What I learned about getting out

That they didn't teach at TAP

 

William 'Bill' Hunteman

FCC(SW/AW) USN RET.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Version 3.3

Last Updated: 2 March, 2007

 

=============================================================================

Shipmates

Hope this helps somewhat. Hope that most of it’s accurate.

This may be a bit long, but there is a lot of chaff out there and a lot of useful mixed in with it. Tried to separate out the chaff and fluff.

 

PLEASE feel free to let me know your experiences and feedback (except for Grammer and Spelling) on the info. Is it helpful, accurate, understandable? Let me know. bill.hunteman@verizon.net or william.hunteman@navy.mil

 

The areas you gotta look at:

 

- The mechanics of getting out

 

- Ceremony (Not gonna have one? You owe it to your shipmates! Also, it DOES help the process. YOU NEED THE CLOSURE!!!!! Yes YOU!)

 

- Before you get out - THINGS YOU NEED TO DO.

            Records and a VA Claim

 

- Getting a J O B

            Resume

                        What did you DO? more importantly, what CAN you DO?

 

Good luck and know that the rest of us are here for you.

 

Bill    aka goatlocker's 'tomahawkgod'

 

Mechanics of Getting out.

- Dealing with not wearing the uniform anymore.

First, if you think you aint gonna have problems dealing with retiring, let me disabuse you of that notion. You've put your papers in and are heaving a sigh of relief. "I aint gonna have to deal with that navy stuff no more" Yeah, right.

You got a host of new stuff to deal with.

 

=========================================================================

General Retirement/Discharge Info/hints/help/etc

=========================================================================

 Shipmates

 

1.  When you or your troops are getting out, make sure that 3-6 months prior to getting out, not only do you have an up to date copy of your medical record, you also go to medical and fill out a DD 877, request for medical records. Send one copy to EACH CLINIC(Military) THAT HAS SEEN YOU.

 

2. Make sure you specify CHCS records also. Here's the deal. Any notes the docs do on you in the computer do not automatically get printed out and put in your medical record. Kicker is that after 12 or 24 months (I forget which) they supposedly get purged from the system. So there may well HAVE been documentation on a service related condition, but it 'disappeared' and thus, no record of it, thus no 'proof' to support your claim.

 

3. They can put x-rays and CAT/MRI scans on CD as .jpg files. You want this. If they can't you still want either the x-ray or a copy of it. Send in with your VA claim.

 

4. VA Claim   Start NOW!  Why did I make this so big? Cause there are rockheads out there who don't file VA claims.  It's like the rights of a CPO - If we don't execute them, they will go away. Remember: Pension is for time served. VA is for damages inflicted.

Get a list of ALL the clinics/hospitals you were seen at, phone # address and dates and reasons you were seen there etc. You will need that not only for your DD-877, but also for your VA 21-4128 statement in support of claim, as well as your VA 21-526 VETERAN’S APPLICATION FOR COMPENSATION AND/OR PENSION. Start roughing out your statements early. Focus on what the impact is ON THE WORST DAY, not how it may feel right now. i.e. if your back hurts more some days then think about the days it feels the worst. Same for range of motion. It isn't how far you can move the limb/joint but how far you can move it without any pain on the day it hurts the worst.

 

A word about VA Math.

A guy files a claim. He gets a 50% rating for condition A and a 50% rating for condition B. How much is he rated at?

a. 100%, naturally

b. 75% naturally

c. I don't know, and I await your wisdom.

d. Don't know, don't care.

 

Both B and C are correct.

You start out a 100% 'abled'. First condition puts you at 50% disabled. Second condition is applied to the remaining 50%, so 50% of 50% is 25%, so you are 75% disabled.

 

And a word about the % ratings. IT HAS NOT A DAMN THING TO DO WITH YOUR PENSION.

 

The CFR (Title 38 I believe) sets the rates for conditions. Sleep Apnea is a 50% rating. Another set of tables in the law tell how much money for what percentage rating. So, for a guy with zero dependants who is rated at 90%, gets around $1700/Month. A guy who has wife and two kids gets $1762/month. So you get extra for dependants.

 

EXCEPT FOR  Concurrent receipt. (In a nutshell)

 

            Here is how we got screwed for a number of years. For every dollar of VA money you received, you lost a dollar of Pension money. That is still the way it works if you are rated at 49% or less. If however you are rated at 50% or more, good news. You will (eventually) get your full VA and full pension. Dont ask me about Combat related special compensation or whatever it's called. I'm not eligable for it and have no experience with it. Anyone who does, feel free to email me a blurb about how it works and I'll put it in the next revision.

