Navy SEALS, NROTC???

If you complete a NROTC course in college can you sign a SEAL contract to go through BUD/s as an LT.

It's competitive as hell, but possible.

My biggest concern with the Naval Academy and NROTC is if I wasn't given the chance to go to BUD's after graduation and forced to do something I didn't want to do. I'm starting to get the feeling that it would be better for me to go into the Navy as an enlisted man with a SEAL contract. However, I do really want to go to college and would like to be an officer.

I'm with you on that one (for the USNA/NROTC part, not the enlisting part)...should I not get into SEALs through USNA, how likely is it that I could still go into the Marines? Also, for NROTC, if I did NROTC regular (non-Marine option) to try to get into SEALs and didn't, could I still go for Marines?

I spoke with two admissions councilors at USNA who are marines. Going marines is very possible out of USNA as long as you can pass the physical test, which includes a 3 mile run.

vampsoul said:

I spoke with two admissions councilors at USNA who are marines. Going marines is very possible out of USNA as long as you can pass the physical test, which includes a 3 mile run.

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Even if you don't attend the Marines summer training thing when at the academy? I heard they said that is one of the main things they check for when you put Marines as service selection before graduation.

From a Navy recruiter

As for SEALS, the situation is even harder. SPECWAR takes maybe 10-12 SEAL officers a year. Of that number, maybe 5-7 will be civilian. Only 5-7 non-prior SEALS per year!! So, are you one of the top 7 biggest studs to apply for SEAL in the entire US? Some of you just may be, but I haven't met you yet. My office has never put in a SEAL officer and it has not been for lack of applicants so please forgive our lack of zeal to pursue your kit, it isn't personal, we just have to prioritize, and since we are not goaled for SEALS, like pilots, it is tough to spend a lot of time where we just don't make any money. BUT, it is yours for the taking if you are persistent and get your paperwork taken care of.

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http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17296



If I wanted to become a SEAL officer, I would try my best to get into the academy. If that failed, I would get two years of college done and enlist. Why? You get two years to prepare for BUD/s and two years of college makes you more competitive to get into STA-21.

2012Cadet said:

I'm with you on that one (for the USNA/NROTC part, not the enlisting part)...should I not get into SEALs through USNA, how likely is it that I could still go into the Marines? Also, for NROTC, if I did NROTC regular (non-Marine option) to try to get into SEALs and didn't, could I still go for Marines?

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I am not 100% sure on this but I think you can put

1. SEAL Officer
2. Marine Ground
3. etc

The biggest thing they look for to commission in the Marine is whether or not you attended Leatherneck. P.S. Marine ground DOES NOT mean you will get infantry. That is decided at TBS. You may get selected as a tank officer out of TBS. If you are the top of your class at TBS, you will have a good shot at getting infantry especially in war time.

2012Cadet said:

Even if you don't attend the Marines summer training thing when at the academy? I heard they said that is one of the main things they check for when you put Marines as service selection before graduation.

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I think the main things they look for is if you are in the Semper Fi Society and attend Leatherneck.(summer training)

You may want to contact the SEAL Recruiting Directorate to get pointed in the right direction. Their website is sealswcc.com

The numbers posted earlier don't really make sense. They take more than that from USNA each year so I'd be hesitant at relying that advice.

I don't really understand the original post. If you graduate college through NROTC and get selected for BUD/S you'd be an ENS not a LT. I'm not even sure if they take LTs in BUD/S anymore.

I'd check with sealswcc.com about the service selection issue. If you didn't get selected for BUD/S out of USNA and went SWO maybe you could transfer to BUD/S after a year or so--not sure. If you went Marines, I'm not sure how that complicates a transfer from another branch of the military. Either way, you should find out from the source.

basilrathbone said:

You may want to contact the SEAL Recruiting Directorate to get pointed in the right direction. Their website is sealswcc.com

The numbers posted earlier don't really make sense. They take more than that from USNA each year so I'd be hesitant at relying that advice.

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I think he meant the slots not out of USNA. They give a majority of the slots to USNA.

I don't really understand the original post. If you graduate college through NROTC and get selected for BUD/S you'd be an ENS not a LT. I'm not even sure if they take LTs in BUD/S anymore.

