Navy Deployment
- Thread starter Chuck1441
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i looked on dentaltown.com messageboards you can search there for military dentistry threads. but there too, few people post about military... From what i've gathered though, if you don't do the 1yr aegd, you'll do mostly "amalgam line" in the military. You can moonlight in the civilian world, but you probably won't learn much in the military... If you do the residency, you serve 4yeras instead of 3, and you also are more likely to be deployed on a ship or to an overseas base, but many people like that because of added autonomy(you would get to do a wider variety of procedures).
D
dmfDMD
how are you coming up with 3 years for dental school?
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Not this is set in stone, but if you haven't heard of h.r. 5122, they're trying to set up the stipend at $30K a year. While congress is approving all branches to pay that much, it's up to the individual branches to decide if it's worth it to them. Since the air force is exceeding it's recruitment goals, they really won't have much of a reason to bump up their stipend while the Navy and Army will.
I don't think the Air Force will. They are meeting their recruiting goals right now and they are in the process of downsizing in order to save money for the next generation planes etc.
I have been professionally recommended for the Naval HPSP for the fall 2007 matriculation. I just need to send them a letter of acceptance as soon as I recieve one (crossing fingers). UOP is my first choice school and I just got a call today to schedule an interview there (11/13/2006)!! My understanding is that the payback for UOP is three years but I could be wrong. Honestly I don't think one more year would kill ya but three years would be nice. I am now considering applying for the Air Force HPSP...anyone know if you have to go through the MEPS physical again if I were to apply to the Air Force as well, or can they get the info from my physical I did when applying for the Navy?
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I don't know if this thread is dead but i'll give it a shot. I'm a Navy dentist getting out in May 2007. If you have any questions about deployments with the Marines just let me know...I was with them for 3 years and had a blast!
DM
DM
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You don't have to do the physical again. I initially did the physical for Air Force but I was too late to apply for the 4 year HPSP through them, so I applied & got the 4 year HPSP with the Army. I went down to the Army recruiter, signed some piece of paper saying he could access my physical and that was it.
Hey DirtyMolar. Following graduation from dental school, when it comes time to be comissioned and begin your payback, are deployments with the marines an option or an order? I mean could you choose not to be with the marines? not that I wouldn't want to but just curious. did you do a 1 yr aegd program? do you recommend it? thanks for your input.
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After graduation you will either go to an AEGD/GPR or direct assignment (, Green side orders (Marines: here or overseas) or Blue side orders (Navy: ship, shore, or overseas).
I recommend an AEGD/GPR. You have time to build your speed up and you get used to military protocol (chits, leave, Fitreps, etiquete, etc...) as well as rotate through many of the specialties and finish with a certificate (and don't forget the 250 CE credits towards your FAGD!). If you go directly to an assignment you'll probably end up with the Marines or ship but most likely at one of the recruit centers (Marine or Navy boot camps) so you can learn the ropes and pick up your speed.
No matter what you decide, the Navy detailer will have you fill out a wish list of choices where you want to go. You may want to discuss this with him.
Just to give you a heads up, there's lots of billets opening up for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Dental Battalions as well as for many of the ships in the fleet. Because of the war on terror, your opportunies to deploy are very high no matter where you go.
I recommend an AEGD/GPR. You have time to build your speed up and you get used to military protocol (chits, leave, Fitreps, etiquete, etc...) as well as rotate through many of the specialties and finish with a certificate (and don't forget the 250 CE credits towards your FAGD!). If you go directly to an assignment you'll probably end up with the Marines or ship but most likely at one of the recruit centers (Marine or Navy boot camps) so you can learn the ropes and pick up your speed.
No matter what you decide, the Navy detailer will have you fill out a wish list of choices where you want to go. You may want to discuss this with him.
Just to give you a heads up, there's lots of billets opening up for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Dental Battalions as well as for many of the ships in the fleet. Because of the war on terror, your opportunies to deploy are very high no matter where you go.
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I'm a former corpsman - (been there done that...) - but never been with the ground forces. How are the deployments for dentist work? When I was deployed with a battle group - I guess the ship dentist and the "greenside" dentist stayed on board the ship the whole time.
I'm still in the process of applying for dental school. What do you think it's going to be like for married dentist who are assigned in the Marines?
Thanks.
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I was stationed in Okinawa with the 3rd dental batallion. Deployments with the marines range from short 1 week humanitarian missions to 6-8 months for dental/medical support in Iraq. It just depends what's happening at the time. While I was in the pacific, I deployed on two humanitarian missions to the philippines and thailand. The tsunami happened while i was over there so many of us deployed to indonesia for 2 months. Two dentists deployed to Pakistan for the earthquake last year...about 3 months. There were some to Korea, Australia, Russia, and mainland Japan.
Most of the time you'll be in tents, sometimes you'll be on a ship, sometimes you'll actually be in a hotel for deployments. Like I said, it depends what the nature of your deployment is.
I'm shore based right now an a Naval air station and I was tagged for a deployment to GITMO for 6 months. Luckily that fell through but like I said, you can be anywhere lately and still get selected for deployment.