            Here's how it works now. Assume a guy retired 30NOV05. He gets 2000/month from the Navy. He files his VA claim in March 06. He gets his claim back at 90% in AUG 06. Two things happen. 1. His claim is backdated to 1 DEC 05. 2. His Navy pay from 1 DEC 05 to 1 SEP 06 is made tax free by the VA. THEN. His Navy pension is reduced to around $1300 or so. He starts receiving his full VA pension check. He receives navy pension at the 1300 level for  a year. Then it is increased by 10%. This continues (raising navy pension by 10% per year) until his navy pension is at it's full amount.

 

It'll work out something like this (COLA etc not included, consult your dealer, actual miliage may vary. Closed course with professional Driver):

Monthy

Pay                  2006    Claim received 2007  2008    2009    2010    2011    2012

NAVY                        2000    1300                1450    1600    1750    1850    1900    2000

VA(90%)             0     1762                1762    1762    1762    1762    1762    1762

 

THIS IS JUST TO ILLUSTRATE. EXACT NUMBERS WILL DIFFER.

 

(NOTE. When you file your taxes you will need your 1099 from the IRS and your claim letter from the VA. Have your Tax guy file for an amended W-2/1099. Otherwise you won't get your taxes back that you paid on the pension money from when you got out until the VA Claim came back.)

 

Right now, the phase in period is finished in 2012. After that period, there will be no phase in. Now, there is language in the GI BILL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY which is in the House of Representitives which will immmediately eliminate the phase in period for concurrent receipt. So get ahold of your Congresscritter and let them know you want them to support this bill. BTW, the Administration is fighting against this bill, which, based on past performance must mean that it (the bill) is good for us military folks.

 

 

5. Take care of your junior troops that are getting out. TAP does NOT tell them everything they need to know about VA claims. Neither does the VA Claim review workshop (They give it here in Tidewater at NAB). If you know they (or yourself!) are getting out, push them to start working on this stuff 6+ months in advance. Also, and you may already know it - but I'll restate it for those who don't know, GET TO THE VA BENEFITS REVIEW WORKSHOP at EAOS -6 months. Then go again at about t-3 months. Take your medical and dental records. If you get over to it early enough, you can submit your claim and they will start processing it. If you wait too long (2 months till EAOS I think) they will not start working on your claim until YOUR LAST DAY IN THE NAVY. Gotta have your DD-214 to submit your claim.

 

6. Research Research Research. But, just like in the mess, no two people have the same opinion on EXACTLY what works. Work with the DAV. ALL they do is work with disabled vets. In my opinion, no other vets organization can top them. But if you don't use them, use one of the National Organizations. Go over your claim WITH the Service Officer BEFORE you send it in. Do what they tell you to do. Get used to the idea that what worked with the HMs and PNs ain't necessarily gonna work with the VA. And there ain't many Chiefs working at the VA.

 

7. Stop being a tough guy about medical and dental about EAOS -36 months. Start going in for every twinge of pain, sore joints, whatever. If you weren't like the way you are now before you came in, get it documented. DON'T BE A TOUGH GUY. Remember, Retainer pay is for time served AND because they can call you back up to 62+ years old. VA Compensation is for damages inflicted because of or incidental to military service. And just like what we are told about respect and perogatives in the creed, same applies here (i.e. if we don't all exercise our rights, they will be eroded for all)

 

Things to do before you get out.

 

1. GET YOUR DAMN DEGREE if you haven't already. TOO MANY GUYS DISREGARD THIS. I don't care what you are gonna do after navy. GET THE DAMN DEGREE. IT WILL HELP YOU SOME WAY OR ANOTHER. Don't have much else to say on this. Except for certain fields, it really doesn't matter what it is in. But you need a BS or BA degree. Navy makes it too damn easy for you not to get it. Don't be stoopid about it.

 

2. GET ANY AND EVERY CERTIFICATION YOU CAN. I highly recommend Project and Program Management Professional (from the project management institute) for any PO1 and above. We've all done projects. Get the cert. For us twidgets and you engineers, look into the Systems Engineer cert.

