COMPACT Program?

[Michael Le'au]

My daughter will leaving for Boot Camp in June and has been placed in the Compact Program because she is UNDESIGNATED. I have talked to 2 Navy retirees (an E-9 and E-7), and they strongly recommended that she try to get a rate and not go in UNDESIGNATED.  I was wondering if there are any sailors or parents of sailors who went through this program that could share their experiences about this program. The recruiter tells me that it will give my daughter a hands on experience in three different rates and then she can choose which one she prefers versus we choose one of the rates and then she is stuck with that rate for 2 years before she can change it. 

Can anyone shed some light on which way would to move?

I keep reading the Navy puts people in where the Navy needs them, no matter what you want.

[Michael Le'au]

Now I have found why not very many people have commented on this post, the name that I used was incorrect because my daughter at the time of her initial processing was not paying attention to what was being told to her and now that she is done with Boot camp I have finally seen the paper work for her rate, it should read Surface\Seaman PACT program.

[Robert Dean Bostic]

I would really encourage her to get designated before going to fleet.  Getting A-school in the fleet is difficult and needs of Navy have to be considered and the command.  Most non designated seaman go to deck div or supply.  If she wants a technical field and has the asvab score for it, she needs to push to be designated. As for recruiters giving her more choice, their job is to enlist sailors giving away the least needed to get quality recruits

[Michael Le'au]

Thanks Jim, I will let her know so that she makes it a priority before completing boot camp. If she wanted to change her rate now, before going to boot camp, would it affect her shipping date?

[Michael Le'au]

Thanks Jim. For some reason I thought that her recruiter was actually giving her more of a choice.