What is A-School

[Wrath_241]

What is A-School

[BK101484]

A- school is where you go after basic to learn about your source rate etc. Example ... if in army and you went for infantry you would go to AIT after basic (Advanced Infantry Training)
I dont think the army calls it an A school though but i know thats what the navy calls it

[MARK92A]

All,

AIT in the Army is Advanced Individual Training.. AKA going to your MOS school to learn your job..
--Mark

[BK101484]

sorry my mistake

[raccoon]

When you go to meps(military entrance processing station){with a Navy recruiter} you will do a bunch of medical crap then you will sit down with another Navy guy who he kind of like a recruiter. He is going to tell you what your score on the ASVAB(armed services vocational appitude battery)was and then tell you what jobs(Navy jobs are called Rates) you qualify for. So that is the "moment" that is when you decide weather you will be building bombs, flipping omlets, taking apart aircraft engines, or fighting fires. there are LOTS of jobs in the Navy. After basic training you will go to A-school(which is rate specific training). The guy who offers you an A-school is the same guy you tell that you wanna go to BUD/S. Make sure BUD/S is in your contract before basic training. You can still get in later but once you are attached to a ship they really want you to stay.

(Some Advice)
**DO not sign a contract for an apprenticeship school. Take the asvab until you score high enough for an A-school. I know all kinds of people who absolutely despise the Navy(and life in general) because they are an apprentice with some off the wall stupid job like chipping paint or scrubbing decks and toilets


**Ask alot of questions because recruiters are bound by law to tell the truth but they do not have to offer ANY info not asked for.

**Wait for what you really want, the number one thing you dont want to do is pick a job you will hate and do it for four(six,or eight) years.
(Some suggested questions)

**Ask which of the rates you qualify for have an enlistment bonus.

**Ask if "your" rate has a C-School (which is after A-School and is advanced training in "your" rate.)

If you have more questions about rates and what all they actually do on a ship lemme know jnleccles@juno.com

[Dragon]

Medical question. After going through MEPS, a freind had a catagory 2 w/ waiver on my pulmanory on the PULHES thing. Would this keep me out of BUD/S or would he still be eligible to try out?

[Mike]

Which ratings are most SEALs qualified in before they became SEALs? Or which A-school did most went to?

[1026]

Wrath_241 -"A" school is the basic rating school. Upon graduation, one becomes known as a designated striker, in other words, if you're a seaman apprentice, and attend Gunner's Mate (Guns) "A" school, you'll be known as a GMGSA. In plain english, this means that your career path is laid out for you. Those who do not receive "A" school attend apprenticeship training, which is broken up into Seaman, Airman, and Fireman. These people are assigned to general billets in Deck, Air, and Engineering Departments. As for SEALs, they have what is known as source ratings, i.e. jobs which lend the aquired skills to the special warfare mission. Among these are Gunner's Mate, Hospital Corpsman, and Boatswain's Mate. I don't know them all, but I'm certain some of the operators on the board can give you more precise information.

[This message has been edited by 1026 (edited 04-07-2000).]

[This message has been edited by 1026 (edited 04-07-2000).]

[Fred]

The only rate in the navy that bears on what you will do in the Teams is Corpsman (HM). Beyond that, it is only a way to advance in the navy. Gunners Mate is mostly about maintaining the Big Navy Guns (5" and such), it doesn't help your small arms knowledge much. I suppose being an IS (Intelligence Specialist) would help some if you were a platoon intel rep, but the advancement rate for IS is pretty slow, especially above e-6. Many Team guys eventually try to switch to BM, because it has one of the best advancement rates, historically.

[Nissan]

Fred...I heard that alof of SEALs are chinging from BM to other rates because the Teams are so full of BMs that the promotion possiblities and being narrowed by so many BM's being there....

1026...Gunners Mate Guns and Missles were combined rescently so its just GM now

[BK101484]

all the info you could possibly want is ant the SEALs official recruiting site : http://www.sealchallenge.navy.mil/

[raccoon]

Both BM( boatswain mate) and HM (hospital coprsman) are completly closed rates I know a first class(E-6) HM who has been taking the Chiefs(E-7) test for 6 years(thats 12 times that he has tried)and has passed every time but has not been advanced. not because he is stupid but because there is simply no room on the top. On the BM side of the house I know two second class BM's that have been second classes for over twelve years! no joke. if you want tradition do it if you want advancement go DC(fire fighter) ET/FC(electronic weapons repair)OS/IS(operation/intel. specialist) and most SEABEES rates are open(I think).

[jw]

Since when do they give the Chief's test twice a year? I guess I've only been taking it half the time. No wonder my evals suck.

[1026]

Right on, jw. CPO is once a year(January). E-4 thru E-6 is March and September. Maybe that new five point eval system has something to do with it. LOL!