Hoping for the Oct/Nov Reserve course

[outdoorspro]

It's been announced that NHCS will be offering a 2-week HM reserve course (combined with the distance-learning course) this Oct 29 to Nov 9. That is, of course, if enough people sign up for it.

This is what i've been hoping for, as they accepted me into the reserves as an HM2 (previously a QM2 and a current EMTb). While i've been working very hard on the distance-learing part of the course and have finished the HM correspondence course (as well as the PO3&2 courses) and am getting in as much OJT as i can, i really think that this course will help me get squared away and better able to, you know, do what an HM2 is supposed to be able to do.

Anyhoo, i've sent off the nomination form and now i'm just hoping i'm not the only one out there who really wants this course to happen.

[pegasusHM]

Make sure you do all the NKO courses, as that seems to be the issue lately with reservists assigned to come for the course. They have not done all of the courses prior to their arrival here and as you can imagine, that does create a problem.

[outdoorspro]

Thanks for the advice. I've almost finished the Interactive course (four more modules to go). Should be done in a couple days. I'm hoping to also finish the DT correspondence course before then as well.

Any other NKO courses that i might have missed that would be good to do?

Any idea when we'll know if that course is going to happen?

[outdoorspro]

Well, i've finished the online portion of the course and still no indication, no word, nothing on whether or not the 2-week course will happen.

[Da-Chief]

Did you input your orders already?? I know before if you showed up we had to teach you.. In other words.. Keep processing like your going..
;-)

HMC

[pegasusHM]

As far as I know, it is still going on. We just had a reserve class grad this last Friday (with 2 less than started, I might add) so I know we are still plugging away at them.

[outdoorspro]

Thanks for the info. I don't think i can input my orders until i have a BCN. Is this correct. I've submitted the nomination form...

[outdoorspro]

While attempting to set up my AT this fall (i'm pretty much unemployed until ski season starts, so that would be great), i received this bit of information FOR THE FIRST TIME:

Have you completed the NKO Corpsman courses and the Corpsman “A” school at Great Lakes? These requirements must be met before attending AT as a Hospital Corpsman.

Wow. Would have saved a lot of time and effort if i'd known that earlier. I'm beginning to understand why so many people get frustrated with and leave the reserves.

So now i'm REALLY hoping that that Oct 29 2-week HM Reserve course happens.

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

1. You could do all sorts of other AT's, including working at the NOSC in support of the Med Dept doing HM work under the guidance/supervision of the FTS HM.

2. To be perfectly blunt: No one cares more about your career than you and the fact that YOU, an E-fricken-5, did not know about the conditions of YOUR enlistment is your own fault; not the Navy's. Why would you be surprised that you cannot serve independently as an HM before your HM training is complete? Read your enlistment contract and the associated Page 13's that spell out the criteria/requirements to finalize your HM2.

3. Start your app in NROWS even if you do not have the BCN. Work with your unit & the NOSC to finalize your orders, travel plans, and lock-in a seat in the class. (ie. LPO, LCPO, Training O, CO, Training Dept, etc.) Funding should be ADT School, which will leave your AT days intact if you want to use them later. Become a persistant PROFESSIONAL pain-in-the-ass

4. If you signed up for the 8404 bonus &/or kicker, or just want to be FMF, then start looking into FMTB now and begin building your package to send to New Orleans so you can get a seat in FY08. I recommend the active duty course over the SelRes course. Funding should be ADT School, which will leave your AT days intact if you want to use them later.

5. Keep a copy of everything you submit and follow-up every so often. If it is not on paper it does not exist. If you do not possess a copy, it does not exist. Polite periodic requests for an update or status check will keep a spotlight on your paperwork and help prevent it from falling through the cracks.

[pegasusHM]

Well, unfortunately, my sources here tell me that it does not look like the Oct. course is NOT going to happen. Just FYI

[outdoorspro]

2. To be perfectly blunt: No one cares more about your career than you and the fact that YOU, an E-fricken-5, did not know about the conditions of YOUR enlistment is your own fault; not the Navy's. Why would you be surprised that you cannot serve independently as an HM before your HM training is complete? Read your enlistment contract and the associated Page 13's that spell out the criteria/requirements to finalize your HM2.


Trust me, i know the conditions of my enlistment *to the letter*. In fact, thanks to my years as an EMT, HM A School is *not* required--i want to attend to become a much better HM than the powers that be seem to find acceptable. Attending HM school is *entirely* on my own initiative. I have otherwise fulfilled all the requirements as spelled out in my contract. And no, i haven't got 8404 in my contract.

I'm not surprised in the least that they won't allow me to do HM-related AT before attending HMCS, but for the last three months of trying to arrange AT, that was the very first time it was mentioned. No one in my chain of command was aware of it. Because i lack professional experience as an HM, i was hoping for AT somewhere that i could learn the basics--not an independent assignment.

I realise that there are many other AT opportunites out there. I was just hoping i could do one that might enhance my skills as a Corpsman. Not sure why but it just seemed kinda important. Now that i'm *finally* aware of the various requirements, i will pursue other opportunities.