 

 

For documenting your Project management experience, at least to help you figure out what you've done, use an excel spreadsheet looking something like this:

 

Project Number

Project

(Your) Title

Organization

Start Date

End Date

Total Project Duration Time  (hours)

Project/ Program Work hours

Initiation

Planning

Executing

Monitoring/    Controlling

Closing

 

Project Contributer

Supervisor

Manager

Project Leader

Project Manager

Educator

Consultant

Administrator

Other:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

507 Curriculum creation and validation

Course Supervisor

FCTCLANT Dam Neck

12-Jul-92

21-Nov-92

1056.00

320.00

40

60

172

8

40

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                    Formula   =(F4-E4)*8   work hours

0

Rectangular Callout: The phases of a project
Rectangular Callout: Your role in the project
 

 

 

 


If you want more info on this, contact me at bill.hunteman@verizon.net

 

Project management

PMI certification stuff

http://www.pmi.org/info/PDC_CertificationsOverview.asp?nav=0401

 

ASAPM    http://www.asapm.org/

http://www.pmcert.org/

 

http://www.ipma.ch/asp/default.asp?p=1

 

Systems Engineering

http://www.incose.org/

http://www.incose.org/educationcareers/certification/index.aspx

This is the link to the SEBOK, which is similar to the PMBOK (Project Management Body Of Knowledge)

http://g2sebok.incose.org/

 

 

3. Join any professional societies that apply to you. VERY often they have JOB LEADS. THIS WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT.

 

 

 

GETTING A JOB

 

1. Make a SUPER  (As in super sized)  resume that has EVERYTHING on it. Every school, team, working group, whatever. This one never gets submitted. What you do is, when submitting to a specific job, you delete out everything that doesn't help you with that job. So if you are applying for an instructor job, and you had a tour as a brig guard, you delete it or thin it down to a one liner.

 

2. When doing a resume, save it in word, THEN save another copy as a .txt format. Same same with your cover letters. Reason being, there are a lot of websites that want you to post your resume, but word won't format it right. So take the .txt one and take the time to format it up.

 

3. RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH. There  are a gazillion job boards out there. Get on them all. Also, a lot of companies, particularly large ones, have there own career sites.

You gotta dig to find the companies. Job boards aint used by everyone.
examples:

http://careers.northropgrumman.com/ExternalHorizonsWeb/getJobPostDetail.do?sequenceNumber=97616

http://www.chase-hr.com/

http://www.hirevetsfirst.gov/JobFair/register.asp

http://jobs.brassring.com/1033/asp/tg/cim_home.asp?PartnerId=10696&SiteId=45

 

4. Don't rule out ANY COMPANY! Lot of contractors have jobs in areas you might not think they do.

 

5. NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK. Don't forget what we learned in the mess!!!! HELP EACH OTHER OUT. Yeah, we are competing for jobs, BUT not always the same jobs. It's rough here in Hampton Roads, so damn many of us. But still, help your brother/sister CHIEF OUT! If you hear something, pass it on. Don't be greedy/hoardy. And don't just network with the Chiefs. Got my first job because of a CDR I know, through a hobby we are both in.....

 

6. If you ain't in one, join some clubs/associations. They have people in them. Who work for companies. Who are hiring sometimes. And a friend/acquantence from an association/club is a foot in the door, and often they know before the job gets posted. See number 5.

 

7. List your hobbies. See number 5.

 

8. Resumes. I've included some stuff that says it better than I can. Recommendations.

            a. Have a one page, a two page and a three page resume. Keep copies with you always!!!!

            b. Target your resumes and cover letters. KNOW the company you are applying to.

            c. Go to job fairs. Carry lots of resumes, targeted to different fields. Pass them out. Talk to the  

                 people in the booths.

 

9. Need to log what job you applied for, with who, when, how and why. Need  to have a synopsis of what job is about. Keep this log with you. You will get a call about a job and if you don't have it there will be questions about the job that you can't answer off the top of your head.

 

10. The idea of a resume is to get you in the door to an interview.

DON'T SHOW ALL YOUR CARDS. Impress them, but leave them wanting more. Note the differences between the first, second and third resume, located below. Don't tell them everything in your resume. If they have your whole story, they don't need to interview you. You WANT them to interview you.

 

11. Get the damn navy military dod jargon OUT! Unless you are applying for a DON/DOD or military contractor job. Then use jargon like a strong spice. Less is more effective.

If you are applying to a job, the guy that first (usually) gets your resume is a Human Resources (HR) guy. He/She is probably a) not an ex military vet b) if they are, they aren't interested in it any more c) don't care about translating the jargon d) don't care what exciting neat cool things you did on your navy vacation.

 

 - They want MANAGERS from career military. They want PRODUCERS. What you did is nice, but what CAN you DO for THEM, is the question that they want an answer to.

