What if i don't take the 1199A to Navy boot camp?

Answer 1

At worst you won't get paid on time, but you'll eventually get paid. SF 1199A (the military version of the Direct Deposit form), like all DD forms, is required for military members and Civil Service employees as well, for almost 15 years now. It costs the government a lot of money to print Treasury Checks (though I miss getting them), so the DD system cuts costs substantially.

There are 4 things you never want to screw up while in the Navy;

1. Pay

2. Medical / Dental Records

3. Personnel Records

4. Pay

Did I mention Pay?

You can always get one online and take it with you or mail it in to the address on the form, ask your Recruiter for a copy, or you can tell your CC when you arrive that you screwed up and forgot your form (which won't endear you, but since everyone's a screwup at first, it's not a big deal). Don't let it slide either - the government won't pay you if it doesn't know where to deposit your money. It's not like the old days when your checks arrived and they passed them out at mail call, or they mailed them to your wife and she spent it all before you got back from sea. Yeomen don't like to deal with sailors who give them more work; not attending to your own admin requirements does just that, so don't make it a habit. Always keep your unit Yeoman on your good side, as well as the Doc. You'd be surprised how easily your shot record and personnel file can be "lost" if you aggravate them enough.

Usually, someone during your BT processing after you arrive will figure out there isn't a form on file for you and get you to fill one out. However, knowing how busy PN's are these days, don't assume they'll catch it - be proactive and ensure your pay is taken care of.