AD with no vague IRR/inactive status questions. Will my first check date back to August 10?

The only other date on my commdocs is the date it says I entered my permanent grade of O-2 (a year before my ODS start date, presumably because I become O-3 after a year so they have to backdate it a year for the 2 year promotion to be properly timed).

My understanding is that pay (and actual, active duty status) will commence on the first day of ODS, despite commissioning on a different date as a DA. My commission itself actually says the first day of my commission is the first day of ODS.

[S. Goodman]

I've gotten mixed answers about this, maybe because there's a difference in this case between SP and DA.

I'm DA, commissioned on August 10. I think being DA means I was commissioned into AD with no vague IRR/inactive status questions. Will my first check date back to August 10?

The only other date on my commdocs is the date it says I entered my permanent grade of O-2 (a year before my ODS start date, presumably because I become O-3 after a year so they have to backdate it a year for the 2 year promotion to be properly timed).

My understanding is that pay (and actual, active duty status) will commence on the first day of ODS, despite commissioning on a different date as a DA. My commission itself actually says the first day of my commission is the first day of ODS.

Weird.. My commission has the day I went to MEPS. For SP not DA though.

[los blancos]

Does anyone have any insight into where the more military justice-heavy duty stations are or will RLSOs generally give you a lot of exposure to that?

You will be going to a RLSO for your first duty station. At your first duty station you will rotate through our 4 main practice areas - Legal Assistance, Command Advice, Prosecution and Defense. You will spend 6 months in each. With very limited exceptions, you will not appear in court for trial. You may get a chance to participate in an Article 32 or perhaps 2nd chair a guilty plea as a prosecutor. Your best bet for more experience is to go to one of the bigger RLSOs, Midlant, Jacksonville or San Diego.

Thanks! After that initial two-year period, how much say does one have in what area they specialize? If trial experience is the goal, seems like there are better branches than Navy?

Signed my DA commission as a LTJG today. I do not have orders in hand, but believe that I'll be going to the ODS in just over 2 weeks based on conversations with the detailer.

Congrats! Do you know your duty station yet?

Bremerton, WA. It was 3rd on my list.

What were the other two on your list?

Pearl Harbor and Naples...because why not, right? For those of us graduating NJS in December, I was told that those had filled up long ago.

Thanks for sharing that info. Very interesting.