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Maybe he read how enlisted SEALs who complete BUD/S get promoted to E-4?
If you graduate from any Navy commissioning program you are an ENS.

I'd check with sealswcc.com about the service selection issue. If you didn't get selected for BUD/S out of USNA and went SWO maybe you could transfer to BUD/S after a year or so--not sure.

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Thats the bad side I see in the Navy. You are either a SEAL but if you dont make it you are a SWO--two completely different RATEs.

If you went Marines, I'm not sure how that complicates a transfer from another branch of the military. Either way, you should find out from the source.

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I have heard of in-service transfers in flight school but I would highly doubt transferring just to be a SEAL. The Marines would probably laugh at you. Just go infantry and become a recon officer.


And remember dude officers only get one chance at BUD/S. Enlistees get multiple shots.

devildog55 said:

I have heard of in-service transfers in flight school but I would highly doubt transferring just to be a SEAL. The Marines would probably laugh at you. Just go infantry and become a recon officer.


And remember dude officers only get one chance at BUD/S. Enlistees get multiple shots.

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Not thinking about enlisting at all...thanks for the advice, devildog55...if I go to USNA I'll probably go for Marines and then Recon if I can make it...one more question, though...I know I shouldn't go looking for combat, but I just want to know: on the force recon assoc. site, it says officers don't usually lead their team into combat but stay back at the ops center most of the time...how true is this?

2012Cadet said:

I'm with you on that one (for the USNA/NROTC part, not the enlisting part)...should I not get into SEALs through USNA, how likely is it that I could still go into the Marines? Also, for NROTC, if I did NROTC regular (non-Marine option) to try to get into SEALs and didn't, could I still go for Marines?

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A friend of mine just graduated from the Naval Academy. He wanted to be a SEAL. He was easily maxing the Navy PT test. I have no doubt in my mind he would have made it through BUD/S. He was just that type of guy. The truth of the matter is there are only a handful of spots and he missed making the list by one spot. He graduated as a Marine Officer and wants to eventually go through MARSOC training. So is there a chance if you dont make SEALs through USNA you can choose to go Marines, yes. You probably have a better chance of playing football in the NFL than you do of getting a chance to go through BUD/S from the Naval Academy. If you want a shot at BUD/S enlist its probably the only way you'll ever get the shot.

Honestly, the best way to become a Marine officer is not USNA since your choice is not going to be a guarantee if you go there. The best way is to complete Marine Corps OCS (24% of the Corps) or Platoon Leaders Class (35% of the Corps) - and NROTC (16%)

Bluewater said:

You probably have a better chance of playing football in the NFL than you do of getting a chance to go through BUD/S from the Naval Academy.

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Well that sucks...and if it's true about being so hard to get into Marine officer as well through USNA as morningdark said, I'm going to have to really consider if I do want to go to USNA or not?

Also, for tpg's statement: how often are platoon level ops conducted as compared to team level ones in Force Recon (on average)?

Bluewater said:

You probably have a better chance of playing football in the NFL than you do of getting a chance to go through BUD/S from the Naval Academy.

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Twenty seven selected SEAL out of the class of 2009 and that seems about typical for each class. Want to make me a list of 28 or more each year from USNA who made the NFL? Twenty eight from any university?

My understanding is that if one wants it bad enough, they can be one of those twenty seven (SEALs, not NFL players).

mombee said:

if one wants it bad enough, they can be one of those twenty seven (from USNA)

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Oh, for sure do I want it bad enough but that doesn't mean I will get it...plenty others have wanted it bad enough like Bluewater's friend who didn't make it.

mombee said:

Twenty seven selected SEAL out of the class of 2009 and that seems about typical for each class. Want to make me a list of 28 or more each year from USNA who made the NFL? Twenty eight from any university?

My understanding is that if one wants it bad enough, they can be one of those twenty seven (SEALs, not NFL players).

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How many graduated from the class of 09? Around 800. What percent of those who graduated got a shot at BUD/s? How many even wanted to be SEALs? My point is you have to know what you’re up against and what it’s going to take to achieve your goal. Is it possible to make the list, yes. Is it probable, no. My post was intended to give an idea of how hard it is to make it to BUD/s from the academy. I think most comprehended my analogy. My advice for you 2012Cadet is to figure out which career you like best whether it be a Navy or Marine officer or if you even want to attend USNA. Once you decide what is best for you find out how much work it is going to take and never quit. Good luck, with luck meaning preparedness meeting opportunity.

