Okay, well my son went to MEPS yesterday for medical, ASVAB and getting his job. He wanted IS, OS or CT. However they claimed those rates weren't available. SO they put him in ATF/AIRC, with the promise that they would continue to look into getting an IS, CT, or OS rating for him if one happens to open up. I find it hard to believe that there's no ratings he wants available in the next 6 months. However, if they don't find an opening is he stuck with ATF/AIRC? This isn't at all what MEPS told him it was, and he doesn't want to do any of the jobs within the ATF/Aircrew rate. Did he he just get railroaded?
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Neil, I am not sure what ATF is but I am familiar with AIRC/AIRR since my sailor trained and went through AIRC. The physical requirements are pretty hard (in my opinion not my sailor's since he flew through them). Check the Navy Enlisted Ratings tab to see the requirements. I would hate to see him get into something he wasn't expecting or training for and then DOR if he struggles. When you DOR your options quickly decrease. Check it out completely before he agrees to the new rating. "Stuck" is a matter of view point. Once he goes in they dictate more and he has less options. Jim is correct on jobs the Navy needs and that drives a lot of this so my suggestion is check things out thoroughly before he agrees and goes in.
Scott is correct.....your Son is still in the driver's seat! Slots open up frequently...so keep pushing!
You also have to consider, "the needs of the Navy." There are a lot of rates that are more attractive and popular than others. Those rates fill up quickly. It may take a while, but tell him to hang in there. Chances are good that the rate he wants will eventually open up. I hope he doesn't walk away. We need sharp and on the ball men and women in our Navy.
Jim
It is a common practice to put people into a job and then reclassify them later. If his recruiter is at least halfway decent, he will continue to stay on the classifiers and watch for a slot to open up. If a slot opens up he should immediately submit a DEP Action Request (DAR) to get him reclassified. Recruiters are required to contact their DEP personnel at least weekly so every time he talks to his recruiter keep hounding him about getting reclassified. If it comes down to D-Day and he still hasn't been reclassified he can walk. Until he swears in the second time, he can walk away at any time. That will reflect negatively on the recruiter so it is in his best interest to ensure he does everything in his power to get your son the job he wants.