A few questions about Navy Master at Arms..

[LCPLPunk]

Note: Please don't ban me for this, I didn't want to ask in the Ask a Cop section because this is military specific.

Howdy,

I'm currently in the process of enlisting in the Navy Reserve and I am trying to get information on some MA issues. I currently am working on my BS in Criminal Justice and will be going to the local Police Academy in July. My recruiter told me because of my background (prior Army) I won't need to go to A school and can go into drilling with the unit as soon as i sign the paperwork.

My questions are:

How would I deploy with this unit not having any actual MA training?

What extra training is available for MAs other than the 2 weeks a year?

Where can I get study materials to help prepare me for this job?

Does the Navy have correspondance courses to help transition into this job?

Any comments/help are appreciated!

[pkagel]

I wouldn't trust the recruiter. Unless you've already been to the academy you're going to have to go through A school. What you won't need to do is go through boot camp.

Here are a few publications that might be of help but you'd get them anyway in A school. You might ask the recruiter to see if he can get the books for you. Their is usually at least on Career Counselor 1st cl*** or Chief in a decent sized recruiting station and they'll know how to get the books.

http://www.militarymanual.com/2_by_s...*ignments.html

[LCPLPunk]

Thanks for the reply. I'll have to ask the recruiter again just to make sure he knew what he was saying when he told me about no A school.

[pkagel]

Chances might be that he doesn't know. You'd really need to talk to one of the MAA detailers to find out the actual rules on this. I think the only way you'd get out of A school, besides what I already wrote, is if you were an MP in the Army.

[LCPLPunk]

How would I get in contact with an MAA detailer?

I did talk with an MA chief at the unit, but I don't think the issue of no 'A' school was mentioned.

[pkagel]

You'd probably need the recruiter to call for you. I tried to get on BUPERS but they have the phone numbers locked down now. Here's the BUPERS address BTW. http://www.npc.navy.mil/Channels/

I "think" the A school is only about 12 weeks long but I got out of the Navy in 98 so things might have changed since then.

[navy80]

nko.navy.mil has correspondance courses. I know they have dog handler C-school for extra schooling, if you get deployed and havent been to a-school then you will learn on-the-job. Best thing to do is find a someone in the maa field. Mostly making watch bills and urinalysis is what the ma1 does on deployment here, and he has a cs3 working for him. Just dont get screwed anyuway in your contract, prior army you should have a good idea of what to expect

[CO1989]

Reservists do NOT go to A-School. I went to a 3 week school that was crammed into 2 weeks, you might have to go through that. My buddy who joined the Reserves after me and had gone through FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Course) never had to go through the 3 week school or A-School either.

You CAN get deployed, as they'll send you to all of the training you need before you go.

[pkagel]

Wow, that's pretty sad then. I've never met a rated MAA that didn't go to A school(or a regular academy) but then I didn't know any reservist either.

[pkagel]

Ditto that farewell.

The reason I had put that you'd need to go to A school though was because when they were trying to get me to go back into the reserves they wouldn't let me go MAA w/o having finished an academy. This was before I went to an academy. Now that I have I'd imagine they'd take me but I'm not certain I'd really want to do it now. Well, maybe. I'll have to go start doing my own research on how our local reserves operate here in the Dallas Metroplex

[LCPLPunk]

I've been reading all I can find on the MA stuff, it seems like a job I would enjoy, although it will have ups and downs.

And actually, i may be looking into going into the NSW community so we'll see what evolves out of that.

[pkagel]

Kinda hard to go NSW w/o going active.

[LCPLPunk]

Well, i talked with a guy who is an HM in the Reserve NSW and he told me alot about it. I'm assuming they get mobilized alot, but he said it was for Reservist, not AD. Sounded like good stuff, he said they shoot more stuff in a week than most soldiers shoot in their whole military careers. Sounds like fun stuff to me.

[Kokoro]

Be leary of anyone telling you about specops fields that are for reservists only. While yes, they do exist, you will spend so long in training for them that you might as well have gone active duty. That's if you are in the 3-5% that actually make it through the training. I remember when I was talking to a recruiter before I went into the Air Force about the people he has tried to put in the Pararescue pipeline. I guess out of the 10-15 people that tried to put through, none of them made it and ended up in SF. That's security forces, Air Force military police

[navy80]

I, agree dont believe everything you hear e****ially from reservist. Nothing agaisnt them.