Officer program

[29palms]

Hello Everyone,
Im an Aviation Ordnanceman Second Class Petty Officer in the Navy stationed in Japan. I have been in less than 2.5 years at this point. I actually dropped out of school at Indiana University in my second semester of my senior year in 2010 to join the navy. I was really lost with what I wanted to do with my life or what I was even going to school for and to top it I wasnt the most mature 18-21 year old ever.

Anyways I left in good academic standing with a 2.48 gpa and 90 credits into a Communications Degree. Since joining the navy it has been a huge wake up call and has really got my butt in gear. I have been very motivated with fair to great evals, lots of community service, honor graduate of my A school class and promoted very quickly. However I really feel my academic record at Indiana University really haunts me to the point I wish I was starting from scratch now instead of trying to rectify and move on.

I am very motivated towards a goal of becoming a Naval Officer. I am very interested in being a Pilot as flying is one of my hobbies but just love the idea of serving and leading in the Navy as an officeris thrilling and would be willing to go in any direction that the Navy felt it could use me.

I am currently enrolled at Excelsior College where I will be able to wrap up a degree BS in Liberal Studies in April. However with as many credits as I had at IU and the limited classes I have to raise my GPA at Excelsior I plan to graduate with a 2.8-2.9ish GPA in April 2013. I have all qualifying scores for Pilot on the ASTB and got a 49 on the Officer Qualifying test.

My main question are these goals a pipe dream? Will I ever be able to achieve this and is a degree at Excelsior worth my time or should I continue with possibly trying for STA-21. Any feedback would be really apreciated.

I don't think its a pipe dream. You have to be a bit savy though. Once the military has you locked in on an "A" school, they like to keep you there and not invest anymore in you than they have to, however, that was when I was in the USMC back in the day, things may be different now. Also, if you up your career, and get a degree, that's leverage for reenlistment. They may try to blow some smoke to get you to reenlist in your current field, but I would stand firm with your goals. If they don't come through, check out other branches and Air Guard for instance.
Sometimes, the military knows they got you and like in your case, they know that you want to do a career, stay in for 20 years, so they bet they can get you to reenlist under their terms. Overall, I don't think by NOT getting a degree you would be doing yourself a good service. You can always have your degree no matter what you do and where you go, in or out of the USN.
You may have to polish the apple a little, know whom to talk to above that can hook you up. Play the game like those career guys do. (Some of them are a bunch of assholes that don't want to learn but rather sit and drink coffee all day long.) Stand firm, if you don't get what you want, be man enough to pave your own way no matter what you do. You can always go to flight school as a civilian for example if the Navy jerks you around. Hope this helps.