 

12. Don't sell yourself short. Your opinion of what is a big deal is skewed. What we do/can do is a big deal. Sell yourself. To us, inspection preps for OPPE or whatever is just part of the job. But look at it like a project. It is a BIG and SIGNIFICANT project. Look at what you are accountable for. To us, being the LCPO of the MK 41 VLS  division isn't really a big deal. How much did that launcher and associated equipment cost? What happens if it doesn't work (Ship cannot achieve four mission areas (AAW, STW, ASUW, ASW) Who's fault is it when it breaks? So take the credit for "responsible for readiness maintenance and repair management of a $50M industrial facility" May sound like an eval bullet, but it's what you did. Get the credit.

 

Ten mistakes

1. Sending a sloppy resume. Many job applicants feel their qualifications should speak for themselves and that a resume's appearance shouldn't matter. However, hiring managers see a messy resume as an indication the candidate lacks professionalism and attention to detail. If you haven't carefully proofread your resume for typos, grammatical mistakes and formatting problems, it might land in the "circular file."

2. Not customizing your job-search materials. Sending out the same cover letter and resume to all companies isn't likely to capture the attention of prospective employers. Take the time to research employers and customize your job-search materials by explaining why you're interested in a particular position and how you could make a contribution to the company. For example, you might note in your cover letter, "My experience working for rapidly expanding, small organizations and managing related IT needs would be valuable as your firm moves into new markets across the state."

3. Sharing too much/too little information. You might be including too much information if your resume is longer than two pages and you're not applying for an executive-level position. So avoid going into too much detail about jobs held very early in your career or that do not directly relate to the job for which you are applying. Conversely, if the descriptions of your most recent positions are brief and vague (e.g., "managed the corporate network" and "used Windows XP"), you aren't disclosing enough. Your goal is to give employers a clear idea of your skill set and what you have accomplished.

4. Appearing too arrogant. Even if you feel you are so knowledgeable about .NET development that you "practically invented .NET," never say so on your job-search materials. Everyone has room for improvement, and overconfidence can be seen as a liability.

5. Focusing on your needs over the company's needs. Yes, you are looking for a position that suits your preferences and interests. Hiring managers, however, want to know what you can do for the firm. Instead of saying, "I seek an employer that will allow me to work with Linux-based systems," for example, try, "My strong expertise with Linux-based systems would be an asset to your organization."

6. Failing to leverage your network. All your connections - both business and personal - can be a valuable resource during a job search. When seeking a new position, spread the word. You never know who might be able to help you.

7. Focusing on the Googles of the world. Many job seekers make the mistake of limiting their applications to firms with names they recognize such as industry leaders or companies ranked as excellent employers. While you shouldn't overlook these organizations, make sure you're also considering smaller and less well-known businesses. They might offer just what you're seeking, including plenty of responsibility, advancement opportunities and a positive corporate culture.

8. Not following instructions. Always adhere to special requests from employers. If the job advertisement says the company wants candidates to submit a hard-copy resume, for instance, don't challenge it. Sending your application via e-mail instead is likely to put you out of the running immediately.

9. Relying exclusively on online job ads. While you might find some opportunities through online job postings, you are limiting your search if this is your sole method. Networking, attending association meetings and contacting recruiters are just a few additional ways of uncovering job leads and potentially gaining interviews.

10. Failing to follow up. Finally, remember that once you send out your cover letter and resume, your work isn't done. Sometimes a simple follow-up phone call or e-mail to a prospective employer can be all it takes to stand out from the competition. Often it's the small actions - such as fixing a typo or broadening your search - that can make all the difference. With the right approach, interview requests will come more frequently.

 

More about resumes.

At first I wasn't a believer in having it done professionally. After 128 applications and only 8 interviews, I have changed my mind. I am using this company  

( http://www.militaryresumes.com/jobseekers/main.asp ) and I would recommend GYSGT(RET) Johnny Anderson  johnny.anderson@careerprocenter.net and tell him I sent you.

Getting ready to do your resume. Get ALL your fitreps, evals, awards, training records, certificates (even the ones from NKO) transcripts (SMART and the one you get when you get your degree) VMET and anything else that a) has your name on it and b) says you did something (Something commendable or a school, training whatever) You ought to have about 150 pages of stuff in front of you if you've retired. Go through it and write your resume, in the appropriate style, kinda like a fitrep/award citation. Its more complicated than that, which is why I advocate having someone else, who a) knows the military and b) knows what is REALLY gonna do the trick for you, write it for you. The guy who is doing mine said send him EVERYTHING (Like I noted above) to him. He expects about 175 pages from me. Whew. But seeing some of his examples, ok I'll do what you ask. Don't try to do it yourself. TAP does NOT give you enough info. Your friends as a rule don't have enough info.