Maxing the PT test is far from the only thing that USNA takes into account when they make service selections. Three Mids from my DD's company all really wanted BUD/S this year. All three had made it through the SEAL screener(s) held at USNA this year, in addition to maxing their PRT scores. So, why did one get it? The one who got BUD/S also had the best leadership skills and the best academic grades, and he did it all while being on a varsity team. The other two were given their second choice, Marines.

There's a reason that the USNA BUD/S completion success rate is so high (over 80% pass, versus 5% pass for enlistees. Not sure of non-USNA officer success rate.) The screener weekends that are held each semester are brutal. Both the attendees and the SEALs who conduct the training get a chance to see who would best hold up during BUD/S. In addition, each person who gets chosen from USNA knows that some of his best friends really wanted the opportunity to go to BUD/S, so there's a sense of responsibility to make it through.

While there is no absolute guarantee of getting your number one choice for service selection, you do have the ability to tilt the scales in your favor. A large factor in getting the service assignment you want is your OOM (overall order of merit). That means working hard to get the best academic grades possible, demonstrating real leadership in your company, and having top PRT scores. You also need to do well on the ASVAB, screener weekends, Leatherneck, or other requirements for your field of choice.

About 25% of each of the past two graduating classes has been commissioned into the Marine Corps. If you had any realistic chance of actually getting a BUD/S slot (roughly 20 out of 1000), there is no reason why you wouldn't get a Marine Corps slot (roughly 250 out of 1000), if that was your second choice. USNA has published stats showing that ~90% of the members of each graduating class get either their first or second choice of service selection. If someone wants BUD/S or Marines but gets SWO, then that person (IMO) had some sort of "issues," whether it was academics or conduct, or something.

I think the route to being a SEAL while going through ROTC
is to compete for a slot into Mini BUD/S

It's Extremely tough to get into, only 30 slots(?), open competition...
But if you get into Mini BUD/S, and do very well in Mini BUD/S,
then you can get accepted into BUD/S

http://www.seal.navy.mil/seal/pdf/minibudsfaq.pdf

http://www.npc.navy.mil/Officer/SPECWAR/

From the Forum at:
http://navyseals.com/forums/
The advice there is to:
A) Naval Academy(preferred choice) or ROTC and be in top 10-15 NROTC cadets is the USA
B) Request MINI BUD/S., do VERY well at it.
C) Graduate and get certified in your 'back-up' career plan... Seabees for example.
D) Request BUD/S after certified, then...
E) BUD/S
The point is, that then if you wash out of SEALS, you will be sent back to what you were trained for, instead of being assigned at the mercy of the Navy.


Good Luck

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no expertise here, my son's best friend is talking about the ROTC/SEALS and I did some research.

jeffwar613 said:

If you complete a NROTC course in college can you sign a SEAL contract to go through BUD/s as an LT.

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It's been my dream to be a SEAL too, and it seems like that unless you are one-really lucky, or two- a complete NROTC/USNA varsity team captian academic wonder superman, going to the SEALS as an officer is just not realistic, though I hear Navy officers have a good shot if after they get some experince in the fleet. I'm going to enlist after my 3rd Class year or after graduation.
FYI, about half of all SEAL officers start as enlisted SEALS.

There is only something like 2,500 SEALS to start with...
if you figure a very high (1:5) ratio of officer to enlisted
that makes it about 500 Officers assigned to SEAL units
That would mean maybe 100 (?) slots open up per year?

Not very good odds to plan a career on in my book.

If I wanted to be a snake-eater I would go Army where you can work your way up to it...
Infantry >Air Assault >Airborne >Ranger>Special Forces>Delta
I think there are about 12 battalions (?) of SF so may be 10-20,000 troops total?

roadhog said:

It's been my dream to be a SEAL too, and it seems like that unless you are one-really lucky, or two- a complete NROTC/USNA varsity team captian academic wonder superman, going to the SEALS as an officer is just not realistic, though I hear Navy officers have a good shot if after they get some experince in the fleet. I'm going to enlist after my 3rd Class year or after graduation.
FYI, about half of all SEAL officers start as enlisted SEALS.

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