I'm married and my wife knew what to expect so it wasn't that bad. The comraderie among the family of those deployed is high and we helped each other out while the significant other was deployed.
Hope this helps.
Most of the time you'll be in tents, sometimes you'll be on a ship, sometimes you'll actually be in a hotel for deployments. Like I said, it depends what the nature of your deployment is.
I'm shore based right now an a Naval air station and I was tagged for a deployment to GITMO for 6 months. Luckily that fell through but like I said, you can be anywhere lately and still get selected for deployment.
I'm married and my wife knew what to expect so it wasn't that bad. The comraderie among the family of those deployed is high and we helped each other out while the significant other was deployed.
Hope this helps.
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I'm new here, and wonder if you can point these out for me:
- You guys mention about a physical test. If I have never done any test with the army/navy/af, will they make me take a physical test before making a decision about the scholarship ? If yes, then how tough is the test ?
- During dental school, if you fail to complete school, what will happen ? will they force you to pay back all the money ?
- After graduate, do you have to go through boot camp like other new recruits, or you just get assigned to some place, and do your work as a dentist ?
Thanks,
- You guys mention about a physical test. If I have never done any test with the army/navy/af, will they make me take a physical test before making a decision about the scholarship ? If yes, then how tough is the test ?
- During dental school, if you fail to complete school, what will happen ? will they force you to pay back all the money ?
- After graduate, do you have to go through boot camp like other new recruits, or you just get assigned to some place, and do your work as a dentist ?
Thanks,
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ok here's the deal....... It's going to be different for everybody.
Some of it's luck, or lack thereof, some of it is your personal savvy and the ability to work the system to your advantage(volunteer for short deployments), some of it is the operational tempo at your duty station....there's no way to say how long you'd be away from your wife or how long you would be deployed in a 4 year period.
I was gone only three months during my first 4 years. Another shipmate of mine was gone for only 1 week. Another was gone for 8 months. Like I said....some of it is in your hands and some is not. It comes down to the needs of the Navy...you go where they need you, when they need you and for as long as they need you. You have to come to grips with the situation you're in...you're in the military and you will deploy....and it all works out from there.
Some of it's luck, or lack thereof, some of it is your personal savvy and the ability to work the system to your advantage(volunteer for short deployments), some of it is the operational tempo at your duty station....there's no way to say how long you'd be away from your wife or how long you would be deployed in a 4 year period.
I was gone only three months during my first 4 years. Another shipmate of mine was gone for only 1 week. Another was gone for 8 months. Like I said....some of it is in your hands and some is not. It comes down to the needs of the Navy...you go where they need you, when they need you and for as long as they need you. You have to come to grips with the situation you're in...you're in the military and you will deploy....and it all works out from there.
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DirtyMolar,
I'm currently a 2nd year at Case and completed OIS last summer. I was thinking pretty hard about trying to get an AEGD in Japan for my first duty assignment. How long were you in Japan and what were your thoughts on the assigment, I'll be taking a wife and kids. Also what's your opinion on Guam as a duty assignment? I've heard mostly positive things but it's always good to hear another, especially from someone in the DC.
Laslty where are you stationed now if you don't mind sharing?
I'm currently a 2nd year at Case and completed OIS last summer. I was thinking pretty hard about trying to get an AEGD in Japan for my first duty assignment. How long were you in Japan and what were your thoughts on the assigment, I'll be taking a wife and kids. Also what's your opinion on Guam as a duty assignment? I've heard mostly positive things but it's always good to hear another, especially from someone in the DC.
Laslty where are you stationed now if you don't mind sharing?
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I loved being in Japan and I was really thinking hard about extending over there before I accepted orders back to the states. I'm at a Naval Air Station right now but I really don't want to share the exact location in public forum.
Japan society is a throw-back to the 50's and 60's as far as safety is concerned. I lived off base and felt absolutely safe..no fear of muggers or car theft. I personally think it's a great duty station for an officer and family.
I heard Guam is very nice...small and isolated but nice.
Accepting assignment in Japan will get you COLA which amounts to an extra 12-15K per year. We saved all of our COLA and bought new cars when we came back to the states (we had to sell our old cars because you can't bring them to Japan!)
The AEGD programs in Japan are ok. The opportunities to deploy are very high and you would get tagged to go on some short ones, long ones, and even a couple boondoggles. Overall, you'll have more time at home rather than deployed.
DirtyMolar (or anyone else with an answer. )
Thanks for all your great advice/input.
I'm a second year dental student and have recently taken a Navy HSCP scholarship... I'm excited about the many opportunities available through Navy Dentistry.
My questions... Will doing an AEGD or GPR be beneficial if I plan to do a specialty residency down the road three/four years? More specifically, will a selection committee look more favorably on my package if I have done one of these shorter residencies earlier?
)Thanks for all your great advice/input.
I'm a second year dental student and have recently taken a Navy HSCP scholarship... I'm excited about the many opportunities available through Navy Dentistry.
My questions... Will doing an AEGD or GPR be beneficial if I plan to do a specialty residency down the road three/four years? More specifically, will a selection committee look more favorably on my package if I have done one of these shorter residencies earlier?