Generally for having a pro do your resume and cover letter it's going to run around $300-700 depending on what you get done and who does it. It's worth it. Stick with companies that have over 10 years in the business. Make sure that they give you a copy of resume and cover letter in word or ascii.

 

Make sure that they guy you are dealing with IS FORMER MILITARY. Preferably same branch (USN, USMC etc) as you. There are nuances about what we as Chiefs do, that Civilians and Army/Air Force don't know so they cant capture and put in resume. That's just my two cents.

If you are interviewing with a woman, have a resume on subdued yellow paper. If interviewing with a guy, have a subdued/light gray paper. Trust me on this one. Comes from a professional career coach.

Evolution of my resume               One of my earliest resumes

William R. (Bill) Hunteman

2061 Antelope Place         Virginia Beach          Virginia 23456

Phone:   757-416-1794                              Fax: 1-866-390-4593

Mobile: 757-268-1068        E-mail: bill.hunteman@verizon.net

Clearance

Top Secret Security Clearance. Held access to and still eligible for SCI. Expiration July 2007. Have been NATO/COSMIC and FOCAL POINT cleared.

Objective

I am seeking a challenging opportunity that will allow me the opportunity to capitalize on 23 years of Naval technical, operational, maintenance and management experience, which will afford me a place to make the fullest use of my range of knowledge, skills and experience.

Professional Experience

MANCON INC                                                                                      

Program Manager III

Virginia Beach, VA                                                          

November, 2005  to September 2006

Contracted to support the USN Human Performance Center

Responsible for program management support for development initiatives within the Human Capitol Technology directorate. Specific programs include:

- New Navy Enlisted Advancement program development. This affects over 250,000 sailors.

- Human Performance Feedback and Development program. This affects all enlisted, officer and civil service DON personnel.

- Worked with Skills Net, PDRI and military organizations to support, document and map Job Task Analysis (JTA), Five Vector Model (5VM),  Science of Learning (SL), and Navy Mission Essential Task Lists (NMETL) requirements

Active Duty Navy Assignments

Afloat Training Group Atlantic                           

Afloat Strike Warfare Instructor/Assessor

Norfolk, VA                                                                                       

July, 2003 - November 2005

Responsible for evaluating individual and team weaknesses, Training team methods for compliance with Navy-wide, Fleet/Force level doctrine and  training operators, teams and ships's force trainers Specific Projects include:

- Developing fleet training and evaluation methodology for TTWCS/PCMDS for ship basic phase training. Major Contributor to this project, supervising 3 Chief Petty Officers (CPOs)

-A program office directed effort to train and evaluate software development engineers to operate the system to the same operational standards and intensity as ships/SSNs. Supervised 3 CPOs and 6 Civilian Software Engineers.

- Over 60 training missions and 9 CMTQs; Trained 21 Ships and over 100 personnel.

 

Destroyer Squadron 22 STAFF               

Strike Warfare Officer/Surface Warfare Assistant  

Norfolk, VA                                                                                          

January, 2000 - July, 2003

Responsible for Senior Command oversight of TLAM, C4I and SUW training, maintenance and logistics for Nine ships. Awarded Navy Commendation Medal for overall superior performance during tour. Specific projects/Programs/Duties include:

- Writing operation and training plans, Briefing Navy O5-O8 level executives on and Managing training and operational requirements and resources for STW, C4ISR and SUW warfare areas.

- Provided training and guidance/oversight to a total of 9 ships STW/SUW/C4I CSTTs.

- Senior Certification authority for 16 CMTQs.

- US/UK SINKEX involving 2 Submarines, 8 Ships, 1 Carrier, 9 aircraft squadrons, and other classified units. Key planner - wrote surveillance plan, air plan, scheme of maneuver, firing plans (for 23 missiles of multiple types, bombs, guns and torpedos), EPA impact statement, data collection plan, briefed plans to a multinational audience and de-conflicted a yacht race that impacted the firing event. Awarded Navy Achievement Medal for superior performance of duties.

- CTF 60 Strike Planning Team for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Assisted in planning ship positioning and integrating tasking with other requirements; Developed over water flight path scheme; making ship tasking recommendations. Coordination and Management of 6 Submarines and 12 Ships.

- Strike Warfare Officer for CTG 55.6 (Red Sea) for Operation Iraqi Freedom. CTF 55 Alternate Launch Area Coordinator. For 8 Surface FRUs and 10